Deuces Wild: Spurred on by injury, Keselowski looks to solidify Chase berth at MIS

Keselowski put aside injuries to win at Pocono, showing he has the makings
of a champion. Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Regardless of the sport, athletes are a special breed. They push themselves to the limit not backing off when the aches and pains caused by their profession make life difficult. In many sports, athletes are put on rest and forced to go through rehab before going back to the big leagues, but in NASCAR, if you don’t drive you can’t be the Champion.

A little over two weeks ago Brad Keselowski, in his second season driving for Penske Racing, hit the wall at Road Atlanta going in excess of 100 miles an hour during a testing session in preparation for Watkins Glen. The session turned into a trip to the hospital when the brakes on the Miller Lite Dodge suddenly failed. Although Keselowski suffered a broken ankle and an injury to his back, he didn’t let that put a wrinkle in his plans. If anything, it has spurred him on.

Bruised and broken, but in no way down for the count, Keselowski climbed behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce just days after the accident and conquered one of the most unique tracks in NASCAR, the tricky triangle of Pocono. Although not the strongest car on the track that day, Keselowski’s team positioned him for a win and with a lengthy rain delay allowing him the chance to rest his ankle and back, BK took home his second win of the season and third in his Sprint Cup Series career.

While this feat was amazing in its own right, Keselowski stunned fans and even his detractors the following weekend at Watkins Glen by finishing second. The win followed by another strong showing proves that with hard work and determination it’s possible to put the pain aside and focus on the overall goal, to make the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

This weekend Keselowski hopes to solidify his Chase berth with a win at his home track of Michigan International Speedway. Sitting 14th in points with only four races until the cutoff, the Rochester Hills native is sitting pretty for one of two wild card spots added to the Chase format in 2011. Of course anything can happen over the next four weeks to change the wild card spots, but don’t tell that to Keselowski.

On Friday the driver tweeted saying, “Feeling good about this weekend, Never had a car that's felt this good here at Michigan. #pumped.” and his sixth place qualifying run backed up that statement. It won’t be easy for Keselowski to take on his third race of the season with injury and he'll have to contend with an all Roush-Fenway front row, but don’t let that fool you. Anything is possible for the Miller Lite team - they’ve proven that time and time again in 2011.

Whether you cheer for Keselowski or not you can bet on one thing: the Blue Deuce is gunning for that third win, and it’s gonna be a wild one.