Brad Keselowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brad Keselowski |
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Keselowski at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
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| Born | Bradley Aaron Keselowski February 12, 1984 Rochester Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 177 lb (80 kg) | ||||||
| Achievements | 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion 2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash winner 2018 Bojangles' Southern 500 winner 2018 Brickyard 400 winner 2020 Coca-Cola 600 winner 2022 Bluegreen Vacations Duel winner |
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| Awards | 2008, 2009, 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 557 races run over 17 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 6 (RFK Racing) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 13th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2012) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Dickies 500 (Texas) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2009 Aaron's 499 (Talladega) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 Goodyear 400 (Darlington) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 257 races run over 15 years | |||||||
| 2020 position | 76th | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2010) | ||||||
| First race | 2006 Ameriquest 300 (Fontana) | ||||||
| Last race | 2020 LS Tractor 200 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| First win | 2008 Federated Auto Parts 300 (Nashville) | ||||||
| Last win | 2018 Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 (Darlington) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 66 races run over 11 years | |||||||
| 2015 position | 90th | ||||||
| Best finish | 21st (2005) | ||||||
| First race | 2004 Kroger 250 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last race | 2015 Pocono Mountains 150 (Pocono) | ||||||
| First win | 2014 UNOH 200 (Bristol) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of November 10, 2024. | |||||||
Bradley Aaron Keselowski (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is also a team owner and a business person. Brad races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a team he also partly owns. He used to own his own racing team called Brad Keselowski Racing. That team had two full-time trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Brad started his NASCAR career in 2004. He is one of only six drivers to win a championship in both the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. He is also one of twenty-five drivers to win a race in each of NASCAR's three main series.
He is also the founder of Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing. This company is based in Statesville, North Carolina. It specializes in advanced metal manufacturing, like 3D printing metal parts. They also do CNC machining.
Contents
Early Life and Racing Start
Brad Keselowski was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He grew up in a family that loved racing. He is the youngest of five children of Kay and Bob Keselowski. His uncle is Ron Keselowski. His older brother, Brian, is also a racing driver. Their family has Polish roots.
When Brad was younger, he worked at his father's race shop. He helped clean the floors and mow the grass. In 2000, Brad started racing stock cars in the Factory Stock division.
Brad's NASCAR Journey
Starting Out (2004–2006)
In 2004, when he was just 20 years old, Brad began his NASCAR career. He drove the No. 29 Ford F-150 truck. His first race was the Kroger 250 at Martinsville. He started 26th and finished 33rd. He raced seven more times that season. His best finish was 16th at the UAW/GM Ohio 250 at Mansfield.
Brad started racing full-time in the Truck Series in 2005. He had support from SUBcrews.com and Samson Stone. He finished seventh in the first race at Daytona. This was his only top-ten finish that year. He ended the season 21st in points. In 2006, he raced for K-Automotive for two races. Then, he filled in for an injured driver, Kelly Sutton, in the No. 02 Chevrolet. He also drove the No. 63 Ford for MB Motorsports in a few races.
Big Wins and Rivalries (2007–2009)
Brad started racing full-time in the Busch Series in 2007. He drove the No. 23 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for Keith Coleman Racing. In June, he got a chance to race for Germain Racing in the Truck Series. He replaced Ted Musgrave in the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota Tundra. Brad won his first career pole (starting first) in that race. He led many laps but finished 16th after an incident.
Soon after, car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Brad to drive the No. 88 United States Navy Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. He finished the 2007 season with five top-ten finishes.
In 2008, Brad continued with JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He earned his first career win at the Federated Auto Parts 300 in Nashville Superspeedway. He held off Clint Bowyer for the victory. Brad won again at the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished third in points, which was the best for a full-time Nationwide Series driver. Brad also got his first taste of Sprint Cup racing in 2008. He raced in two events for Hendrick Motorsports.
Brad returned to JR Motorsports in 2009. He also raced in some Cup Series events for Hendrick Motorsports and Phoenix Racing.
First Sprint Cup Win at Talladega
Brad Keselowski achieved a big surprise win at the 2009 Aaron's 499 at Talladega. On the last lap, he was pushing Carl Edwards towards the front. Brad tried to pass Edwards low. Their cars touched, and Edwards' car spun and went into the catch fence. Some fans were injured by flying parts. Brad won his first career Cup Series race in only his fifth start. This was also the first time in history that a driver's very first lap led in a Cup Series race was the final lap of the race!
Rest of 2009 Season
Brad's win at Talladega gave him more opportunities to race. He won three more Nationwide Series races that year. One win was at Dover, and another was at the first-ever Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway. He also won at Michigan International Speedway.
During 2009, Brad had some on-track disagreements with Denny Hamlin. They had several incidents in races. After one event, Hamlin intentionally crashed into Brad's car. NASCAR penalized Hamlin for this action. Brad finished third in the Nationwide Series standings that year, behind Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.
Penske Years (2010–2021)
Brad's success meant he was ready for a full-time move to the Sprint Cup Series. He joined Team Penske to drive a Dodge car.
2010 Season
In 2010, Brad drove the No. 12 Dodge Charger in the Cup Series. He also raced the full Nationwide Series schedule in the No. 22 car. At Atlanta, Brad had another incident with Carl Edwards. Edwards intentionally spun Brad's car, causing it to flip over. Brad was okay after the crash.
Brad won six Nationwide Series races in 2010. He had another on-track incident with Carl Edwards at Gateway International Raceway. Edwards intentionally crashed Brad's car at the finish line. NASCAR put Edwards on probation and fined him. They also warned both drivers to calm their rivalry.
At Bristol, Brad was involved in an accident with Kyle Busch. Busch intentionally wrecked Brad's car. NASCAR did not penalize Busch at that time.
With his crew chief Paul Wolfe, Brad won his first ever NASCAR Nationwide Series championship in 2010. He had 6 wins, 5 poles, and 26 top-five finishes. In the Sprint Cup, he finished 25th in points with no wins.
2011: First Playoff Appearance
For 2011, Brad moved to Penske's No. 2 car, sponsored by Miller Lite. His Nationwide Series crew chief, Paul Wolfe, also moved with him to the Cup Series.
Brad's 2011 Cup season started slowly. But in May, he won his first race of the season at Kansas Speedway. He won on fuel mileage, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr..
In August, Brad was testing at Road Atlanta when his brakes failed. He crashed into a concrete wall at high speed and broke his left ankle. Despite his injuries, Brad won his second race of the season at Pocono Raceway less than a week later. This win helped him get into the "Wild Card" spots for the playoffs (called the Chase for the Sprint Cup then).
The next week, he finished second at Watkins Glen International. He then finished third at Michigan International Speedway. The week after, Brad won his third race of the year at Bristol Motor Speedway. This win secured his spot in the 2011 Chase for the Cup. Brad finished his second full Cup season fifth in the points standings.
2012: Championship Year
In 2012, Brad had his best Sprint Cup season. He won five races and earned his first Sprint Cup championship. He started the year by famously posting pictures from his car on Twitter during a red flag at the Daytona 500.
On March 18, 2012, he won his first race of the season at Bristol. He also won at Talladega. This was the first time since 1976 that Dodge won a Cup Series race at Talladega.
On June 30, 2012, Brad won his third race at Kentucky Speedway. He was the first driver to win three races in 2012. Starting with Kentucky, Brad had a great streak of finishes that led to his championship.
Brad won the first Nationwide Series race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This was Team Penske's first NASCAR win at that famous track.
In August 2012, Brad finished second at Watkins Glen. The next day, he finished second again at Watkins Glen in the Cup Series race.
Brad won the first playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway. Two weeks later, he won at Dover International Speedway. He continued with strong finishes. While his rival Jimmie Johnson had trouble at Phoenix, Brad's sixth-place finish gave him the points lead. He finished 15th in the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but still won his first Sprint Cup championship. Johnson had a mechanical issue, which helped Brad secure the title. Brad became one of only three drivers to win the Cup championship in their first three full-time seasons.
2014: Strong Comeback
Brad started 2014 by finishing second in the Sprint Unlimited. He then finished third in the Daytona 500. At Phoenix Raceway, he earned his first pole position of the season.
At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brad won his first race of the season. This win automatically qualified him for the Chase playoffs. He was very happy about this, especially after not making the Chase in 2013.
Brad had some on-track disagreements with former teammate Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth. He also had a big crash at Talladega. He finished second to Jimmie Johnson at Dover. At Pocono, a trash bag on his grille caused overheating, costing him the win.
At Kentucky, Brad raced in all three NASCAR series. He won the Sprint Cup race, saying his team was in "Championship Form." He injured his hand during the victory celebration but was released from the hospital after getting stitches.
Brad had a perfect weekend at New Hampshire. He won both Cup Series practices, the pole for the Nationwide race, and then won both the Nationwide and Cup races.
In August, Brad won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol. This made him the 25th driver to win in all three of NASCAR's major series. He had never won a Truck race in his previous 63 starts. He also won the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond, which was the 400th win for Team Penske.
Brad finished the 2014 season with a personal best of six victories. This was the most wins for any driver that year.
2015 Season
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In 2015, Brad became an Xfinity Series analyst for NASCAR on Fox. His season started with a crash in the Sprint Unlimited. He finished fifth in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona.
Brad led many laps at Phoenix but lost track position due to a pit stop mistake. He still finished sixth. The next week at Fontana, Brad won the race by passing Kurt Busch on the final lap. He finished second at Martinsville, just barely losing to Denny Hamlin.
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Brad made the Chase for the Cup. At Texas, he started on pole and led most of the race. However, he lost the lead after a late caution and finished second to Jimmie Johnson. Brad was eliminated from the final four spots in the Chase after a tough race at Phoenix. He led the most laps in the final race at Homestead but finished third, as Kyle Busch won the race and the championship.
Brad's 2015 season had one win, nine top-five finishes, and three poles.
2016 Season
Brad started 2016 by leading the most laps in the Sprint Unlimited. He got his first Cup win of the season at Las Vegas. He passed Kyle Busch with six laps to go.
He also won the GEICO 500 at Talladega, leading the most laps. When NASCAR returned to Daytona, Brad had the best car and won the Coke Zero 400. Following that, he won his fourth race of the season at Kentucky.
Brad made it through the first round of the Chase. However, in the second round, he was eliminated after crashes at Kansas and Talladega. His teammate Joey Logano went on to win the Talladega race.
2017: First Championship 4 Appearance
Brad crashed out of the 2017 Daytona 500. At Atlanta, he won after Kevin Harvick received a speeding penalty.
After the Phoenix race, NASCAR penalized Brad's car for not meeting inspection rules. He was fined and lost points, and his crew chief Paul Wolfe was suspended. Team Penske appealed the penalty, but it was upheld.
Brad's second win of the season came at Martinsville. He passed Kyle Busch to win his first race at that track. This was also Ford's first win there in 15 years. Brad was confirmed to return to Team Penske for the 2018 season.
2018: Big Race Victories
The 2018 season started slowly for Brad. He didn't win in the first 24 races. Then, he won back-to-back races at Darlington and Indianapolis. The Indianapolis win was very important for Team Penske. Brad then won at Las Vegas, giving Roger Penske his 500th overall motorsports victory as a car owner. This win helped Brad advance in the playoffs. He finished the season eighth in the points standings.
2019 Season
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Brad started 2019 with a 12th-place finish at the Daytona 500. A week later, he won at Atlanta. This was his 60th overall win with Team Penske and the first Cup Series win for the new Ford Mustang GT. Brad also won at Martinsville and Kansas. He finished fifth at the Charlotte Roval to advance in the playoffs. For the second year in a row, Brad was eliminated in the Round of 12.
2020: Second Championship 4 Appearance
Before the 2020 season, Brad got a new crew chief, Jeremy Bullins. This ended his nine-year partnership with Paul Wolfe.
Brad finished 36th in the Daytona 500 after a crash. He bounced back with a seventh-place finish at Las Vegas. He got his first win of the season in the Coca-Cola 600. He held off Jimmie Johnson in overtime. The next week at Bristol, Brad got his second win of the season after other leaders crashed.
He won a third race in August at New Hampshire. He signed a contract extension with Team Penske the next day.
In the playoffs, Brad won at Richmond. He reached the final round at Phoenix based on his points. He finished second in the championship to Chase Elliott.
2021: Final Season at Penske
Brad started the 2021 season as a contender for the win in the Daytona 500. On the final lap, he tried to pass Joey Logano, but their cars touched, causing a crash. Brad's car hit the catchfence and caught fire. He was uninjured and finished 13th.
Brad won the GEICO 500 after passing Matt DiBenedetto on the final lap. In the playoffs, he made it to the Round of 8 before being eliminated. He finished the season sixth in the points standings.
On July 15, 2021, Penske announced that Austin Cindric would take over the No. 2 car in 2022. Brad then announced he would join Roush Fenway Racing as a part-owner and driver of the No. 6 car. This team was later renamed RFK Racing.
RFK Racing (2022–Present)
2022 Season
Brad began the 2022 season as a driver and co-owner of RFK Racing. He finished ninth at the 2022 Daytona 500. However, he struggled to get top-ten finishes in the next 14 races.
In March 2022, his crew chief Matt McCall was suspended and the No. 6 team lost points. This was due to a penalty for modifying a car part. Brad missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. He led many laps at the Bristol night race, but a flat tire ended his chances. His teammate Chris Buescher won that race, giving Brad his first victory as a car owner in the Cup Series. Brad finished 24th in the final standings, going winless in points-paying races for the first time since 2010.
2023: Back in the Playoffs
Brad started the 2023 season with a 22nd-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He made his 500th career start at Gateway. Even though he didn't win a race, Brad improved his finishes enough to make it to the playoffs. He finished second in the final regular-season race at Daytona. Brad was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 12. He finished the season eighth in the points standings. This was the first time the No. 6 car finished in the top-10 in points since 2006.
2024: Winless Streak Ends
Brad started the 2024 season with a 33rd-place finish at the 2024 Daytona 500. At Darlington, he took advantage of his teammate Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick colliding. Brad held off Ty Gibbs to win his first race of 2024. This win ended his 110-race winless streak. It also ended a 33-race winless streak for Ford across all three NASCAR series. Brad was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 16. On November 7, RFK Racing announced that Matt McCall would not be his crew chief in 2025.
Brad Keselowski Racing
Brad started his own race team in 2007. The team began competing in the Truck Series in 2008. Brad drove the No. 29 Chevrolet himself and earned the team's first top-ten finish.
In 2011 and part of 2012, Parker Kligerman drove for BKR. Ryan Blaney then drove the team to its first victory on September 15, 2012, at Iowa Speedway.
In 2013, Brad was honored with the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Excellence in Sports Award.
On August 17, 2017, Brad announced that BKR would close at the end of the 2017 season. He hoped to reopen the team in the future as a Cup Series team. This dream partly came true when Brad bought a share in Roush Fenway Racing. This team then became Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing
Brad started Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) in early 2018. The company focuses on American manufacturing, especially metal 3D printing. They also do CNC machining, quality control, and engineering design. KAM aims to provide complete services for customers, from design to finished products. The company officially launched on January 24, 2019.
Personal Life
On February 4, 2015, Brad announced he and his girlfriend, Paige White, were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Scarlett, was born in 2015. On December 11, 2016, Brad announced his engagement to Paige. In 2019, they had another daughter named Autumn. On July 2, 2023, Brad announced they were expecting a third child. Their first son, Maize, was born on November 4, 2023. Brad was there for the birth and raced in the NASCAR Cup race the next day.
In Popular Media
Brad Keselowski has appeared in movies and TV shows.
- He was in the movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! with his Penske teammate Joey Logano.
- He guest-starred in several episodes of the TBS TV show Sullivan & Son.
- He had a small role as a security guard in the 2017 film Logan Lucky.
Motorsports Career Highlights
NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Results
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
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| 2009 | Phoenix Racing | Chevrolet | Did Not Qualify | |
| 2010 | Penske Championship Racing | Dodge | 26 | 36 |
| 2011 | Penske Racing | 16 | 29 | |
| 2012 | 23 | 32 | ||
| 2013 | Ford | 15 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Team Penske | 33 | 3 | |
| 2015 | 39 | 41 | ||
| 2016 | 25 | 20 | ||
| 2017 | 7 | 27 | ||
| 2018 | 31 | 32 | ||
| 2019 | 35 | 12 | ||
| 2020 | 9 | 36 | ||
| 2021 | 24 | 13 | ||
| 2022 | RFK Racing | Ford | 3 | 9 |
| 2023 | 10 | 22 | ||
| 2024 | 16 | 33 | ||
| 2025 | ||||
Images for kids
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Keselowski at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
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Keselowski in victory lane after his first career Nationwide Series win at Nashville Superspeedway
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Keselowski at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2008.
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Keselowski's No. 88 GoDaddy.com-sponsored Chevrolet on pit road before the NorthernTool.com 250 at the Milwaukee Mile.
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Keselowski's No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge at Road America.
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Keselowski's No. 12 during the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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Keselowski's 2011 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 race-winning car
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Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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Keselowski during the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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Keselowski at the 2015 Daytona 500
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Keselowski racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2015
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Keselowski and Team Penske's 2016 cars inside their Mooresville shop
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Keselowski's victory lap after winning the 2017 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway
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Keselowski celebrating after winning the 2018 Brickyard 400
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Keselowski racing alongside Kevin Harvick at the Michigan International Speedway
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Keselowski racing at Sonoma Raceway in 2021
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Keselowski during the 2022 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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Keselwoski's No. 6 car at Auto Club Speedway in 2023
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Brad Keselowski Racing's logo. This sign greets visitors as they enter the team's Statesville, NC race shop.
