Why it's time for Brad Keselowski, No. 6 team to panic after latest setback at Talladega

A crash on Lap 43 of Sunday's Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was just the latest blow in a season full of them for NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski. 

Keselowski, 41, is off to the worst start of any full-time season in his Cup Series career. With 10 races in the books, the 2012 Cup Series champion sits 32nd in the standings, 256 points behind leader William Byron and 83 points out of a playoff spot. 

Going into Talladega, it had already been an abysmal year for the No. 6 team. But Talladega, a track where the veteran driver has won six times, was a beacon of light for a struggling race team that desperately needed a good result. 

Keselowski was involved in a Lap 43 crash with Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney during green flag pit stops, leading to a 36th-place finish. Keselowski collected only a single point for his troubles. 

With NASCAR's playoff format, one win, of course, can completely change Keselowski's season. But the No. 6 team is currently devoid of speed, luck and results — about the worst combination a race team can hope for. 

Talladega may be chaotic, but Keselowski was the runner-up in both Talladega races in 2024. If there was one track where the future Hall of Famer could get off the schneid and snag his first top-10 of the year, it would be Talladega. 

But not even the 2.66-mile superspeedway could offer Keselowski any respite from what's been a rough-and-tumble 2025 campaign. Keselowski's average finish is a paltry 26.1 this season, with his best finish of 11th coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 16. 

With 16 races remaining in the regular season, Keselowski is inching closer to being in a must-win situation with every passing week. It's time for Keselowski and the No. 6 team to hit the panic button, if only to light a fire in the belly of a team searching for any semblance of momentum.