It's
somehow fitting that Brad Keselowski, a driver with deep racing
roots, has joined forces with one of the most storied organizations
in motorsports – Penske Racing.
Keselowski grew up in an environment where spending time at the
race shop and the track was just a way of life. His father, Bob
Keselowski, was a 1997 race winner in the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series. His uncle, Ron Keselowski, competed at the Sprint
Cup Series level in the early 1970s.
After establishing himself as one of NASCAR's rising stars with
his success in both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck
Series, Keselowski officially joined Penske Racing in September
of 2009. He was named to drive for the team full-time beginning
in 2010 behind the wheel of the No. 12 Penske Dodge in the Cup
Series and the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge in the Nationwide Series.
As the newest member of the Penske Racing family, the team welcomed
to its ranks the determined and skilled racer with an impressive
pedigree in motorsports. As Keselowski gained some experience
with the Cup Series Dodge Charger competing in the final three
races of 2009 in the No. 12 Penske Dodge, it set the tone for
what the team and the driver hope will be a successful 2010 season.
At the age of 14, Brad Keselowski made the transition from turning
wrenches for his family-owned team, K Automotive Motorsports,
to racing. He started competing in the Senior Honda 120 Quarter
Midget division in 1998. In his first season, he earned six feature
wins. The next year, he moved up to the Senior Honda 160 Quarter
Midget division where he won eight feature races and the championship.
In 2000, Keselowski began racing stock cars in the Factory Stock
division. That season, he collected nine feature wins as well
as Rookie-of-the-Year honors at two Michigan tracks – Auto
City Speedway and Dixie Motor Speedway.
During the next three years, Keselowski balanced his budding
racing career with his full-time job working for his family's
Camping World Truck Series operation. He advanced to the Limited
Late Model and Super Late Model divisions and continued to rack
up wins, despite competing on a limited basis. In 2001, he earned
five fast qualifier positions, one feature win and five top-five
finishes. Over the next two seasons, he collected 11 fast qualifier
positions, two Super Late Model wins, two Limited Late Model
wins and nine top-five finishes.
Keselowski graduated to Camping World Truck Series competition
in 2004 as he drove the truck operated by his family's team for
eight races. The following season, he ran the full Truck Series
schedule. His best finish was seventh, which he recorded in February
2005 at Daytona International Speedway.
In 2006, Keselowski continued to gain more NASCAR experience
as he ran a partial schedule in both the Nationwide Series and
the Camping World Truck Series. He earned valuable seat time
as he competed in 13 combined races – seven in the Nationwide
Series and six in the Truck Series. That experience prepared
him for 2007, when he caught the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner
of JR Motorsports.
Keselowski entered the 2007 season expecting to compete full-time
in the Nationwide Series for Keith Coleman Racing. But Keselowski
had to alter his plans when the team suspended operations in
June. Keselowski, who already raced in two Truck Series events
earlier in the season, was given another chance later that month
when Germain Racing needed a last-minute replacement for Ted
Musgrave in the Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park.
Though Earnhardt was aware of Keselowski's talent, he really
became intrigued as he watched the young driver win the pole
position, lead 62 laps and compete for the win that day in Memphis.
But what struck Earnhardt the most about Keselowski was how he
handled himself on the track, especially after being spun out
with 10 laps to go by eventual race winner Travis Kvapil.
Keselowski still salvaged a 16th-place finish after the incident.
The race was the turning point in Keselowski's NASCAR career.
Realizing how much Keselowski had to offer, JR Motorsports signed
the young gun to drive the No. 88 car in the Nationwide Series.
Keselowski made his debut for JR Motorsports in the July 2007
Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. He earned a 14th-place
result – the first of eight top-15 finishes he would score
during the season. Keselowski competed in 27 races in all, but
earned his best results driving the No. 88 entry, recording five
top-10 and eight top-15 finishes in 14 starts.
In 2008, Keselowski enjoyed his breakout season. He finished
third in the Nationwide Series standings as he produced wins
at Nashville Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway in his
first full season of Nationwide Series competition. He also earned
one pole position, 11 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. The promising
racer led laps in 21 races for a total of 295 as he earned the
WIX Filters Lap Leader Award for 2008. Keselowski also was chosen
by the fans as the Nationwide Series' Most Popular Driver.
On Nov. 2, 2008, Keselowski made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
debut at Texas Motor Speedway, driving the No. 25 car for Hendrick
Motorsports. He climbed from his 37th starting spot to finish
19th. Later that month, he made his second Cup Series start and
finished 23rd in the season-finale at Homestead- Miami Speedway.
The 2009 campaign was a season to remember for the 25-year-old
Rochester Hills, Mich. native. Not only did Keselowski capture
four victories and two poles in the Nationwide Series, but he
won the biggest race of his career when he took the checkered
flag at Talladega Superspeedway in April, marking his first NASCAR
Cup Series victory.
Over the final three Cup Series events of the season, Keselowski
took over the reigns of the No. 12 Penske Dodge and he earned
a top finish of 25th place at Homestead.
Keselowski earned four top-10 results in a total of 15 Cup Series
starts in 2009. He once again was a force in the Nationwide Series
as he finished third in the championship battle for the second
consecutive season and he was also voted the Most Popular Driver
in the series for the second year in a row.
In his first Cup Series full-season effort, Keslowski will race
in both NASCAR's premiere circuit as well as a full-time entry
in the Nationwide Series in 2010. The bar is set high for the
up-and-coming star, but with Keselowski's emerging skill and
determination, the sky is the limit.
"I am really excited about the 2010 season and what lies ahead
with Penske Racing," said Keselowski, who resides in Mooresville,
N.C. "Everyone has been working hard in the offseason and
we are ready to race for wins and championships with both the
No. 12 Penske Dodge and the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge teams."
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