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Whether you call him the 2012 Sprint Cup Champion or NASCAR's king of Twitter, 28-year old Brad Keselowski, has gone through a complete makeover in his relatively short career.
To put a label on this metamorphosis part one can be called the “Bad Brad” years and his current phase can be called the Penske years.
Brad Keselowski comes from a Detroit suburb-based family of racers. His father Robert “Bob” Keselowski (61) was the ARCA champion in 1989 and had raced in NASCAR's Truck Series with one victory in at Richmond International Raceway. His brother, Brian, 31, has raced in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Uncle Ron Keselowski also ran in 65 Sprint Cup races from 1970 to 1974.
Bad Brad years -
• In 2004 Keselowski made his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series for his father's K Automotive team. For the following two years raced for other small teams.
• Mid-season in 2007 he got his first break driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports racing team (which is currently co-owned by Rick Hendrick and Earnhardt's sister) in the Nationwide Series. He was also visually distinctive for his facial hair, a hipster-style chin beard.
• He was rehired as a full-time Nationwide Series driver in 2008 grabbing his first win in June at Nashville. His second victory came along at Bristol in August and he finished third in the series points.
By this time the Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick connection put Keselowski in position to be a standby driver in the Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports.
• In 2009 came the big breakthrough. His first Sprint Cup win at one of NASCAR's most prestigious, if not dangerous, tracks Talladega. Driving for James Finch's one-car Phoenix Racing (with Hendrick-supplied equipment); the young driver dueled with veteran Carl Edwards near the checkered flag.
They made contact sending Edwards spinning then airborne and onto Ryan Newman's car's hood rebounding and into a catch fence. Eight spectators were injured. Ironically Keselowski's only lap led was his first lap led at the Sprint Cup level and that resulted in that unexpected win at an unexpected track.
That incident was also the beginning of some dispute with Edwards which would later boil over.
In the meantime incidents with Denny Hamlin, in the Nationwide Series were bubbling over. It started in May 2008 when Hamlin and the future Sprint Cup champion had an incident at the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Their crews emptied into a short brawl in the pits after the race.
One year later, in September 09 at Dover, Keselowski spun and wrecked Hamlin - running fourth - while attempting a pass. There was a brief confrontation in the pits.
“He has no idea how to race,” Hamlin said told a television interviewer. Adding “he'll get a ride. He'll hang around a couple of years and people will realize he's not that good.”
That was, obviously, not prophetic. Later in the interview, Hamlin acknowledged that Keselowski had potential.
After Dover Hamlin said he'd get even. And he did at the season closer at Homestead when he turned Keselowski. And Hamlin was blacked flagged for aggressive driving.
Over in Sprint Cup some of the polish of that Talladega victory was dulled when Keselowski caused 15-car wreck after bumping his future Penske teammate, Kurt Busch.
By then the "Bad Brad" reputation had been established.
Tomorrow will be part II the Penske Years.
To put a label on this metamorphosis part one can be called the “Bad Brad” years and his current phase can be called the Penske years.
Brad Keselowski comes from a Detroit suburb-based family of racers. His father Robert “Bob” Keselowski (61) was the ARCA champion in 1989 and had raced in NASCAR's Truck Series with one victory in at Richmond International Raceway. His brother, Brian, 31, has raced in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Uncle Ron Keselowski also ran in 65 Sprint Cup races from 1970 to 1974.
Bad Brad years -
• In 2004 Keselowski made his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series for his father's K Automotive team. For the following two years raced for other small teams.
• Mid-season in 2007 he got his first break driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports racing team (which is currently co-owned by Rick Hendrick and Earnhardt's sister) in the Nationwide Series. He was also visually distinctive for his facial hair, a hipster-style chin beard.
• He was rehired as a full-time Nationwide Series driver in 2008 grabbing his first win in June at Nashville. His second victory came along at Bristol in August and he finished third in the series points.
 |
| Photo: U.S. Navy |
By this time the Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick connection put Keselowski in position to be a standby driver in the Sprint Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports.
• In 2009 came the big breakthrough. His first Sprint Cup win at one of NASCAR's most prestigious, if not dangerous, tracks Talladega. Driving for James Finch's one-car Phoenix Racing (with Hendrick-supplied equipment); the young driver dueled with veteran Carl Edwards near the checkered flag.
They made contact sending Edwards spinning then airborne and onto Ryan Newman's car's hood rebounding and into a catch fence. Eight spectators were injured. Ironically Keselowski's only lap led was his first lap led at the Sprint Cup level and that resulted in that unexpected win at an unexpected track.
That incident was also the beginning of some dispute with Edwards which would later boil over.
 |
| Carl Edwards (99) and Ryan Newman (39) involved in the crash at Talladega in 2009. (Photo: NASCAR) |
In the meantime incidents with Denny Hamlin, in the Nationwide Series were bubbling over. It started in May 2008 when Hamlin and the future Sprint Cup champion had an incident at the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Their crews emptied into a short brawl in the pits after the race.
One year later, in September 09 at Dover, Keselowski spun and wrecked Hamlin - running fourth - while attempting a pass. There was a brief confrontation in the pits.
“He has no idea how to race,” Hamlin said told a television interviewer. Adding “he'll get a ride. He'll hang around a couple of years and people will realize he's not that good.”
That was, obviously, not prophetic. Later in the interview, Hamlin acknowledged that Keselowski had potential.
After Dover Hamlin said he'd get even. And he did at the season closer at Homestead when he turned Keselowski. And Hamlin was blacked flagged for aggressive driving.
 |
| Brad Keselowski out, after causing a big crash at Talladega. (Photo: NASCAR) |
Over in Sprint Cup some of the polish of that Talladega victory was dulled when Keselowski caused 15-car wreck after bumping his future Penske teammate, Kurt Busch.
By then the "Bad Brad" reputation had been established.
Tomorrow will be part II the Penske Years.