Brad Keselowski feels 'targeted' by NASCAR
Brad Keselowski believes he and his Penske team are the victims of a NASCAR witch hunt
The 2012 Sprint Cup champion arrived late to the Texas Motor Speedway grid after NASCAR confiscated parts from the rear of his car following pre-race inspections.
Team-mate Joey Logano also had parts confiscated and was subsequently moved to the back of the field as officials deemed he had not arrived on the grid on time.
NASCAR's vice president for competition Robin Pemberton told reporters that parts on the Penske Fords were "not in the spirit of the rule[s]."
Keselowski hit back however, saying he and his squad are being subjected to unfair and shameful scrutiny.
"I feel like we have been targeted over the last seven days more than I have ever seen a team targeted in my life," he told reporters at Texas.
"The way we have been treated over the last seven days is absolutely shameful.
"I can tell you there is no team [in the paddock], with the integrity of the #2 team. The things I've seen over the last seven days have me questioning everything I believe in.
"I don't have a lot of good things to say right now. I take that back, I have one good thing to say - and that's the effort my team put in fighting back against the absolute bullshit.
"We're not going to take it; we're not going to be treated this way."
Penske's director of competition Travis Geisler insisted the team was not doing anything untoward, adding: "There isn't anything in there that's groundbreaking as far as new pieces and parts.
"It's a sport that moves all the time. [NASCAR is] doing what they need to do to ensure an even playing field, which I certainly agree with."
Keselowski finished ninth at Texas and sits second in the championship, nine points behind Jimmie Johnson.
Logano meanwhile fought from the back of the grid to come home fifth, moving into 11th overall as a result.
Penske could yet be penalised over the confiscated rear-end housing parts.
Texas NASCAR: Kyle Busch converts pole to win
Brad Keselowski gets points penalty from NASCAR over Texas issue
The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team
Saddled with uncompetitive Minardi machinery, Tarso Marques didn't manage to score points in his three partial seasons of Formula 1. But now the Brazilian has the chance to show what he can do in NASCAR, and explains the story of his comeback with new Cup Series entrant Team Stange
The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car
NASCAR’s new stock car generation is encouraging an influx of fresh blood into its top tier. But there are concerns that parts are in short supply as the entire paddock tries to build up stocks at the same time
How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style
After holding his nerve and hip-checking his team-mate on the run to the line, Austin Cindric made a perfect start to life as a full-timer in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Daytona 500. Here's how the Penske Ford man emerged first across the line in the first points-scoring race for the much-anticipated Next Generation cars
Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season
There are plenty of uncertainties ahead of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season as an all-new fleet of cars take to the track for the first time. Ahead of this weekend's Daytona 500, our experts explain what you need to know
How NASCAR had to learn a harsh lesson ahead of its Next Gen arrival
The NASCAR Cup kicks off with the Daytona 500 this weekend, but a major overhaul and a subsequent mountain of work has been required to be ready for the arrival of the Next Gen cars
How Larson took the long way round to NASCAR Cup glory
From villain to hero, Kyle Larson’s journey to the 2021 NASCAR Cup title comes straight from the Hollywood blockbuster scripts. While Larson had to reach his lifelong goal the hard way and go through a very public shaming after a ban for using a racial slur, his talents shone long before his name grabbed the headlines for both the right and the wrong reasons
How NASCAR is gearing up for its "biggest change" in 2022
It’s not just Formula 1 that’s set for upheaval in 2022, as the NASCAR Cup Series adopts its Next Gen cars that will cast any in-built advantages aside and require teams to adopt a totally new way of operating. Far more than just a change of machinery, the new cars amount to a shift in NASCAR's core philosophy
Why Bubba Wallace’s Talladega win is such a big moment for NASCAR
Bubba Wallace claimed his maiden NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega on Monday to become the first Black victor in the category since Wendell Scott in 1963. Both Wallace and Scott had faced obstacles and racism in their paths to their breakthrough wins, and NASCAR is trying to put it right with its range of diversity programmes