NASCAR At Michigan: Brad Keselowski Focused On Chase, Not Injuries

Following his third-place finish Sunday in Michigan, Brad Keselowski was confident in his team as the season approaches the Chase for the Sprint Cup and enjoyed his third consecutive top-three finish, despite a still-ailing back and broken ankle.

Perhaps no one but Keselowski could have imagined after injuring himself in a testing wreck at Road Atlanta he would go on to win the following race at Pocono, finish second on the road course at Watkins Glen and contend for the win yet again at Michigan International Speedway.

Admitting he regretted not wearing a brace during this weekend’s race, he said he was still in pain, but not enough to sit there and “whine about it.”

“I made pretty good progress this week with some different rehab stuff we did,” Keselowski said of his back. “I’m not going to get back to 100 percent until probably Daytona of next year. We’ve made some great progress so far, but we’re going to take it one step at a time.”

Saying he wishes he could bottle up the momentum they have right now and save it for later in the year, Keselowski said the team has not been doing things differently as of late, all the hard work is just starting to pay off.

“I think we have good speed, and I think Jimmie (Johnson) or anyone else in the garage would tell you speed is the foundation for a good team,” he said. “Good speed is what you need.”

After what Keselowski called “weird things” happened in the first third of the season, he feels people began to overlook his team as a serious contender.

Citing growth within the organization and a commitment to becoming a championship contender, Keselowski has confidence and momentum on his side three races before the start of the 2011 Chase, but says there is more work to be done.

“We’ve made a step forward,” he said, “but I think we need to make another step forward. That’s a lofty goal, but to be a championship contender we need to make that next step.”