Last year at LMS, Kyle Busch won the race but Brad Keselowski won respect. Late in the event, Denny Hamlin felt Keselowski didn’t give him enough room and bumped him to show his displeasure. Keselowski and his JR Motorsports team took exception, especially owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who gave Hamlin a bump of his own. The on-track incidents led to fisticuffs between their crews on pit road after the race.

One of the season’s memorable quotes came from the tense post-race press conference with Keselowski and Hamlin at the podium: “I race one day a week, not two,” Keselowski said. “I have 200 laps to prove myself, not 400. I have to make the most of every lap.”

He’s come full circle since that confrontation. Dating back to last year’s event at LMS, Keselowski has two wins, one pole, 13 top fives and 21 top 10s in NASCAR Nationwide competition and also won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. He’s the leader of a resurgent group of series-only regulars, six of whom are currently ranked in the top 10.