Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon meet to discuss Gordon’s perceived bias

Just days after Brad Keselowski accused Jeff Gordon of being a biased television broadcaster, the two met face-to-face Friday as part of an interview that will air prior to Sunday’s NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway.

During Monday’s rain-delayed race at Pocono Raceway, a crewmember on Keselowski’s team fell into the side of his car during a pit stop, denting the No. 2 Ford. The act appeared to be deliberate, as it provides an aerodynamic advantage, and NASCAR officials penalized Keselowski for an improper body modification and required Team Penske to fix the damage.

Later, as Keselowski was running up front and in contention for the victory, Gordon -- who is a Fox Sports analyst -- referenced Keselowski’s crew being involved in a similar incident during the March race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, an event Keselowski won. FS1 then showed a replay of the act in question, which Gordon said Keselowski was penalized for.

But Gordon was mistaken in his comments -- Keselowski was penalized for speeding on pit road, not for improper body modifications. And after finishing third on Monday, Keselowski called out Gordon for what he perceived to be biased commentary, as the retired four-time Cup Series champion owns a partial stake in Jimmie Johnson’s team and remains affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports.

Although Gordon subsequently apologized on Twitter, Keselowski stood by his assertion of favoritism while speaking with reporters Friday at Michigan.

“My big thing is that I don’t want somebody that is invested in another team talking about my race car in a derogatory form or a perceived derogatory form,” Keselowski said. “I don’t think that is right and I am going to defend my team in those situations no matter who it is. It doesn’t have to be one particular person.

“Beyond that, I think (Gordon) has a position that requires his insight but there are some limitations to what insight I think is fair play for that position when you are still invested in the sport. I feel like that was over the line. Not just that particular example but other examples on other broadcasts. I just want to make sure that if anyone wants to criticize me and how I drive the race car that is one thing, but not my team and not things that could be perceived as self-serving.”

Keselowski, who occasionally serves as a Fox analyst himself on its Xfinity Series broadcasts, went on to say that if there is an unavoidable conflict of interest then it’s best not to voice an opinion. That is his approach when a situation arises involving Penske, Keselowski’s Sprint Cup team that also competes in Xfinity.

“I would say that in those situations where something comes up about that team or car or whoever it might be, it is my belief that I shouldn’t say anything,” Keselowski said. “There is more than one person in the booth. That is how I have treated that situation. I feel like that is probably a more reasonable guiding light to go forward. It is not my right to enforce that by any means, but that is what I think is fair.”

Coincidentally, Gordon and Keselowski had a pre-arranged interview scheduled for Friday. Keselowski said he and Gordon shook hands, discussed a wide range of topics and agreed to disagree on several matters. The interview will air prior to Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (1:15 p.m. ET, FS1).

“We talked at length,” Keselowski said. “I think there are certainly some different opinions. I don’t necessarily know if that is going to change, but it is nice to be able to have those conversations in a one-on-one format. Of course there was a camera there so I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Probably a little bit of both. I feel like it is good and hopefully we can move on.”