Brad Keselowski says Penske organization gives him chance to grow
Brad Keselowski says the timing is right for him to make the move to Penske Racing. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
Brad Keselowski calls the decision to leave JR Motorsports’ NASCAR Nationwide Series organization and join Penske Racing full time in 2010, “The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life.”
It is a decision, however, that the 25-year-old driver appears to be at peace with it.
And the feeling is mutual.
Penske, which announced Tuesday morning plans to field Keselowski full time in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series in 2010, is handing over the reins of its No. 12 Cup car to a driver whose quick success has made him a hot commodity in the Cup garage.
Keselowski, who has five Nationwide wins in just over two years at JR Motorsports, also earned an improbable Cup win at Talladega earlier this season in just his fifth series start.
“He has got a lot of credentials behind him,” Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said.
It was after that win at Talladega, where he drove for Hendrick affiliate Phoenix Racing, that Keselowski says negotiations about his future kicked into high gear.
Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who co-owns JR Motorsports with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and is fielding Keselowski in select Cup races this season in a fifth Hendrick Motorsports car, was interested in the possibility of keeping Keselowski tied to his stable. But with NASCAR’s new four-car limit in 2010 and Hendrick having no Cup ride available, Keselowski ultimately decided to look elsewhere.
“It became obvious that it was just not in the cards,” Keselowski, speaking on a conference call on Tuesday, said of joining Hendrick full time in Cup next season. “There was just too many things going against us with the team limit and so forth.”
So Keselowski turned his attention to the Penske organization, which is essentially making driver David Stremme a free agent in 2010 to make room for Keselowski. While it hasn’t enjoyed the success of Hendrick this season, Penske has been much improved from its 2008 performance.
Penske driver Kurt Busch has a win this season and is in contention to make NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup, while second-year driver Sam Hornish Jr. has also experienced considerable gains.
This, and a desire to get to land a full-time Cup ride as soon as possible, all played into Keselowski’s decision to sever ties – at least for now – with Hendrick and JR Motorsports next season.
“I came to this [Penske] shop a year ago and looked around, and I came back again about two weeks ago, a week ago, something like that, and looked around, and it’s a completely different feel, a completely different vibe,” Keselowski said. “This whole company is on the upswing, and you can see it, and you can feel it. And I feel like I’m jumping on ship at the right time, so to speak. Everything is here to get the job done.”
Earnhardt Jr., who gave Keselowski his ride at JR Motorsports midway through 2007, encouraged the Michigan native to make the jump if the opportunity was right.
“He was actually one of the people that pushed me fairly hard to take this deal, as surprising as that might be to some people or some of the fans or media,” Keselowski said. “He brought up one of the good points that stuck with me when I made this decision … and that was when you have the opportunity to grow and to take on new challenges and you’re capable of conquering those challenges, you need to take it. And you need to grow when you have the opportunity to grow, not only in your career but as a person. This is a great opportunity for me to grow, and that’s where we’re at.”
Exactly how long Keselowski will remain at Penske is a matter of speculation. Cindric declined on Tuesday to discuss the particulars of Keselowski’s contract, saying only it was a multiyear deal and Keselowski "has given us every indication that he’s committed to this decision and committed to making it work here.”
Hendrick recently hinted that an opportunity to field cars for Keselowski could lie somewhere in his future. But for now, Keselowski says he is focused on competing for Penske in 2010 and finishing out his Nationwide tenure with JR Motorsports this season on a strong note.
“My intent is to come to Penske Racing and to build a home for the long-term future of my career,” he said. “That’s my full intent is to be successful and to accomplish those things. There are very few teams at this level that have the ability to compete with Hendrick Motorsports, and this is one of them.”
Related stories:
Brad Keselowski to drive full time for Penske Racing in Cup, Nationwide series in 2010
JR Motorsports exploring options for two Nationwide Series teams in 2010
