Kes: Being popular never was No. 1 goal

With four races remaining, he is one of eight drivers still in contention for the title.

“My No. 1 goal in racing was never to be the most popular driver,” Keselowski said Tuesday during a gathering of the eight Chase contestants at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “It’s a goal that I have, but it’s not a priority. My goal is to win races and to achieve the highest level of success on the racetrack possible. And sometimes those goals are in direct conflict with popularity and financial potential … and I’m OK with that.

“I want to be able to win races and win championships and that’s the priority in my life and my number one goal. To do that, sometimes with this current setting you’re going to have to ruffle some feathers and not everybody’s going to like you, whether that’s teams or drivers or fans. I’m comfortable with that or as comfortable as I can be.”

The Team Penske driver came under scrutiny two weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway when post-race contact with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth spilled over into the garage. It ended only after Kenseth and Keselowski were separated following an altercation between the two drivers.

“Obviously we’ve had our differences,” Kenseth said. “I wouldn’t have been running through the garage chasing somebody for the first time in my career if we didn’t have differences of opinion.”

Although Keselowski was fined $50,000 and placed on probation for his post-race actions, the 2012 champion didn’t let the incident impact the efforts of his team.

One of four drivers outside the Chase cutoff at Talladega, Keselowski not only earned the right to advance into the next round, but he also did so with a victory at one of the circuit’s most unpredictable stops.

Afterward, team owner Roger Penske noted that any harsh feeling toward his driver was likely due to jealousy on the part of others. Keselowski leads the series in wins this season, and has five poles.

“Nobody likes to see a guy win like that,” Penske said after the Talladega victory. “The fact that he has a little edge on him, he’s continually delivering, obviously I think makes a difference.”

But on Tuesday, many of those who remain in contention for the title spoke of respect and admiration for the 30-year-old rather than jealousy.

“I think Brad brings a lot of that on himself, but in the end he’s doing his job,” Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick said. “He’s racing the car as hard as he can to try to win races. I think … he’s a great competitor and races how you should race to try to win. And that’s not anything you can knock him for. You have to respect the fact that he goes out and gets the most out of his car.

“Obviously his car owner is one of the most respected guys in the sport. It’s an interesting balance as to what you want to do and how you do things. I think Roger can definitely help him navigate those things from a professional standpoint. When you look at that pairing of the team, you see a great balance of Roger’s professionalism and Brad’s drive and will to do what he has to do to win races.”

Four-time champion Jeff Gordon said Keselowski “has done a tremendous job.”

“I respect Brad,” he said. “I thought what he did on Sunday (at Talladega) was extremely impressive.

“I’m not jealous of it. I think that sometimes Brad says and does things that sort of creates some of his own kind of feedback coming back to him. I wouldn’t say it’s out of jealousy.

“I’m sure there are some people that are probably jealous of his success. He’s done a great job and you’ve got to give him credit for that. And the whole team, all of Team Penske; I think they’ve done an amazing job.”

Even with their differences of opinion, Kenseth said he appreciates his foe’s work ethic and what he has been able to accomplish thus far. Both he and Keselowski are former champions — Kenseth won the title in 2003, nearly a decade before Keselowski won the 2012 crown. And both came up through the ranks, toiling in lesser series before finally getting the break to advance into NASCAR’s premier series.

“Certainly I don’t agree with things that he says or does at times,” Kenseth said. “But I actually really admire Brad’s work ethic, how he got to where he is. He got here the old-fashioned way, working hard. I remember seeing him working in the Busch garage, all dirty, driving old cars, running in the back.

“I remember talking to Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. about him one day and Dale Jr. saying how talented he thought he was if he was in a good car. He got that chance and worked his way up through there. That’s how I’ve always felt about him. I think he works harder than most people work at it and tries harder. That’s a lot of the reason for his success. I’m certainly not jealous of that; I actually admire that part.”

The series moves on to Martinsville Speedway for this weekend’s race, and if retaliation is on the mind of some, Keselowski says he remains unconcerned. No different from the Charlotte fallout, he and his team will continue to look forward and work toward making it to Homestead-Miami Speedway for a shot at a second championship.

If he’s seen as a “bad” guy?

“It’s temporary,” Keselowski said of the possibility. “And if it’s permanent … as a result of standing up for myself in ways that I deem a necessity, then it is what it is.”

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