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MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: FORD ECOBOOST 400

November 19, 2017

Brad Keselowski

Homestead, Florida

THE MODERATOR: We're joined now by the driver of the No.2 Miller Lite Ford, Brad Keselowski. Brad, a seventh‑place finish tonight. I know it wasn't the result you're looking for, but talk to us a little bit about the race.
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Yeah, you know, hard‑fought battle with a long night, but might not have got the result we wanted. Of course the result you want is to win the race, win the championship, but the effort was phenomenal, and I was really proud of our group for everything they put into that, trying to be the best with this package. We weren't quite best in class, but we ran up front. The 4, the 42, the 4 and the 24 were pretty good. My teammate was pretty good. Felt like if we could have had a couple cracks at it, we could have ran fifth instead of seventh, but there wasn't really any point in the race where we were capable of running with the 18 or the 78. That was just kind of the way it was. We tried everything we could throw at them with strategies and whatnot, and it seemed to work out a little bit, force everybody's hands a couple times and put them in some uncomfortable spots, but in the end we just didn't have enough speed to really contend with those guys. Really nobody did if you look at it. But we put the effort out there, and I'm proud of that.

Q. When you guys realized you really didn't have a car to keep up with the front runners, is that when you and Paul figured strategy was the only way you were going to get there?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Yeah, I mean, we needed those guys to make mistakes, and strategy is one way to do that for sure. You know, I think in the end from what I could tell, it probably did mix up who won the race but not enough for us because we just did not have enough speed to really be in play for sure. But we threw everything we had at it. The effort was really, really strong from our group.

Q. Is Truex a better driver than he was two years ago, or is he just in better equipment?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: I think Martin has always been a pretty good driver. I don't think he's really changed. Maybe he would say he has. Certainly he's in some great equipment. I think he'd probably tell you that. You know, he's still beating the other Toyotas, so he deserves credit for that for sure.
I think he's got a good group over there that‑‑ Barney who runs that team, Barney Visser, he probably doesn't get enough credit because he's come in and completely kind of schooled some of these owners to be quite honest of what it takes to win in this series with what he's done, and he's put Martin in a great situation, and Martin has made the most of it. So I think he deserves a lot of credit.

Q. Brad, Toyota is one‑two. I know that's been sort of a theme this season and you've been outspoken about Chevy gets a new car next year. Does Ford get any help for 2018?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: I sure hope so. When that car rolled out at Daytona, and I think we all got to see it for the first time, I think there was two reactions: One, we couldn't believe NASCAR approved it; and two, we were impressed by the design team over there. You know, with that said, I don't think anyone was really‑‑ ever had a shot this year the second that thing got put on the racetrack and approved. It kind of felt like Formula1 where you had one car that made it through the gates heads and tails above everyone and your hands are tied because you're not allowed to do anything to the cars in those categories that NASCAR approves to really catch up.
As to what will happen for 2018, you know, I don't know. I would assume that Chevrolet will be allowed to design a car the same way that Toyota was for this one, but Ford doesn't have any current plans for that. If that's the case, we're going to take a drubbing next year, so we'll have to see.

Q. It seemed like you had a very good car at the beginning of the race, and it kind of just fell off as the race progressed and as the sun went down. Were you having problems with the adjustments on the car, or was there just something with the difference?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: No, the cars‑‑ when we went to the smaller rear spoiler this year, I guess it was smaller width‑wise, I can't remember the exact dimensions. Forgive me, I just got out of a four‑hour race car. But when we went to the smaller rear spoiler this year, of course it shifted the aerodynamics of the car to the front, and as the tracks get hotter and slicker and take more rubber, even though it went into the night, it just really continues to extrapolate the need for rear grip. Right now the Fords and the Chevrolets with the 2017 spec are way down on that and just kind of, like I said, exaggerates some deficits as we get later into the race, and that was the case again today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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