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NASCAR Meets With Combatants

Info Manager | , RacinToday.com Saturday, 20 March 2010

Jack Roush met with NASCAR officials Saturday morning. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images)

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NASCAR met with drivers Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and their team owners on Saturday morning to talk about their on-going feud.

Afterward some of those involved talked about the meeting.

Edwards said the meeting went well.

“I think the biggest thing coming out of that meeting is that now, I think, Brad and I understand one another a little better,” Edwards said. “I think we’re gonna 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 (Roush, his team owner) and Roger (Penske, Keselowski’s team owner) and Brad all at once.  We laughed.  We cried.  In the end, I think it’s gonna be good.”

Keselowski said afterward, “I don’t know how Carl feels about it, but I don’t think it’s cool to say everything that was said in there. Hopefully, it will be productive to where we can move forward and continue to race each other hard and not have any more incidents like we had at Atlanta.

“We hadn’t talked before. I wouldn’t say there was anything said that surprised me. You have to understand, Carl and I have a mutual respect for each other in a sense we’re almost the same people. We come from similar backgrounds. We drive the same way. I have a lot of respect for him before and after the accident. Hopefully, that will stay the same.”

Roush was asked if he thinks Edwards and Keselowski now see eye to eye.

“No,” he said, “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 like to have incidental contact with Carl and cause a wreck in the foreseeable future.

“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.”

Penske said the meeting was beneficial, as well.

“Obviously it was important that we all got together from the standpoint of just having open conversation – the drivers, Jack (Roush) and myself,” Penske said. “I think it was good conversation. I think Carl (Edwards) realized that what had happened last week wasn’t what he expected – the car flying. To me, it was just good, open communication. The guys agreed that they’re going to race hard. They’re going to race fair and give themselves some room on the race track so that we don’t become the poster boys every weekend on what’s happening.”

Keselowski and Edwards have engaged in a feud which started a year ago at Talladega when Edwards’ car was bumped and sent airborne into the crash fence.

Two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the two mixed it up again on track. This time, it was Edwards who sent Keselowski flying through the air.

Info Manager | , RacinToday.com Saturday, 20 March 2010
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