'Championship form' in the Summer isn't always ideal, you know?: Race 20, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (A NASCAR commentary)

   

Brad Keselowski has finished 9th twice at Indianapolis. He was 21st there last year.

      As we approach the second-half of the Sprint Cup, there are those already setting up threats to Jimmie Johnson's throne from the ones who aren't unrealistic contenders. We've seen 11 different winners hoist a trophy in 19 races and we have yet to define a clear favorite. Well, I guess since everyone is on the Brad Keselowski, I guess we'll go with him, right? But, that's the thing, we don't have a clear favorite. Since JJ stopped winning, the best option is usually the hottest guy right now, which Kes is among right now (Only Dale Earnhardt Jr & Jeff Gordon has been better than him, as far as performance goes). Reason for why he's being picked as a title contender at the moment:

1.) Jimmie Johnson has finished 42nd for two consecutive races (Completed 20 laps at Daytona & 11 at New Hampshire)

2.) Brad has finished in the top-10 in 6 of the last 8 events, including 4 top-three finishes

3) Hyperbole, as always.

      I'll say this much about Brad's performance lately, he's been great. Really great. But, you know the thing with peaking at the wrong time is, eventually, bad fortune can come at an unfortunate time. Kes knows this as he experienced a season, in which, his championship defense was a disappointing for him, but is still among his better seasons in an ever-establishing career in Cup. Until the end of time, Brad's 2013 season was really a "regression" year, where he overproduced his worth in 2012. Sure he got better in 2011 by winning 3 races and made significant gains from his first full-time year with Penske Racing, but figuring out his evolution is one that requires a little input to offer the proper reasoning. For starters, he had only 2 top-tens in 2010. Stunning, right? The man who stunned NASCAR by winning his first race at Talladega in April 2009, only contributed to just 2 top-tens the following year (Both of them were just 10th place finishes). Now, that same 2011, was a tad better than his past year, though, Keselowski wasn't a threat to win races, till Kentucky and from there after, which is when the legend of Brad was growing. He finished 5th in points, an improvement from being  Ironically, he had the same year in 2013 and still didn't make the chase, because of a really bad summer stretch. None of us expected an upstart, such as Brad, to achieve so high and didn't really think he could win the championship in 2012. It's a crazy thing to consider, really. Can we consider them to be a championship threat? Sure. Championship form? Were not there yet, because, the main attraction has yet to commence.