No. 6 – Brad Keselowski

Keselowski kicked off All-Star weekend on a high note by capturing his first career pole position in what marked his 17th appearance in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Driving the No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford, Keselowski earned the top spot through an impressive performance in the qualifying session, beating out the rest of the field by nearly nine-tenths of a second in the final qualifying metric.

In the opening heat race, Keselowski started on the front row and dominated from the drop of the green flag, leading 74 of the 75 laps. With smart defensive driving, he effectively blocked both lanes and never relinquished control. Hitting his marks lap after lap, Keselowski powered to a convincing victory, claiming the heat race win for the second consecutive year.

Keselowski and the No. 6 team opened the All-Star Race with dominance, leading 61 of the first 63 laps and building nearly a one-second gap over Joey Logano. A caution on lap 63 forced the team to take two tires to maintain track position, keeping Keselowski on the front row. However, the reduced grip became a factor, and he steadily fell back to eighth by lap 101 as handling worsened in traffic.

After a four-tire stop under caution, Keselowski restarted seventh and quickly showed strong pace, turning some of the fastest laps on the track. He remained competitive for the next 50 laps and appeared poised for a late-race charge. Unfortunately, his night took a turn when he brushed the wall in turn three, breaking the right front shock and ending the team’s hopes.