Brad Keselowski says hand 'healing up pretty good'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Brad Keselowski is much more worried about which way he'll be steering the wheel in the closing laps of the Coke Zero 400 than how well he can grip it.

The 2012 Sprint Cup champion doesn't plan on making any special arrangements for his right hand, which he sliced on a champagne bottle after winning at Kentucky Speedway. If the stitches still are in place for Saturday's race at Daytona International Speedway, he likely will drive without a bandage because it wouldn't fit under his driving glove.

He practiced Friday in his No. 2 Ford and tested Tuesday at Milwaukee Mile without any problems.

"It's good; it's healing up pretty good," Keselowski said. "I mean it hurts, but it should be (fine). I've been keeping it clean. It looks like it's sealed up pretty well now, so I don't have to worry about that anymore."

That's encouraging for the Team Penske driver, who has yet to win at Daytona in any series. He's been close – finishing third in this year's Daytona 500 and fourth last year. He also has two runner-up finishes in the Nationwide Series opener at the 2.5-mile oval.

"I've probably never been so disappointed in my career as I have here at Daytona," he said. "The last two Daytona 500s, we've been running second on the last restart and not won the race. I've relived those races in my mind a little too much probably because of all that means.

"I've had a shot at winning the (Nationwide) race for five straight years. Daytona always has been that place where I've been this close and not won anything."

Keselowski said the key is "closing out on the final restart. That seems to dictate who wins here. … This year, I just didn't execute on the restart line."

Restrictor-plate races have been frustrating this season for Keselowski, who spun after taking the lead on the 13th lap in the May 4 race at Talladega Superspeedway. He lost control again while running six laps down on lap 137, triggering a 14-car crash.

"That was probably one of our more difficult weekends of the season," he said. "But the speed was there. That's encouraging. We've had the speed (at Daytona and Talladega), we just haven't been able to put all the pieces together. Everything at Daytona is always the case of running second or third and not winning, and I'd sure like to change that."

It's just a matter of improving his execution – not unlike opening bottles during a victory celebration.

"It was flawed technique," he said with a laugh about his injury. "I always struggle with champagne bottles, and it wouldn't come open, and everybody else is hitting theirs trying to get it open. I thought, 'Let's take this ledge and pop it.' And I popped it. I thought there was a possibility it might break, but not like it did. It really broke."

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