Brad Keselowski’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is proving to be an ongoing challenge, as the former 2012 champion once again fell short of victory. On Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, Keselowski finished a close second, trailing Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell by just 0.3 seconds. Despite possessing the fastest car and an effective strategy, Keselowski was unable to secure his first win of the season.
Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford team led for over 33 laps during the race and implemented a solid strategy throughout. However, Christopher Bell managed to capitalize on the race’s chaotic moments and some favorable circumstances to clinch the victory. This marked the second time Keselowski finished second this season, intensifying frustration for the RFK Racing owner-driver.
Final Restart Slip and On-Track Incidents Impacted Keselowski’s Chances
Reflecting on the race’s final moments, Keselowski explained that the restart played a crucial role in losing the lead. He described the restart as a 50/50 chance and lamented being assigned the lane that failed to launch properly. The momentum he hoped to gain was disrupted by an incident involving Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith, which played into Bell’s advantage.
“It’s the story of our kind of season. A 50/50 shot on a restart and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. It’s just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, put ourselves in position to, if not win, at least have a really, really solid day, and on that last restart rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.” —Brad Keselowski, via RACER
Keselowski elaborated that Hocevar’s poor launch, followed by an error from Zane Smith clearing the way for the bottom lane to surge, ultimately sealed his fate on the final restart. Having consistently encountered bad luck in similar situations throughout the season, this was another setback in his pursuit of victory.
“The [No.] 77 didn’t get a good launch, and then the [No.] 38 missed the corner and cleared him up, and the bottom lane took off. It was a 50/50 shot and like everything else, got the wrong one.” —Brad Keselowski
Keselowski Insists Tire Strategy Was Flawless Despite Race Outcome
Keselowski also spoke about the Goodyear tires used in the race, which exhibited significant fall-off during competition. He insisted that his team executed the tire strategy perfectly, positioning themselves for a win. Unfortunately, a chain reaction caused during a restart by Keselowski himself thwarted their efforts.
“The bottom was dominant. A lot of bump-and-run passes. It felt like Bristol from 1995 in that regard…. But we played the tire stuff, I thought, perfectly to win the race. Someone pulled out in front of me there and stopped, when I was leading, and I bumped into him and caused some kind of chain reaction.” —Brad Keselowski
Despite this mistake, Keselowski was able to keep pressure on Bell late in the race. In a decisive moment, he made contact with Bell’s No. 20 Toyota Camry in an attempt to slow him down. However, the impact was insufficient to disrupt Bell’s momentum as he held on to claim victory.
Frustration Builds as Keselowski Seeks First Win in Difficult Season
The recurring frustrations and missed opportunities are weighing heavily on Keselowski, especially knowing consistent top-performing equipment may be unlikely for the rest of the year due to RFK Racing’s irregular performance. This season has been marked by close calls and narrow losses, leaving Keselowski chasing the breakthrough win he desperately needs.
The next seven races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series will prove critical for Keselowski and his team as they fight to turn their season around. How they respond to these setbacks may determine their trajectory in the championship hunt moving forward.
