Fresh after finishing second at Texas the week before, Keselowski was right back in the running for a win at Talladega. When there was only one lap left, Noah Gragson, Michael McDowell, and Keselowski, all driving Fords, had pushed past Tyler Reddick. It seemed like McDowell and Keselowski would battle it out for the win.
But things took a turn when McDowell made a sudden move to block Keselowski. This caused McDowell to crash, and Reddick took advantage, slipping past Keselowski to snatch the win.
Keselowski ended up with yet another second-place finish, adding to his frustratingly long streak without a win.
“The Fords were working together really well,” Keselowski explained after the race. “We got past the Toyotas and it looked like it was going to be between the three of us. I tried to make a move on Michael, but he blocked me. Then, when I tried to go the other way, I got another push, but there was nowhere to go when Michael came back down.”
“I feel bad for him,” Keselowski continued. “He’s a good guy, I hope he’s okay. It’s just the way things go sometimes. It was a good day for us. Another second. Good finishes matter, but we’re hungry for wins. I really thought we had it today, but it just didn’t happen.”
Despite the disappointment, Keselowski’s consecutive top-five finishes for the second time this season have boosted him up four spots in the series standings to 14th place, just before the next race at Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware.
Right now, Keselowski’s position would be enough to make it to the playoffs, but a win would give him the guarantee he’s looking for. Still, Keselowski was proud of his No. 6 RFK Racing team’s effort.
“We ran a solid race, had good strategy, and were up front when it mattered,” he said. “I just wish we could’ve grabbed that win. It was a crazy finish, but even though we missed out on the win, it’s still something to be proud of.”
