Brad Keselowski to make seven Cup starts for Hendrick Motorsports
Brad Keselowski, who made his first two career NASCAR Sprint Cup starts near the end of 2008 in the No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, will return to the car for seven Cup races in 2009, the team announced on Friday.
Keselowski, who will likely have to qualify his way into the field based on speed because the part-time team won’t be in the top 35 in owner points, will make his first qualifying attempt for the March 1 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“It's exciting to have everything finalized and ready to go for 2009," said Keselowski, who also will compete full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports. "We're going to some tracks where I'm pretty confident, and we're going to some places where I really need the additional seat time.”
The other tracks on Keselowski’s schedule are Texas (April 5), Darlington (May 9), Dover (May 31), Chicagoland (July 11), Michigan (Aug. 16) and Kansas (Oct. 4).
Keselowski will be paired with crew chief Lance McGrew and primary sponsor GoDaddy.com. By virtue of attempting only seven starts, Keselowski will preserve his rookie status for 2010.
“I'm especially excited about going to Michigan,” the Rochester Hills, Mich., native said. “The track isn't far from Rochester Hills, and it's going to be really cool to race in front of all my family and friends. All the tracks we're going to are great, but that one will definitely be a highlight for me.
"It's a nice mix of races and a great opportunity for the whole GoDaddy.com team."
