NASCAR at Atlanta recap: Brad Keselowski seizes upon Kevin Harvick’s gaffe, scores hard-fought win

The race-deciding moment unquestionably transpired when Kevin Harvick exceeded the 45 mph speed limit (and the 5 mph tolerance) as he came down pit road for his final stop during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Before then, Harvick’s name might as well have been etched into the trophy awarded to the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 winner because barring a mistake, an act of God, or some fluke occurrence, the victory was his considering on the day he would lead 292 laps and frequently overwhelm the field.

But Harvick’s gaffe meant he would lineup at the back of the pack when the race resumed with 11 laps remaining, simply not enough time to overcome the flub. This opened the door for Brad Keselowski to capitalize, which he did when he passed Kyle Larson for the lead six laps from the finish.

That Keselowski was even in the position he found himself in can be traced to how effectively he and crew chief Paul Wolfe navigated a pair of trying circumstances, both of which could’ve been crippling.

The first happened shortly after the start of the second stage, which by that point Keselowski established he had the second-best car to Harvick, when a flat right-front tire necessitated an unscheduled green-flag pit stop dropping him a lap behind. He would later return to the lead lap when the leaders made their pit stops.

The next setback came following Keselowski beating Harvick off pit road under a caution 60 laps from the finish. It was this sequence where the bond between driver and crew chief really shone, underscoring the strength of the Team Penske No. 2 team.

“That’s the DNA of our team,” team owner Roger Penske said.

When Keselowski left pit road his crew realized they did not fasten all the lug nuts, leaving their driver in a precarious situation. Considering the stakes, Wolfe could’ve justified keeping Keselowski on the track with the hope the loose wheel wouldn’t worsen and be the catalyst for some kind of race-ending incident.

Instead, Wolfe took no chances. He called Keselowski back to pit road before the race resumed, forfeiting the lead and placing Keselowski 14th on the subsequent restart. Not once, however, did Keselowski second-guess Wolfe’s decision-making. The only words Keselowski uttered were “We win and lose as a team” following Wolfe apologizing for the miscue.

“When we get in a race like we were today, that’s where Brad really shines, when he’s got to be a leader and keep everyone focused and not get down on anyone, and he did that,” Wolfe said. “He kept the guys motivated and showed that he wasn’t going to give up on it.”

Only the Jimmie Johnson-Chad Knaus driver-crew chief union surpasses Keselowski and Wolfe in years together, and their familiarity and trust in one another is palpable. The bickering and questioning of decisions commonly heard on the radio by so many drivers and crew chiefs during races is absent on the No. 2 team’s channel.

Such rapport is the backbone of why they’ve won one Cup championship and 21 races since teaming in 2011 — the latter statistic exceeded only by Johnson’s 27 wins during that span.

“When I thought I had a right front coming apart, I pitted and he didn’t second-guess me,” Keselowski said. “And when he told me to pit because there was a lug nut loose, I pitted and I didn’t second-guess him. That’s the kind of relationship I hope to maintain with my team.”

Without Harvick’s penalty it would’ve been difficult for anyone to catch, then pass him. With how strong his car was, it was his race to win or lose. But when he bumbled, Keselowski seized upon the opportunity and though it may appear he may have stole the W, this was in fact the definition of a hard-fought victory.

“Could we have caught (Harvick), probably not,” Penske said. “But that’s a special win for us. You lose more than you win in this sport, so I think that makes you tougher and stronger.”