Calls Mount Against FOX Jinxing Brad Keselowski as Kevin Harvick & Co. Takes Out Favorites 2 Weeks in a Row

One week ago in Texas, it looked like Kyle Busch was about to break through. He’d clawed his way from deep in the field to third. His No. 8 Chevy looked sharp. The 7-Eleven car was looking to end a 66-race winless streak. It felt like this could be the night Rowdy reminded everyone who he was. FOX’s Kevin Harvick certainly thought so. He started praising Busch mid-race, talking about the team’s hustle, their fast pit stops, and the setup that had them hunting a win.

Moments later, Busch’s car snapped around off Turn 4. His day was done. The broadcast was still echoing Harvick’s words when Busch backed it into the fence. Fans were stunned. “Classic announcer jinx,” one fan posted on X. On his podcast later in the week, Harvick owned it with a grin. “Hey, don’t blame me… I was trying to give the guy some love, and mid-sentence we backed into the fence off four,” he said. Busch, already on the edge of the playoff bubble, had another DNF in a season that’s been full of what-ifs.

That moment in Texas stuck with fans. And just a week later, it felt like déjà vu. This time, it was Brad Keselowski. Another big-name, another comeback story, another car in the wall. And once again, FOX was praising the run just moments before disaster. Now, fans are calling it something more than a coincidence. Notably, in Kansas, Keselowski didn’t come in with momentum. But he had hunger. The 2012 champion, sitting 32nd in the standings, needed a big day.

And in Stage 3, it looked like he was finally going to get it. By Lap 179, he passed Kyle Larson for P2 and began chasing down Chase Elliott. The gap shrank to less than a second by Lap 195. Broadcasters started praising him for his efforts and heroic performance. But just as hopes soared, disaster struck. His right rear tire failed as he entered Turn 1. The No. 6 Ford slammed the wall. His race was effectively over, and so was the chance at a badly needed win. The wreck was a crushing blow for Keselowski.

He had overcome early struggles and looked poised to shock the field. Tire issues were already a concern heading into Sunday. Keselowski had suffered a flat in practice the day before. Still, when the green flag dropped, he raced like a man with something to prove. He collected stage points and drove with speed and intent. But when the tire gave out, his day ended on the backstretch, being towed away.

The broadcast booth took WAY too long to see Brad Keselowski in the wall, while the camera was ON THE 6 CAR#NASCAR #AdventHealth400 pic.twitter.com/dCoCb0rWHg

— Anthony Damcott (@AnthonyDamcott) May 11, 2025

One fan summed it up best: “2nd week in a row with an announcer’s jinx omg.” The sentiment echoed across NASCAR Twitter. FOX had praised Keselowski for his charge just moments before the crash. It felt like Texas all over again. And the facts back it up, Keselowski went from hunting the lead to wrecked within seconds of on-air praise. Coincidence? Maybe. But fans aren’t buying it. This crash marked Keselowski’s third DNF in as many races. At Talladega, he was spun out trying to pit and collected Kyle Busch in the process.

In Texas, he crashed again, ending another promising start. Now, Kansas has added another heartbreak to the list. The run at Kansas hurt more because it was the first time in weeks that Keselowski looked like a true contender. Before Kansas, Keselowski’s season was in tatters. He was ranked 32nd in points and had zero wins or top-five finishes. His average finish was 26.27, and he hadn’t led a single lap all year. That made Sunday’s surge to second place even more important.

It wasn’t just about the win; it was about momentum. About finally getting something to build on. Keselowski wasn’t hiding how desperate he was for a breakthrough. “We were the ham in that sandwich. I don’t think I could do anything different,” he said after his Talladega crash. After so many disappointments, he believed Kansas was a turning point. The car was fast. The team executed. All signs pointed to a comeback story. But fate had other plans.

Fans feel petty for Brad Keselowski!

Frustration boiled over online after Brad Keselowski’s brutal Kansas crash. While tire issues are part of racing, many fans aren’t buying that luck alone took down the No. 6. They’re blaming the broadcast booth. More specifically, they’re calling out FOX, again, for what they believe is an announcer’s curse in real-time. A fan wrote, “All of you guys jinxed the poor man.” It wasn’t a joke. Keselowski had gone from 36th to 2nd. He was one of the few showing speed in long runs. And the tire issue came just as the broadcast called out his surge.

Another user wrote, “Damn. I was pulling for him to get that win today.” That sentiment echoed across fan pages and Reddit threads. The Kansas race was supposed to be a turning point. Keselowski hadn’t led a lap all year, hadn’t finished better than 11th, and had four DNFs already. But Sunday was different, until it wasn’t. One longtime critic even admitted, “I used to be a Brad hater back in the day. But man, I want to see good things happen for him now…”

That’s the kind of shift that happens when fans see effort with no reward. Keselowski’s comeback story, both as a driver and team owner, is one people want to root for. And then there’s this: “Him and Kyle Busch. Endless pain.” It’s a brutal but honest take. Two former champions. Two heavyweights. Both wrecked out two weeks in a row. Both were praised on FOX right before the disaster. The pattern’s hard to miss. Busch was even involved in a spin in Kansas.

Fans know racing has highs and lows. But when the same voices are praising the same drivers right before a catastrophe, they start to connect the dots. Whether or not there’s any real jinx, the frustration is real. For Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch, it’s been two weeks of hope followed by heartbreak, and fans have had enough. Next week, eyes won’t just be on the track. They’ll be in the booth, waiting to see who gets praised next.

The post Calls Mount Against FOX Jinxing Brad Keselowski as Kevin Harvick & Co. Takes Out Favorites 2 Weeks in a Row appeared first on EssentiallySports.