by Newton, Iowa – Radio chatter between Brad Keselowski and team leader Jeremy Bullins was sometimes long during the Sunday Cup race at Iowa Speedway, but twice Keselowski finished their discussions on strategy with brief messages.
“Be aggressive, my friend,” Keeelowski told Bullins at the 212 round of the 350 rpm race when Keselowski said he was not going to oppose then.
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“Jeremy, don’t take that in the wrong direction,” Keselowski said during a prudence in the 255, “but I don’t want to see you again.”
Bullins, also noting that he preferred not to be done then, replied: “I would prefer not to see you as long as it’s not over.”
When they saw each other, it was after a chaotic race that saw seven warnings in the last stage, overthrowing the event upside down.
While Keselowski finished third – his third consecutive and fifth top 10 of the last seven races – it was not the victory he wanted. Or necessary to make the playoffs with only three races to play in the regular season.
“It’s frustrating not to win,” said Keselowski in response to a question from NBC Sports, “but I’m not frustrated by my team. I am frustrated not to have taken the breaks we needed.”
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Instead, it was William Byron – who lacked twice fuel at the end of the races this summer – stretching his fuel to mark his first victory since Daytona 500.
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William Byron wins the fuel match at Iowa Speedway for the second victory of the season
The Chevrolet n ° 24 extends its reservoir for the last 144 laps of the victory.
However, earlier in the race, Byron was one of those who were a turn when a caution came out in the middle of a pit cycle. Byron was the first car by a turn down and obtained the free pass. Then the series of warnings in the last stage put it on a trajectory to victory.
Keselowski had one of the best cars, but not fortune.
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He was told the 204 Tour that the team had not had as much fuel in the car as they wanted it during a stop at the Stand at the Tour 172.
The discussion settled the moment of the bet. Keselowski, who directed, did not want to abandon the position of track. The passage was difficult. Once trapped in traffic, it was difficult to emerge.
Keselowski therefore remained away until the prudence of the accident of Zane Smith and came to Pit Road at 231. Keselowski was 26th before restarting.
There would be five other warnings on the last 119 laps. These warnings allowed others to go to the fuel finish, canceling the advantage that Keselowski had.
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“Each yellow was bad for us,” said Keselowski. “You are frustrated by the field for having so demolished.”
While he was in caution in turn 273 for the Ty Dillon spin – the fourth caution in a 30 -round window – an annoyed keselowski said on the radio: “It would be good to run here.”
Byron took the lead on the restart which followed and led the last 74 laps, while Keselowski continued him.
After scoring any top-10 in the first 12 races of the season, Keselowski has seven in the last 11 races.
“I wanted things to go a little different and we could have obtained victory, because, of course, we need it to participate in the playoffs, but we were able all year round,” said Bullins. “… It all starts to come together. There is no doubt in my mind that this team can win races and that we have not yet finished. ”
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Once the race is finished, there was not much to say to Keselowski.
“I know it stinks of not winning,” he told his team on the radio. “We did everything we could do. It didn’t come to us. ”
