Swing and a miss: Keselowski's pit-road gamble fails to pay off
With track position the key to victory in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Raceat Charlotte Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski knew he needed to be out front for the final segment.
It appeared the plan was working out well when Keselowski came off pit road second for the final segment of the night. However, Keselowski's chance at victory slipped away when he was caught speeding as he attempted to beat eventual winner Denny Hamlin out on pit road.
The penalty sent the No. 2 Team Penske Ford to the rear of the field for the final segment. While he was able to climb back to ninth, Keselowski knew his night was over.
With the field racing off pit road and jockeying for position, Keselowski knew he had to do all he could to get his car out front.
"Whoever gets the clean air with this format and this rules package is going to drive away," Keselowski said. "I knew when I came out of my pit stall and the 11 (of Hamlin) was pulling out with me that I either beat him to that line or lose the race, and the penalty was I was three-tenths of a mile an hour over the speed limit. But I told my crew chief (Paul Wolfe) I'd rather go down swinging than take a strike and wonder what might have been."
Then Keselowski summed up his failed gamble best with another baseball analogy.
"I swung and missed," he said.
