Pocono Throwback: Brad Keselowski wins final 500-mile race while injured

The 2011 season was the final year we saw a 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway and it was none other than Brad Keselowski who took the checkered flag. A year later he would be the NASCAR champion. However, this was a step on the journey to that title a season earlier. It also featured some interesting moments.

One of the reasons why Brad Keselowski’s 2011 win at Pocono stands out, he was hurt. Earlier in the week, prior to the Pocono race, Keselowski broke his left ankle and hurt his right foot. It was during a wreck while testing at Road Atlanta that the driver got hurt.

At the time, driving for Team Penske, Keselowski wasn’t the driver-owner he is today. Still, he showed resilience and toughness by getting in his car and racing to a win.

While this race was almost called short due to rain, it would go all 500 miles and Keselowski would win over Kyle Busch.

This was the third win of Brad Keselowski’s career. He had won at Talladega in 2009 with Phoenix Racing. Earlier in the 2011 season, he was able to put himself in victory lane at Kansas. The win at Pocono would be part of a six-race stretch that included two top-10s, two top-5s, and two checkered flags.

While Brad’s win was big, there was some extracurricular activity. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch got into quite an argument over an incident that happened on the track. Nothing came of it besides some heated words.

Brad Keselowski could use another Pocono win

While he seems to be just fine as far as the points race is concerned, Brad Keselowski would love to get into victory lane again. It has been far too long and Keselowski has been knocking on the door lately.

So far, the door has remained closed. However, that doesn’t seem like it can last forever. We saw other drivers end their winless streaks this season. Can we expect Keselowski to join Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney?

Pocono Raceway has been home to many fantastic races. The 2011 edition was one of those that meant a lot to some fans and meant a whole lot to Keselowski and his team. It proved he was a winner and someone that needed to be taken seriously.

This win also helped solidify Penske as a contender. After all, the No. 2 car went to win the championship the very next season. Could Pocono once again play an important role in Keselowski’s career?