"You can throw that onto the list that makes it bitter to swallow," Keselowski said of Martin's normally toned down driving. "In some ways you excuse it from that standpoint. In other ways, it makes you a little angrier."
In the days since, the reflection has been short-lived. Instead, Keselowski has been looking forward, eager to race this weekend in Saturday's Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
"They (Las Vegas and Atlanta) are actually real similar, so I can take a lot there," Keselowski said. "Atlanta opens up more, and you can run on the top and the bottom. I really enjoy racing Atlanta because you can do that.
"We're trying to prove the people that said that (we would contend) right. We're getting closer. I think we're going to be successful here. I feel strongly that you have to put yourself in the position to win. We've been doing that."
His race-leading car may have been demolished in Las Vegas, but his confidence remains intact. Something else Keselowski, 24, has is the security of knowing that in Atlanta, if he finds himself in the same position, his boss, Earnhardt, probably will be a little more lenient on him. Instead of Martin, Earnhardt will be behind the wheel of the No. 5 car.
The favorites in the race are Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch. Burton has won the past two Nationwide races on Atlanta's 1.54-mile track and has the highest driver rating at 133.7. Busch, second in the points standings, started on the pole in those races and finished third last year. His driver rating is 120.3, second best.
Edwards, the defending Nationwide champion, also will be in the mix. He enters Atlanta fresh off of two consecutive Sprint Cup Series wins. Last week's late-race wreck at Las Vegas left him with a 14th-place finish, nine spots ahead of Keselowski.
"I just can't wait to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It's one of my favorite tracks for a lot of reasons," Edwards said. "I had my first Nationwide Series win there combined with my first Sprint Cup win. It was just awesome. We've come out of the box pretty strong this year, and we had a chance to win last week at Las Vegas. Hopefully we can seal the deal ... this weekend in Atlanta."
Fast facts
What: Nicorette 300.
Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway; Hampton, Ga.
When: 2 p.m. ET Saturday.
TV: ESPN2, 1:30 p.m. ET.
Radio: PRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128.
Track layout: 1.54-mile tri-oval.
Race distance: 195 laps/300.3 miles.
2007 winner: Jeff Burton.
2007 polesitter: Kyle Busch.
Points leaders: 1. Tony Stewart, 472; 2. Kyle Busch, 430; 3. Kevin Harvick, 430; 4. Carl Edwards, 415; 5. David Ragan, 409; 6. Clint Bowyer, 396; 7. David Reutimann, 369; 8. Mike Wallace 357; 9. Dario Franchitti, 344; 10. Brad Coleman, 329.
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