The inevitable final lap crash that mostly strikes all NASCAR races made its mark at Daytona too, ensnaring 18 cars in its web. Brad Keselowski was at the heart of the turmoil, but his reaction to the whole debacle was surprisingly laid-back. It leaves one to contemplate how he might have reacted if the roles were reversed, with a driver from a rival team causing the mayhem.

The whole kerfuffle kicked off with Brad Keselowski, which might explain his mixed feelings about the fallout

John Hunter Nemechek, in a bold three-wide maneuver coming out of a turn, felt Keselowski’s nudge, sparking a domino effect. Harrison Burton and rookie Carson Hocevar were caught in the ensuing maelstrom, veering off course. As they made their unintended return to the track, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon, and Kaz Gr3ala found themselves in an unfortunate rendezvous with fate.

Burton’s ride took the lion’s share of the damage, looking worse for wear. Grala and Hocevar were relegated to the sidelines, needing a tow back to base, while Johnson’s #84 became a project for the pit crew. When Keselowski gave his two cents on the crash, his tone was one of resignation tinged with disappointment, “I mean that’s kind of what replay shows [that he was hooked from behind]. I don’t exactly know what happened. But unfortunately, you know ,we were making a pass to the lead with eight laps to go and now I’m here talking to you guys, not exactly where I want to be, no offense, but actually part of how this deal goes sometimes.”

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In his chat, Keselowski also touched on his strategy with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, aiming to shepherd them to the front to take command before things went sideways. “Yeah Joey, Ryan and I thought we were in a good position. It just, you know, things happen.”

Brad Keselowski’s thirst for victory at the Daytona 500 was so intense this time around that he didn’t even spare a thought for his own teammate, putting Chris Buescher’s race at risk.

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Brad Keselowski jeopardized his own driver’s race at Daytona

It’s obvious that Keselowski, whether deliberately or by accident, was at the core of the 18-car crash on lap 192. It seems he was hell-bent on winning the race, something that’s been elusive for a while. And when we say ‘a while,’ we’re actually looking back at last season when Keselowski often stepped into the shoes of an owner more than a racer, frequently seen egging on his team’s driver, Chris Buescher, to up his game and take the lead.

Last season, the duo of Buescher and Keselowski turned heads at Daytona, with the former winning his third race in the final stretch of the regular season, while Keselowski played more of a supporting role. And when Keselowski got eliminated from the playoffs after the round of 12, Buescher’s winning streak seemed to fizzle out. So, was Buescher’s triumph last year largely due to Keselowski’s decision to step aside for the win?

Brad Keselowski Explains How the Daytona 500 Has Changed and Its Impact on Racing

Fast forward to this year, and both found themselves caught in the chaos of an 18-car tangle in the race’s closing moments, which was apparently started by Keselowski, with Buescher also getting swept up in the turmoil. Keselowski, after taking a gamble, not only ended up in 33rd place but also inadvertently derailed Buescher’s race in the process, who finished P18.