Brad Keselowski strikes mature chord

• The Cup points leader has learned to temper his aggression on the track
• Brad Keselowski is streamlining his approach and is eschewing conflict
• Tony Stewart says the driver of the No. 2 Dodge 'still kind of goofy'

CONCORD, N.C. — Brad Keselowski's chief nemesis on the track Tuesday was an 18-year-old freshman from UNC-Charlotte wearing a plaid shirt bereft of sponsor logos.

That didn't stop the Penske Racing driver from sizing up Josh Bralley the same way he does his competition in the Sprint Cup Series — even though they were racing in a video game on Charlotte Motor Speedway's mammoth HD screen rather than the track's 1.5-mile banks.

Keselowski surveyed the fans vanquished by Bralley in a tournament for weaknesses ("Did he wreck at all?"). He subtly tried to glean information from his foe, divining he drove Late Models ("A racing background, this is getting better."). He sought an edge in equipment ("I noticed one controller is silver and one is black, does one have an advantage?").

"Josh is my Jimmie Johnson for the day," Keselowski said. "And if I can't beat him, I'll just wreck him."

He didn't — Keselowski wrecked his pixelated No. 2 Dodge multiple times over the eight-lap sprint — but it still was a glimpse of the dichotomy that has driven him to victories in two of the first three races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup and a five-point lead over Johnson in the standings.

The brash and impetuous star whose incessant aggression once drove veterans such as Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch into fits of road rage with regularity still lurks within, but his persona has become the thinking man's driver since the 10-race title run began.

The outspoken Keselowski who has lobbed hand grenades at his rivals during races on national TV — recall that he intimated the Hendrick Motorsports cars gained speed by using "tricks" as ESPN's in-race reporter at Michigan International Speedway — has downshifted the bluster for a more politically correct blather.

Since snookering the field with sublime fuel efficiency in Sunday's win at Dover International Raceway, Keselowski has deflected questions about his conservation prowess with platitudes about the importance of teamwork. While conceding there is "no better place to be than the lead," he has tried to downplay the significance of being ranked first heading to Talladega Superspeedway, where he won in May.

"It's easy for me not to get too high emotionally knowing that there are still seven races left," he said. "We're not even a third of the way through this. That's a long ways to go."

The answers don't make for great copy, but it's probably the right way to play for a title. Johnson won five consecutive championships in part by avoiding conflict and minimizing distractions.

Keselowski seems to be on a similar path of streamlining his personal and professional life. He has sliced the Nationwide race at Kansas off his Chase schedule and is considering dropping more. He relocated his sister, Dawn, from Michigan two months ago to handle some business affairs and help with his Checkered Flag Foundation.

Keselowski said her arrival in North Carolina has brought "positive energy" that also happens to have coincided with the best stretch of his career — three wins and eight top fives in 13 races.

"Maybe she's my good luck charm," he said.

Or perhaps she's another sign that Keselowski, 28, has developed a championship-caliber maturity belied by his baby-faced visage and a youthful wardrobe — Tuesday it was a blue and white fleece, jeans and sneakers with day-glow green shoelaces — that sometimes clashes with the over-30 set he is racing.

Defending champion Tony Stewart said Keselowski is "still kind of goofy" but has earned the respect of his peers. "I watched him in the Nationwide Series, and he crashed a lot of people," he said. "I was a little nervous about him when he came in. He's matured a lot. He's pulled the reins back a little bit and races people differently, but he still gets the job done."

Said Keselowski: "You need to be aggressive to win, but there are circumstances I've learned it's really not that helpful to be aggressive."

That hasn't tempered his confidence, though. Asked about his best remaining shots at a win, Keselowski said, "There's not a track coming up that I don't feel we have a shot at winning. I feel every race we can win."

That was about as close as he came Tuesday to stirring the pot as he devilishly has done in the past. Asked if Johnson's No. 48 crew might be "talking to themselves" after being passed for the win by the No. 2 twice in three weeks, Keselowski declined the opportunity to antagonize.

"I'm sure they're working really hard right now," he said. "So are we. We're going to keep exchanging blows."

Does that include mind games?

"Mind games? I don't feel I have any," he said, pausing for a smile. "Do I?"