Brad Keselowski Racing Preview: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Keys to the Race
First run in practice is critical because once tires are worn, it’s difficult to determine what you have setup-wise
Passing on the progressive banking requires discipline by a driver
Track surface is worn so there will be plenty of slipping and sliding
No preferred line at Homestead – drivers run from the bottom of the track all the way up to the outside wall
Drivers must understand how much momentum they have and if they can pull off the pass
Another challenge for the drivers: knowing where the rubber is on the track.
BKR has traditionally run well at Homestead – could a win be around the corner?
Unlike other intermediate tracks, drivers are out of the gas in the center of the corner in qualifying
VOTE: Voting for the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver is in its final hours. Voting closes at 12:01 AM ET on Thursday, November 16. Please your final votes for Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe at www.TeamBKR.com/Vote
No. 19 Draw-Tite Ford F-150
The driver of the Draw-Tite Ford F-150 clinched a spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship 4 at Phoenix International Raceway
Red Hot at the Right Time: Average finish over the last five NCWTS races is 6.00, including three top-fives. Cindric has reeled off 14 top-10 finishes in the last 16 races
The primary Ford F-150 that Cindric will drive in the Ford Ecoboost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is named J.J. after Good Times TV show character Jimmie “J.J.” Walker. The truck has finished 10th or better in all six starts since joining the BKR fleet – including five consecutive top fives – producing an average finish of 4.16
Best NCWTS championship finish by Brad Keselowski Racing: second place by Ryan Blaney (2014) and Tyler Reddick (2015)
Six of Cindric’s seven top-five finishes have been at tracks over one mile in length
Will be making his 29th NCWTS start and first at Homestead
Most recent Ford driver to win the NCWTS title: Greg Biffle in 2000
First BKR driver to win a pole at Homestead: Ryan Blaney (2013)
Seven top-10 finishes by BKR drivers in 10 previous starts at Homestead
Austin Cindric: “It means the world to me to put Brad Keselowski Racing in the Championship 4. It’s a huge opportunity for me and for everyone on this team, especially since this is the last race for BKR. I’ve got thank everyone for putting their heart and soul into this program. It’s also really special to have Draw-Tite and REESE Brands on our Ford F-150 this weekend. Horizon Global has been a longtime partner with BKR and it’s incredibly special to have them along for the ride this weekend. I’ve never raced at Homestead, so I’m getting as much information and talking to as many people as I can. We are the underdog, and I love that. It’s going to be critical for me to get up to speed and understand the balance of the race truck. It’s also going to be critical for me to understand the swing from cool morning temps to blazing hot sun, and a windy qualifying session. That’s going to be a huge swing. I’ve got to be as prepared as I possibly can be to qualify us in a good position to start our night off right.”
No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150
Friday night will be Chase Briscoe’s first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Enters Homestead leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by four points over Grant Enfinger.
Has five top fives in eight starts on 1.5-mile tracks this season
The No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150 team will unload LT, the same chassis that Briscoe raced to a fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. In four starts, LT has three top fives and four top 10s
LOOKING BACK: Going into this weekend, Briscoe has accrued some impressive stats in his first season of NCWTS competition. In 22 races, he has tallied nine top fives, 13 top 10s, three pole awards, two stage wins and has led 207 laps.
THE FINAL LAP: Homestead-Miami Speedway will be Brad Keselowski Racing’s final race in NCWTS competition. In its 10 years of operation, BKR has earned 10 wins, 17 poles, 105 top fives, 172 top 10s and has led a total of 2,135 laps. The team has also been the home of one Sunoco Rookie of the Year (Ryan Blaney, 2013) and two Most Popular Driver awards (Ryan Blaney in 2014, Tyler Reddick in 2016)
Chase Briscoe: “It’s been an up-and-down season for our team this year, and we really want to cap it off with a win. As much as we wish our No. 29 Cooper Standard team was in the Championship 4 and feel like we should be there with our teammate, it wasn’t meant to be this year. Now, we will just go down there and have fun and see what happens. It’s been a fun year getting to know my guys and racing for Brad. Hopefully we can do them all proud and send him out on top. I can’t think of anything better than a 1-2 finish where I get my first win and Austin earns this team the championship that Brad has always wanted.”