Brad Keselowski rallies after being penalized for jumping restart

ByBOB POCKRASS
September 28, 2015, 2:33 PM

— -- LOUDON, N.H. -- NASCAR drivers have said they wanted NASCAR to take a firm stance on restarts, and Brad Keselowski found out Sunday just how closely NASCAR will rule on restarts in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The Team Penske driver was penalized for jumping the restart as the second-place driver in the restart zone -- even though he never gained a position -- on Lap 242 of the 300-lap race. Having to make a pass-through down pit road at the pit-road speed of 45 mph, Keselowski fell back to 25th before rallying for a 12th-place finish Sunday in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"It's an entertainment sport, not a fair sport," Keselowski said. "But we had a great car. ... I got the chance to do something again for the first time -- the first person to ever be penalized for jumping a restart when I didn't pass anyone, so that's a new one.

"But we moved on and we made the most of a good day."

Keselowski said he felt NASCAR was making an example out of him, but NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director Richard Buck said it was clear to NASCAR that Keselowski should be penalized. NASCAR, which started last week having a camera focused on the restart zone and having a senior official in the area to watch the drivers, viewed that Keselowski, in second, restarted in the zone prior to leader Greg Biffle.

Buck said it didn't matter whether Keselowski actually completed a pass, he violated the rule that the leader has control of the race and the second-place driver can't restart by accelerating before the leader hits the gas. Buck said NASCAR used both the video and the official stationed at the restart zone to make the decision.

"The leader is the control car," Buck said. "The leader has earned the right to restart the race in the restart zone. ... We're not out to get anybody, but we're the keeper of the rules and the enforcer of the rules. All anybody asks for in this garage area is to be treated fairly and we believe we did our job today."

Biffle appeared unaware what Keselowski was penalized for afterward and said he felt bad for him.

"I saw Brad kind of going a little bit and I waited until about the middle of the zone maybe, I don't know," Biffle said. "I didn't go right at the [start of the zone], but I maintained my speed and I didn't speed up or slow down and I took off when I felt like it was time for me to go.

"I wasn't really paying that close attention to the 2 [of Keselowksi] or what he was doing."

By finishing 12th, Keselowski dropped to eighth in the standings, with a 16-point cushion on 13th. NASCAR will cut its Chase field from 16 to 12 (based on points with the three Chase opening-round winners automatically advancing) after next Sunday's race at Dover.

"I don't think that he tried to jump it at all," said Keselowski team owner Roger Penske, who believed Keselowski's crossing the end of the restart zone ahead of Biffle is what forced NASCAR's hand. "I don't think that he tried to jump it at all. ... We just have to deal with it and move on."