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Breaking down the NASCAR crash that led owner Richard Childress to say he can kick Brad Keselowski's '[expletive]'

Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.

Our NASCAR Feud of the Week series took a little break during the season, but it’s back just in time for the end of the regular season and 10-race playoffs this fall.

In this edition, we’re looking back at Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, which was won by Ryan Blaney and where Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon tangled on the track, leading to a (probably not real) threat from NASCAR team owner Richard Childress.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s break it down.

Sunday at Michigan’s two-mile track, Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford and Dillon in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet were racing to the end of the second stage in the 200-lap race. Dillon passed Keselowski to finish sixth in the stage, while Keselowski on the No. 3’s bumper was seventh.

But as the pair crossed the start-finish line, Keseslowski made contact with Dillon’s car, sending the No. 3 card hard into the outside wall. It was a violent crash that ended when Dillon’s car spun and slid down to the inside of the track.

While Dillon took responsibility and told his team, “My bad, guys,” Keselowski seemed to as well and said over the No. 2 team’s radio: “Oh man, I didn’t want to do that! Damn it!” The No. 2 driver later added:

“Man, tell him I’m sorry. I had no intent to do that, man. I didn’t think he was coming back up [the track].”

But it was Childress, Dillon’s grandfather, who had the most fiery response. On the No. 3 team’s radio, the 75-year-old team owner said:

“Wrecked him on purpose. I’m an old man, but I can kick his ass.”

The crash and what led to it — along with teams’ radio audio — can be found at the 1:45 mark in FOX Sports’ compilation of radio highlights:

With one checkered flag so far this season, Keselowski — who finished ninth at Michigan — is already qualified for the 16-driver playoffs, which begin in September. Dillon, however, is not qualified, and with one race left in the regular season — the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway — he’s in a must-win situation now after not finishing at Michigan.

After being cleared by the medical team in the infield care center, Dillon said:

“I was just trying to get as many stage points as I could get right there and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron. And I’ve seen just one quick replay, but it was after the start-finish line. I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there, but I figured by that point, he would have given me a little room.

“I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine. I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. The built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with that race car. Best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like. It’s just a bummer, but we’ve got Daytona left and just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up, and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.”

After the race, Keselowski said of the wreck, via NASCAR.com:

“I am bummed. I wanted of course to get a win and I hate that I had that contact with the 3. … That really sucks for everybody. It really hurt our day and obviously ruined his. That was crappy. So it goes.”

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona is Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

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