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 When many analyze the chase for the NASCAR Nationwide
Series championship in 2009, they mention Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards
as favorites.
Brad Keselowski? He's an underdog, many figure. And that's
just fine with the JR Motorsports driver.
"I kind of relish the underdog role to be honest," Keselowski said
at Daytona International Speedway, site of NASCAR's Preseason Thunder Fan
Fest. "It's inspiring to me. It drives me to prove that we can do it. You know,
I kind of like it in a way."
On the other hand, Keselowski knows how tough it will be to beat Roush Fenway
Racing's Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch. They are two of the
best drivers in any series, and the upstart Keselowski knows he and his No. 88
team need to be at their best to beat them.
"You know, it wouldn't even be so bad if they were with non-Cup teams,
but both of them are taking their Cup teams down with them to do it," Keselowski
said. "So that's a little frustrating. But it is what it is, and we're going to
go out there and race them, and it's our responsibility to find a
way to beat them."
Keselowski finished third last year behind champion Clint Bowyer and runnerup
Edwards, winning the first two races of his career. Keselowski was in a title-contending
position late in the season before fading out of the championship picture.
With his team returning intact and his confidence growing, Keselowski figures
to be in the hunt this year.
"Brad is feeling really confident right now," said Dale Earnhardt
Jr., his car owner. "He's in a great spot, he's looking forward to next year. He
knows what he did last year to try and win the championship and
finished third, and I think he feels like he can put together a
better season this year and maybe give us a shot to win the
championship."
The nine Nationwide standalone races could give Keselowski an edge, especially
the ones run on the same weekend as a Sprint Cup race. Edwards and Busch won't
get much time, if any, in their Nationwide cars on those weekends, while Keselowski
only has to work on his Nationwide car's setup.
"You know, for every advantage you have there's a disadvantage, so I probably
will have some advantage at the standalone, and there's going to be some companion
races where I'm at a disadvantage," Keselowski said. "It all equals out in the
end, but yeah, certainly in the standalone races they're a little
easier for guys like myself, yeah."
So if Keselowski could maintain that advantage at the standalone races and run
as well as Edwards and Busch at the other tracks, he's got a chance at
the title.
And he knows it.
"Alot of exciting things happening for myself with the Nationwide schedule,
going for the championship," Keselowski said. "That's going to be great. Very
excited about that. I feel like we've got a very strong team, and we
weren't very far off last year from winning it, and if we could just
eliminate the few race tracks that we struggled at, we can do it."
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"A lot
of exciting things happening for myself with the Nationwide schedule,
going for the championship. That's
going to be great. Very excited about that.
I feel like we've got a very strong team, and we weren't very far
off last year from winning it, and if we could just eliminate the few
race tracks that we struggled at, we can do it."
BRAD
KESELOWSKI
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