CONCORD, N.C. -- After the season Brad Keselowski has experienced, it would be understandable if he was jumping up and down with joy after finishing the Coca-Cola 600 in fifth place.
This was not the case. He was far more subdued after snapping a streak of three consecutive DNFs.
"I mean, not displeased, but I think we had a shot to win the race today, and I'd like to get the middle of the race back," Keselowski said on pit road after the race.
"I feel like if the middle of the race would have gone more favorably, we could have realized it, but it's still a really strong day for us and a lot of speed and something to build off to go to Nashville and hopefully win."
The day started quietly for the 2012 Cup Series champion. He qualified 35th but gained nine positions early. However, he lost all of his spots during the opening round of green flag pit stops due to a vehicle interference penalty.
Keselowski ended the first stage in 19th place while trying to recover from the penalty. He then dealt with an ill-handling race car and nearly wrecked. He avoided disaster but fell one lap down and ended stage 2 in 33rd place.
Keselowski spent most of stage 3 trying to get his lap back. He ultimately achieved this by being in the free pass position when Zane Smith crashed on Lap 237. Once he was on the lead lap, he was able to make passes with relative ease before ending stage 3 in 13th place.
The fourth and final stage of NASCAR's longest race featured Keselowski making a push toward the front of the pack. He finally cracked the top 10 using the speed the No. 6 team has shown in recent weeks.
This time, however, the team finished the race instead of getting caught up in a late-race incident. He locked up his first top-five finish of the season and scored 32 crucial points.
"By the end of the night, I thought we were one of the best cars, if not the best," Keselowski said. "I just wish it was a 700-mile race."
The work is not complete for Keselowski, who remains outside the top 30 in points. However, a glimmer of hope is there. The team has made significant strides since the start of the season. It's just the finishes that have been lacking.
Now, the team just needs to capitalize on its growth during this upcoming summer stretch.
"We've been really competitive the last few weeks, and I feel like it just hasn't all come together and it still hasn't all come together, but this car has got the speed to win the race and I need to go get it," Keselowski said.