Logano, Keselowski wreck early

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

Before the start of Sunday’s IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Long Beach, team owner Roger Penske warned his drivers, front-row starters Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya, to avoid contact on the first lap.

Perhaps Penske should have been at Bristol instead, to have the same conversation with his two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars.

Eighteen laps into Sunday’s rain-delayed Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes, in a light, misting rain was Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford slid sideways in Turn 4, as Keselowski moved to the outside of the lapped car of Alex Kennedy.

Keselowski tried to save the car but turned broadside into the path of teammate Joey Logano, who could do nothing to avoid ramming his teammate.

The accident damaged both cars severely. Logano took his No. 22 Ford to the garage, while Keselowski’s No. 2 entry sat covered on pit road through a lengthy stoppage for heavier rain that began falling moments after the wreck.

“The rain was coming in and out, and the car just took off on me,” Keselowski said. “I would like to blame the rain, but I honestly don’t know. Usually, when a car gets that far sideways and it’s kind of out of nowhere, there’s a reason behind it. I just really hate that I tore up my teammate in the process. That’s really a bummer. I felt like I had a pretty normal line, and it just flew crazy sideways on me.  

“It’s a bummer for everybody at Team Penske to tear up both cars that way. I hate racing in the rain, but I understand the position that NASCAR is in. They want to get the race going, and this is one of those days where it’s going to just keep raining off and on, and we’re trying to get as many laps in at a time as we can to give the fans the best race possible. But we’re racing in the rain to do it, and that’s what happens.”

When Keselowski turned sideways, Logano had no time to react.

“Brad just got loose underneath that lapped car,” Logano said. “You start checking up, and it looked like he was going to have it saved, and he checked up more than I expected, and the next thing you know I’m in the back of him and we’re both headed towards the fence.”

NASCAR Wire Service
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