"This was him 10 years ago": NASCAR experts draw parallel between Brad Keselowski's Atlanta run and his Penske prime

Brad Keselowski reminded longtime NASCAR fans of his glory days after the EchoPark Speedway performance on Saturday night. The RFK Racing co-owner led a race-high 46 laps in the Quaker State 400, but came up 0.168 seconds short of victory after a final-lap shuffle gave Chase Elliott the edge.

Keselowski started in sixth place and charged towards the front, drafting expertly with teammate Ryan Preece. He finished second in Stage 1 and resisted steering damage from the multi-car pileup in Stage 2, which briefly set him back. But by Lap 184, the No. 6 Ford clawed its way back to the lead.

However, the final five laps would tell a different story. Keselowski led with four to go, only to be overtaken in a chain-reaction move. Alex Bowman gave Elliott a decisive push past the No. 6, then disrupted Keselowski further by diving inside for his own run. The move stalled Brad's momentum and locked him out of a final-lap fightback.

On the NASCAR Teardown podcast, The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi couldn't help but compare the run to one of Keselowski's defining moments.

"Brad was so good tonight man. This was like vintage Brad Keselowski by the way. This reminded me so much of Brad's heyday with (Team) Penske… go back to the 2014 playoff race at Talladega, that must-win race. He was just driving with determination, making big bold, sweeping passes and aggressive blocks. This was like watching Brad 10 years ago." (26:47 onwards)

Jeff Gluck, who was hosting the podcast alongside Bianchi, also nodded in agreement that Keselowski looked really good, but there was hardly anything that he could do towards the end to alter the outcome.

Brad Keselowski entered Talladega in a must-win scenario in 2014 after controversy and penalties jeopardized his title hopes. Nevertheless, he muscled through a dramatic green-white-checkered finish to win and knock out major contenders like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

It was that same grit and desperation on display Saturday, but the margin was thinner, the circumstances more cruel. While Keselowski was gutted after the runner-up finish, all three RFK Racing Fords finished in the top 15 for the second consecutive race, showing good pace.

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"His chances to win are actually much smaller": Road course struggles tighten Brad Keselowski's playoff window

Brad Keselowski before the NASCAR Cup Series Race at Michigan. Source: Imagn

With just eight races left in the regular season, Brad Keselowski's runner-up finish did more than stir nostalgia. Sitting 122 points below the playoff cutline, the two-time Atlanta winner finds himself firmly in must-win territory if he hopes to return to the postseason.

The NASCAR playoffs picture isn't kind. After Chase Elliott's victory at EchoPark, there are now 12 unique winners this season, leaving only four open slots. While teammates Chris Buescher (+52) and Ryan Preece (-23) still have a viable path through points, Keselowski’s deficit is now among the deepest.

On the same podcast, Jordan Bianchi laid out the uphill battle.

"They were fast last week at Pocono and put themselves in a position to maybe get a win. They're fast again tonight. They should be good at Indianapolis and maybe Dover as well, but you look at the schedule and he's never won a road course race in the Cup Series before. So, you don't expect him to be a realistic guy who could win on a road course. Well, there's three of those left, so all of a sudden, his chances to win are actually much smaller than a lot of other guys," said Bianchi (27:50 onwards)

Indeed, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen loom large. These wildcard events offer lifelines to drivers just outside the bubble, but they also underline Keselowski's Achilles' heel. In 50 career Cup Series starts on road courses, he's still searching for his first win.

The silver lining? He's found speed again. His team is executing. And even in heartbreak, there's a familiar fire.

The only question now is whether Brad Keselowski can channel that into a true playoff push before the clock runs out.

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Edited by Rupesh