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Keselowski Ready For Beating and Banging at Martinsville
Brad Keselowski went from the brink of elimination to having a spot in the Eliminator Round of NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Fresh off his must-needed win at Talladega, Keselowski now has his sights set on the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26.
Keselowski, who in nine career starts owns a 13.4 average finish at Martinsville, said he knows the challenge that lies ahead at NASCAR’s smallest track.
“You know, this place is tough. It’s very, very tough,” said Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup Champion. “At any given time you can have a good day spoiled by something out of the ordinary happening.”
Keselowski, whose fourth place finish one year ago marked his career best at Martinsville, said he hopes to improve on those efforts and not have a repeat of his first start at the half-mile speedway.
“I still remember my first race here,” he said. “I think I wrecked half-way through and I wrecked on pit road and I wrecked again on the racetrack.”
Even with the ups and downs, he finished 38th in the spring, Keselowski looks at Martinsville as a special place and knows he’s in for a physical challenge.
“I think Martinsville isn’t just one of the most historic tracks, it is the most historic track in NASCAR. It goes back to the grassroots of not just NASCAR, but automobile racing,” he said. “There’s lots of beating and banging. It’s kind of back to the roots, not just because of the age of the track, but because of the genre of the track, as a short track.”
Keselowski said the beating and banging he referred to is a product of the unique layout of the track.
“It’s obviously a paperclip,” he said. “It’s very, very small; very, very tight. It has fast straightaways and very slow corners.”
The Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 race weekend kicks off on Friday with the Virginia Lottery Pole Day.
Ticket prices for the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 begin at just $45.
Tickets to the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 on Oct. 26, the Kroger 200 on Oct. 25 and the Virginia Lottery Pole Day on Oct. 24 can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.