NASCAR meets with Edwards, Keselowski; Preaches moving forward

NASCAR officials met with Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and car owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske on Saturday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway to clear the air between the drivers after their incident at Atlanta two weeks ago, which was not the first between the drivers. All of them were in the NASCAR hauler about 40 minutes.

 

Here's what each said about the meeting, which they walked out of the NASCAR hauler side-by-side.

 

NASCAR PRESIDENT MIKE HELTON

 

"I would tell you that every meeting we've ever had up there is productive in some form, or fashion, in some level. It wasn't about Atlanta. It was about Carl and Brad. We've had them before and we'll have them again. And I think it was worthwhile and productive.

 

"Today's meeting wasn't about trying to fix Brad. It was about Brad and Carl's relationship. A conversation that we've had with other drivers in the past.

 

(On boundaries of "Have at it''): "I think the boundaries are there and we're clear, well I don't want to say we're clear, but the boundaries are there and we told them in the offseason and it will continue to be defined. But Atlanta wasn't about those boundaries to us, it was about a car getting off the ground. We separated those two. We'll react to what happens on the race track between two drivers when we feel like it's necessary to react. We'll know that when we'll see it. The bigger thing about what happened at Atlanta was making sure we keep cars on the ground.''

 

BRAD KESELOWSKI

 

"We're just trying to really understand where everybody is coming from. Hopefully, (the meeting) will be productive to where we can move forward and continue to race each other hard and not have any more incidents like we did at Atlanta.

 

"Carl and I have talked before about leaving each other more room but it seems like when it comes down to it, it just never works out. It's just racing. The biggest thing to me, incidents are going to happen because we race against each other 60-70 times a year and we're both running well, so we're going to run by each other. We just have to build up a tolerance to that when things go wrong.

 

"The only way you're going to be satisfied is if we can back up two weeks and it would have never happened. Anytime besides that is just what it is. I'm satisifed with where we're at going forward. I wouldn't say I'm satisfied with the whole situation.''

 

CARL EDWARDS

 

"I think the biggest thing coming out of the meeting is that now, I think, Brad and I understand one another a litlte better. I think we're going to be able to just go forward and go racing and that's what this is all about. It was really cool to be able to talk with Jack and Roger and Brad all at once. We laughed. We cried. In the end, I think it's going to be good.

 

(On his personality being attacked, i.e. Harvick and others): "Let me put it this way, it's real easy to stand back and throw stones at someone and make little chirps and say things that make you feel better about yourself, but, in the end, what I said yesterday holds true. The people who know me know that I'm a very fair person. I guess if my biggest fault is standing up for myself, I'll take it. They can fault me all day for that.

 

JACK ROUSH

 

"Carl and Brad both said things that would indicate that they're willing to put it behind them and let bygones be bygones, to give one another racing room and that's what's needed. They need to give one another a little extra room for awhile.''

 

(Do Carl and Brad see eye to eye?) "No, but I think that they will give one another enough respect that we won't see another occurrence like that. I think Carl is not likely to have incidental contact with Brad and cause a wreck, and I think Brad is not likely to have incidental contact with Carl and cause a wreck in the foreseeable future.

 

ROGER PENSKE

 

"I think certainly Carl realized what had happened ... wasn't what he expected with the car flying, and to me it was just good, open communications. The guys agreed they're going race hard, fair and give themselves some room on the race track so we don't become the poster boys every weekend on what's happening. I said, hey, at the end of races, if we're racing for the lead with a lap or two to go, you're going to have to run hard. But try to stay out of each other's way during the race. It was a good conversation. They're both good guys.''

 

 

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