Brad Keselowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brad Keselowski |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keselowski at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
|
|||||||
| Born | Bradley Aaron Keselowski February 12, 1984 Rochester Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
||||||
| 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 |
||||||
| Awards | 2008, 2009, 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) |
||||||
| 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) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| 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) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| 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) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Statistics current as of November 10, 2024. | |||||||
Bradley Aaron Keselowski (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a team he also helps own.
Brad Keselowski 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 25 drivers to win a race in all three of NASCAR's main series.
Contents
- Early Life and Racing Start
- Brad's NASCAR Journey
- Brad Keselowski Racing
- Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing
- Personal Life
- In Popular Media
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and Racing Start
Brad Keselowski was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He grew up in a family that loved racing. His father, Bob Keselowski, and uncle, Ron Keselowski, were also racers. His older brother, Brian, also races.
When Brad was young, he worked at his father's race shop. He helped clean and take care of the shop. In 2000, when he was 16, Brad started racing stock cars in the Factory Stock division.
Brad's NASCAR Journey
Starting in the Truck Series (2004–2006)
Brad Keselowski began his NASCAR career in 2004. He was only 20 years old. He drove the No. 29 Ford F-150 in the Craftsman Truck Series. His first race was the Kroger 250 at Martinsville. He finished 33rd. He raced seven more times that year. His best finish was 16th at Mansfield.
In 2005, Keselowski raced full-time in the Truck Series. He finished seventh at Daytona, which was his only top-ten finish that year. He ended the season 21st in points. In 2006, he raced a few times for different teams.
Breaking Through in the Nationwide Series (2007–2009)
In 2007, Keselowski started racing full-time in the Busch Series. He drove for Keith Coleman Racing. Later that year, he joined JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.. He got his first career pole at Memphis in a Truck Series race.
In 2008, Keselowski stayed with JR Motorsports. He won his first Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, beating Clint Bowyer. He won again at Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished third in points, which was the best for a full-time Nationwide Series driver. He also raced in two Sprint Cup races for the first time.
In 2009, Keselowski continued with JR Motorsports. He also raced in some Cup Series events.
First Big Cup Series Win at Talladega
Keselowski won his first Sprint Cup race in a big surprise at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron's 499. On the last lap, he was battling Carl Edwards. Their cars touched, and Edwards' car spun and went into the fence. Keselowski crossed the finish line first. This was his fifth Cup Series start, and it was the first time he had ever led a lap in a Cup race. It was also the first time a driver's first led lap was the final lap of a race.
After this win, Keselowski got more chances to race. He won three more Nationwide Series races in 2009, including the first-ever Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway.
Keselowski had some tough moments in 2009. He was involved in a big crash at Talladega that included 15 cars. He also had several disagreements with fellow driver Denny Hamlin. They had a few crashes on track. Keselowski finished third in the Nationwide Series points that year.
Years with Penske Racing (2010–2021)
In 2010, Keselowski joined Team Penske to race full-time in the Cup Series. He also raced full-time in the Nationwide Series.
2010: Nationwide Champion
In 2010, Keselowski had another incident with Carl Edwards at Atlanta. Edwards intentionally spun Keselowski's car, causing it to flip over. Keselowski was okay but shaken. NASCAR punished Edwards for his actions.
Keselowski won six Nationwide Series races in 2010. He also had another on-track argument with Carl Edwards at Gateway. Edwards intentionally crashed Keselowski at the finish line. NASCAR put both drivers on probation. Keselowski also had a rivalry with Kyle Busch that year.
With his crew chief Paul Wolfe, Keselowski won his first-ever NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. He had 6 wins, 5 poles, and 26 top-five finishes. In the Cup Series, he finished 25th.
2011: First Chase Appearance
For 2011, Keselowski moved to Penske's No. 2 car. His Nationwide Series crew chief, Paul Wolfe, also moved to the Cup Series with him.
Keselowski's 2011 Cup season started slowly. But in May, he won at Kansas Speedway by saving fuel. In August, he broke his left ankle during a test at Road Atlanta. Even with his injury, he won his second race of the season at Pocono Raceway less than a week later. This win helped him get into the "Chase for the Sprint Cup," which is NASCAR's playoffs.
He finished second at Watkins Glen International and third at Michigan International Speedway. He then won his third race of the year at Bristol Motor Speedway. Keselowski finished the 2011 season fifth in the points standings.
2012: Cup Series Champion
The 2012 season was Keselowski's best Cup Series season. He won five races and his first Cup Series championship. At the Daytona 500, he famously posted pictures and updates on Twitter from his car during a red flag.
He won at Bristol in March and at Talladega in April. He also won at Kentucky Speedway in June. Keselowski then went on a strong run of finishes that helped him win the championship.
He won the first Nationwide Series race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In August, he finished second at Watkins Glen. He also finished second at Michigan.
Keselowski won the first playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway. Two weeks later, he won at Dover International Speedway. He kept a strong lead in the points over Jimmie Johnson. When Johnson had trouble in the second-to-last race at Phoenix, Keselowski took a 20-point lead. He finished 15th in the final race at Homestead-Miami, which was enough to win his first Sprint Cup championship. He celebrated by drinking his sponsor's drink, Miller Lite, in a viral interview.
2013: A Tough Year
Keselowski started 2013 with four top-five finishes, including fourth in the Daytona 500. However, he had some bad luck and crashes later in the season.
At Talladega, he had a misunderstanding about the restart rules and was upset with the race winner, David Ragan. He later apologized after seeing a video of the finish.
He won the Nationwide race at Kentucky and had four wins in his last four starts in that series. He also won at Watkins Glen in the Nationwide Series.
In the Cup Series, he finished second at Watkins Glen for the third year in a row. He nearly won at Michigan, but a fuel issue caused him to lose the lead. He was happy for his teammate Joey Logano who won that race.
Keselowski missed the playoffs in 2013. He signed a contract to stay with Penske Racing until 2017. He won a Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was his first win driving a Ford.
2014: Bouncing Back
Keselowski started 2014 by finishing second in the non-points Sprint Unlimited race. He finished third in the Daytona 500.
He won his first race of 2014 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the last lap. This win automatically put him in the Chase playoffs.
He had a disagreement with former teammate Kurt Busch at Martinsville. He also had a close battle with Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon at Richmond, which allowed his teammate Joey Logano to win. Keselowski was upset with Kenseth's blocking.
At Talladega, he was involved in a big crash. He later apologized for his part in it. He finished second at Dover and Pocono. At Kentucky, he won his second Cup race of the season. He also won the Nationwide race at New Hampshire and the Truck Series race at Bristol, making him one of the few drivers to win in all three NASCAR series. He won another Cup race at Richmond.
In October, he had a physical altercation with Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon after the Charlotte race. NASCAR fined him for his actions. Despite this, he won at Talladega the next week, which helped him advance in the playoffs. He finished the season fifth in points with a personal best of six wins.
2015: A Mixed Season
.JPG)
Keselowski started 2015 with a crash in the Sprint Unlimited. He finished fifth in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona. He won his first Cup race of the season at Fontana.
.jpg)
He finished second at Martinsville. He made the Chase for the Cup but was eliminated before the final round. He finished the season with one win, nine top-five finishes, and 25 top-ten finishes.
2016: Four Wins
Keselowski won his first Cup race of 2016 at Las Vegas. He also won at Talladega, Daytona, and Kentucky, giving him four wins for the season. He made it through the first round of the Chase but was eliminated in the second round after crashes at Kansas and Talladega.
2017: Championship 4 Appearance
Keselowski won at Atlanta in March. His car failed a post-race inspection, and his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, was suspended. Penske appealed the penalty, but it was upheld.
He won his second race of the season at Martinsville, his first win at that track. He made it to the Championship 4, the final round of the playoffs, but finished fourth in the championship standings.
2018: Big Race Wins
The 2018 season started slowly for Keselowski. He then won back-to-back races at Darlington and Indianapolis. The Indianapolis win was very special for Team Penske. Keselowski then won at Las Vegas, giving Roger Penske his 500th overall motorsports victory as a car owner. He was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 12 and finished eighth in points.
2019: Three Wins
.jpg)
Keselowski won at Atlanta in February, his 60th win with Team Penske. He also won at Martinsville and Kansas. He was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 12 for the second year in a row, finishing eighth in points.
2020: Second Championship 4 Appearance
Before the 2020 season, Keselowski got a new crew chief, Jeremy Bullins. Keselowski won his first race of the season in the Coca-Cola 600. He won again at Bristol the next week. He won a third race at New Hampshire in August.
In the playoffs, Keselowski won at Richmond. He reached the Championship 4 again, finishing second in the championship to Chase Elliott.
2021: Final Penske Season
Keselowski was involved in a fiery crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500 but walked away uninjured. He won the GEICO 500 at Talladega. He made it to the Round of 8 in the playoffs and finished sixth in the final standings.
In July 2021, it was announced that Keselowski would leave Penske Racing to join Roush Fenway Racing as a driver and part-owner. The team was later renamed RFK Racing.
RFK Racing (2022–Present)
2022: First Year as Co-Owner
Keselowski started 2022 as a driver and co-owner for RFK Racing. He finished ninth in the 2022 Daytona 500. In March, his crew chief was suspended, and the team lost points due to a car modification.
He missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. He led many laps at Bristol but had a flat tire. His teammate, Chris Buescher, won that race, giving Keselowski his first win as a car owner in the Cup Series. Keselowski finished 24th in the final standings.
2023: Back in the Playoffs
Keselowski made his 500th career start at Gateway in 2023. Even though he didn't win a race, he improved his finishes and made it back into the playoffs. He finished second in the final regular-season race at Daytona. He was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 12 and finished eighth in the final standings. This was the first time the No. 6 car finished in the top-10 points since 2006.
2024: Ending the Winless Streak
Keselowski won his first race of 2024 at Darlington in May. This win ended a 110-race winless streak for him. He was eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 16. In November 2024, RFK Racing announced that his crew chief, Matt McCall, would not return to the No. 6 car in 2025.
Brad Keselowski Racing
Keselowski started his own race team in 2007. The team began racing in the Truck Series in 2008. In 2012, his team got its first victory with driver Ryan Blaney at Iowa Speedway.
In 2013, Keselowski was honored with the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame Excellence in Sports Award.
In 2017, Keselowski announced that his team, Brad Keselowski Racing, would close at the end of the season. He hoped to reopen it later as a Cup Series team. This dream partly came true when he became a part-owner of Roush Fenway Racing, which became Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing
Keselowski started Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) in 2018. This company focuses on modern manufacturing, especially metal 3D printing. They also do CNC machining and engineering design. KAM helps customers from design to finished product.
In 2024, KAM joined with another company called ADDMAN. Keselowski is still involved as an advisor on ADDMAN’s board.
Personal Life
Brad Keselowski and his girlfriend, Paige White, had their first child, a daughter named Scarlett, in 2015. They got engaged in December 2016. In 2019, they had another daughter named Autumn. On November 4, 2023, Paige gave birth to their first son, Maize. Keselowski was there for the birth and raced the next day.
In Popular Media
Keselowski has appeared in some movies and TV shows. He was in the movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! with his teammate Joey Logano. He also guest-starred in episodes of the TV show Sullivan & Son. In 2017, he had a small role as a security guard in the film Logan Lucky.
Images for kids
-
Keselowski at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
-
Keselowski in victory lane after his first Nationwide Series win at Nashville Superspeedway
-
Keselowski at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2008.
-
Keselowski's No. 88 GoDaddy.com-sponsored Chevrolet at the Milwaukee Mile in 2009.
-
Keselowski's No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge at Road America.
-
Keselowski's No. 12 during the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350
-
Keselowski's 2011 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 race-winning car
-
Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
-
Keselowski during the 2013 STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville
-
Keselowski celebrates after winning the 2013 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
-
Keselowski during the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350
-
Keselowski at the 2015 Daytona 500
-
Keselowski racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2015
-
Keselowski and Team Penske's 2016 cars inside their Mooresville shop
-
Keselowski's victory lap after winning the 2017 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway
-
Keselowski celebrating after winning the 2018 Brickyard 400
-
Keselowski racing alongside Kevin Harvick at the Michigan International Speedway
-
Keselowski racing at Sonoma Raceway in 2021
-
Keselowski during the 2022 Toyota/Save Mart 350
-
Keselwoski's No. 6 car at Auto Club Speedway in 2023
-
Keselowski’s No. 6 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
-
Brad Keselowski Racing's logo. This sign greets visitors as they enter the team's Statesville, NC race shop.
See also
In Spanish: Brad Keselowski para niños
- List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners
- List of Michigan sports figures
- List of NASCAR Nationwide Series champions
- List of Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race drivers
- List of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
