NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Brad Keselowski has a good idea of what to expect in Sunday's Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway and the subsequent seven races of the season: Desperation.
Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, said as the racers head deeper into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the potential for craziness ramps up, too.
He should know. Two years ago, Keselowski was famously involved in post-race Chase scuffles with Matt Kenseth at Charlotte and Jeff Gordon at Texas.
Asked if he thought this year's Chase was about to become more intense in Sunday's clash at the Monster Mile and beyond, Keselowski said the tone of the racing would indeed change.
"I don't know if intensity is the right word," said Keselowski, who will start on the pole at Dover because qualifying was rained out. "Maybe desperation. Yeah, desperation will certainly ramp up. Drama is a word for it. More desperation. Desperation can create drama."
As for pressure within Team Penske and other teams, Keselowski admitted it was there, if somewhat under the radar.
"We all do a good job of hiding those things. That's our job, right?" Keselowski said with a laugh. "Because we don't have to answer those questions about it."
At Team Penske, it's all hands on deck right now, he said.
"I look at the people who work on the cars, and I can tell you there's no vacation days in the Chase," Keselowski said. "... The pressure and expectations from everyone within the company are higher."
One thing Keselowski would not bite on was who were the drivers and teams to beat in the final eight races of the Chase.
"Each bracket has its subtleties and strengths for teams," he said. "I don't think 'favorite' is a good word."
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