Brad Keselowski faced a difficult weekend at the NASCAR All-Star race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18. Despite starting from pole position, the 41-year-old Michigan driver crashed into the fence on lap 72, forcing an early exit and continuing his streak without an All-Star race win. Keselowski’s challenging performance has raised questions about his current form and future prospects in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Setbacks Mark Keselowski’s 2024 NASCAR Season So Far
This season has been a tough one for Keselowski, as he has yet to secure a top ten finish in twelve races. Notably, he failed to complete five of those events, including the recent All-Star race at North Wilkesboro. While he excelled in qualifying by earning the pole position for the All-Star event, Keselowski was unable to maintain that momentum during the race itself. His crash not only ended his day prematurely but also continued a pattern of inconsistency that has plagued his run this year.
Having driven the No. 6 car for RFK Racing over the last four seasons, Keselowski is currently 33rd in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 148 points. Earlier in his career, he competed with Team Penske’s No. 2 car, which helped establish his reputation. Despite his struggles, Keselowski remains focused on improving as the season progresses.
Keselowski Calls for NASCAR All-Star Race to Return to Charlotte
Following the disappointing outing at North Wilkesboro, Keselowski publicly expressed his desire to see the NASCAR All-Star race moved back to Charlotte Motor Speedway. He criticized the choice of North Wilkesboro as the All-Star venue and advocated for making Charlotte the permanent location for this event. The driver also suggested that the All-Star race should become a points-paying race, which North Wilkesboro has not hosted since 1996.
“I’d like to see the All-Star Race most likely return to Charlotte. That’s my personal opinion. I think the Charlotte racetrack, particularly since it only has one race on the oval, I think that’s a miss for our sport. It’s a great racetrack and puts on some of the best racing, so it would make sense to me if we were to revert back to that and make this a season race and probably get rid of a race like the Roval or something like that,” Keselowski explained to the media (via Motorsport). —Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver
Keselowski further voiced his dissatisfaction with the current setup of the season, specifically criticizing the elimination race held at the Charlotte Roval, which he believes is not ideal for the sport or its competitors.
Looking Ahead: Keselowski’s Upcoming Opportunity at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Keselowski’s next chance to improve on his NASCAR All-Star race performance will take place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. This upcoming event offers him a chance to reverse his recent misfortune and gain valuable points in the standings. Given his remarks and past success at Charlotte, the race represents an opportunity for Keselowski to regain confidence and push for stronger results as he aims to overcome a frustrating start to the season.
