BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski has one goal on Sunday: Win at his hometrack, Michigan International Speedway: “I won’t leave here ashamed if I don’t win, he said, but for me to feel successful it would be a win.”

He said his team may be struggling to make the Chase, but they still have want it takes to win the title for a second straight year.

“Well, I did last year and I think I do again this year. I think we do, not just me. I think we do. Obviously we have hit a spot that wasn’t favorable the last few months but I think that over the last few weeks we have shown something.”

He also touched on his decision not to wreck Kyle Busch for the win last week at Watkins Glen:

“I don’t want you to be able to predict me. That is a weakness. I am unpredictable. Maybe this time I will hit him. Maybe next time I won’t. You never know.”

Despite his lack of security for the Chase, Brad is not changing up his plans for the rest of the season:

“It isn’t like we weren’t trying before, it is just obviously we are down to the wire. You don’t have a lot of opportunities or wiggle room to screw up and recover from it. I think that is the biggest difference. I am not going to approach it any differently. You know your mistakes are magnified at this point in the season.”

MY TAKE: I see Brad making the Chase, but if he wants to defend his title it's going to have to be a flawless Chase. You don't get to take a day off in this playoff system, and have to be on point week after week to beat guys like Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
Brad may be able to do it, but it's going to require a Herculean effort, equivalent to what he did in 2012.

Matt Myftiu can be reached at matt.myftiu@oakpress.com, or follow him on Twitter @MattMyftiu.