Brad Keselowski 2013 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
Brad Keselowski 2012 Stats: Points Finish – 1st , 5 Wins, 13 Top Fives, 23 Top Tens, Average Running Position 11.2, Average Finish 10.1, Laps Led 735, Driver Rating 98.9
Strengths – The Champ is one of the most versatile drivers in the series. Last year he finished in the top five in points accumulated at every track type. Also the #2 team is the best in the business at playing the strategy game right now.
Weaknesses – Perhaps a better phrase for this paragraph would be areas of uncertainty for Brad Keselowski. In 2013 the car will be different, their engines will no longer be made in-house (could be a big deal), and he’ll have a new teammate (Joey Logano). I think he’ll miss Sam Hornish Jr. because they ran similar setups and he basically was a dedicated tester for him on race weekends.
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Intermediate Track Grade- A, Last year on this track type Keselowski had three wins and scored the 5th most points behind Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick. When it comes time to get up on the wheel he can do it as good as anyone. At Texas when he finished second Tony Stewart said that he was driving like he had a death wish. I like his level of aggressiveness because it’s calculated. Another strength of his on this track type is that when it comes to executing strategy in races he’s in a league of his own. With the new car likely bringing more parity this attribute will be huge in the upcoming season.
Flat Track Grade- A-, Brad Keselowski was very good at flat tracks last season. Only him and Denny Hamlin finished in the top ten in every race but one on this track type. The only race he failed to finish in the top ten was the first race at Pocono. With this level of consistency he had the second best average finish on flat tracks (7.6). Last season Brad was particularly strong on the smaller flats. I’m not saying he’s an elite small flat track driver like Denny Hamlin but you need to take note he finished in the top six in all four of those races. In order for Brad Keselowski to be just as successful in 2013 he’ll need to qualify better. I don’t think 23.3 will cut it two years in a row.
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Short Track Grade- A-, Brad Keselowski is a skilled short track driver. Last season on this track type he scored the 3rd most points and had a 10.3 average finish. If it wasn’t for a wreck in the Bristol night race on the new configuration he would’ve made a serious run at Clint Bowyer for #1. Last year at Richmond Brad finished in the top ten in both races. Those are also his only two top tens there. At Martinsville Keselowski has been sneaky good but struggled in October. Last season he finished in the top ten twice and if it wasn’t for a late spin in fall 2011 all of his finishes but one would be in the top twelve at NASCAR’s oldest track.
Restrictor Plate Track Grade – A-, Last season Keselowski captured his 2nd win at Talladega in the spring. The logic all weekend long was that the driver in the lead at the end was going to lose to the second place driver. He said that he thought about this problem and came up with a way to overcome it. That’s the sign of a smart driver who’s 100% dedicated. His track record at Talladega is impeccable. In eight races there he has six top tens and has led in every race but one.
Daytona hasn’t been friendly to Keselowski. He only has one top ten finish and one top ten start. He accomplished both of those feats in the July race. It’s important to note though that his 8th last summer is somewhat fraudulent. In that race he spun on his own with 15 laps to go and was aided by attrition. I wouldn’t count out Keselowski at NASCAR’s most famous track though. He’s a thinking man and that will take him far.
Road Course Track Grade- A-, Brad Keselowski isn’t a bad fantasy option at road courses. At Watkins Glen he has back to back second place finishes and if his opponent at the end both years wasn’t the best in the business (Marcos Ambrose) he likely would have back to back wins. His 2011 performance was especially remarkable because in that race he had a broken ankle.
He hasn’t been as strong at Infineon but he’s a legitimate 5th to 13th place driver. Last year he finished 12th and that’s pretty representative of how he performed. In 2011 he finished 10th but performed better than that. He potentially had a top three car but had a run in with Juan Pablo Montoya late.
How to use Brad Keselowski from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2013? Keselowski can be used nearly anywhere. I would only be nervous about picking him at Daytona and Martinsville (struggled compared to his competition in October).
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