Brad Keselowski Biography

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Brad Keselowski Biography

Bradley Keselowski (born February 12, 1984) is an auto racing car driver currently competing in the #88 Delphi/Go Daddy/Unilever Chevrolet Impala SS for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and in the Sprint Cup Series is scheduled to split time behind the wheel of the #25 Go Daddy Chevrolet Impala SS for Hendrick Motorsports and the #09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resorts Chevrolet Impala SS for Phoenix Racing, owned by James Finch. He is the son of Bob Keselowski and the nephew of Ron Keselowski. His older brother Brian competes part-time in both the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the Nationwide Series.

Keselowski in NASCAR

Keselowski began competing in NASCAR in 2004, when he began racing in the Craftsman Truck Series, driving the #29 for his family-owned K Automotive Racing team. He made his debut at Martinsville Speedway, where he started 26th and finished 33rd. He made seven more starts that season, his best finish coming at Mansfield, where he finished 16th.

In 2005, Keselowski began competing in the Truck Series full-time with backing from SUBcrews.com and Samson Stone. He opened the season with a career-best seventh-place finish at the Florida Dodge Dealers 250. Running every race that season, he finished 21st in points. He ran the first two races of 2006 for K-Automotive, finishing sixteenth at California Speedway, before a lack of sponsorship caused the team to temporarily suspend operations. Keselowski then drove a pair of races filling in for the injured Kelly Sutton, where he had a seventh-place start at Memphis Motorsports Park. He returned to the Trucks in August, where he finished 33rd at Bristol Motor Speedway driving the #63 for MB Motorsports.

In 2007, Keselowski began running in the NASCAR Busch series full time and for Rookie of the Year honors with Keith Coleman Racing, but the team suspended operations in July. During the 2007 racing season, Keselowski was tabbed by Germain Racing to replace Ted Musgrave at Memphis Motorsports Park after Musgrave was suspended for an in race scuffle with another driver in Milwaukee. He qualified first for the Saturday night race, and led a majority of the race, but got bumped by Travis Kvapil with about nine laps to go. Keselowski finished 16th. Shortly afterwards, he was called by car owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr to drive his #88 United States Navy Chevrolet for JR Motorsports for the rest of the year in the Busch Series, posting five top-ten finishes.

Keselowski re-signed with JR in 2008, and got his first win came June 7, 2008 at Nashville Superspeedway, overcoming Clint Bowyer after the final caution in the closing laps of the race. His second Nationwide career win came in the same fashion at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 22, 2008. He ended the season third in the points standings, the highest finish by a full-time Nationwide Series-only driver. Late in the season, Keselowski was hired to drive the #25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for two races with Hendrick Motorsports.[1] Keselowski was on stand-by for an ill Jeff Gordon in Kansas and for expectant father Casey Mears at Talladega that season as well. Keselowski made his Cup series debut at Texas after failing to qualify twice due to rainouts. He finished the Dickies 500 in 19th position, and 23rd in the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Keselowski will continue driving the 88 for JR in 2009 as well as competing in a limited Cup schedule. He will drive the #25 in seven races, and is scheduled to drive the #09 Phoenix Racing in ten races, but so far he has only attempted the Daytona 500, where he did not qualify and the Aarons 499, where he won in just his fifth career Cup start.

Keselowski pulled off an upset and earned his first Sprint Cup win during the 2009 Aaron's 499 at Talladega. He and Carl Edwards were dueling for the win on the final lap, with Keselowski running second until the final stretch when Edwards, who had been trying to keep Keselowski behind him by blocking, hit the front of Keselowski's car as he attempted to keep the block on and crashed, becoming airborne and hitting the catch fencing surrounding the track. Keselowski won in his fifth career start (third start in 2009) and led his first career Sprint Cup lap, Lap 188 (in fact the only lap he led the entire race). It was the first time since May 2007 a driver had won his first career win in a major, and the first win in the Aaron's 499 by a first-time driver since Phil Parsons 21 years ago. It was also the first time a driver's first ever lap led was to win the race. In the pass through the tri-oval, Brad went high to try and fake Carl Edwards out. When Edwards went high to block, Brad went low to pass. Edwards went to block thinking that he was clear, however, Edward's left rear quarter panel hit the right front of Keselowski's car. Brad Keselowski did not go down due to the circumstances at the race last year involving Regan Smith and the yellow line (Smith passed Tony Stewart below the yellow line to finish first, but lost the win, even when he was forced to go down). Edwards went spinning and Keselowski won the race.

It appears that his win in Talladega has earned him more seat time in the James Finch-owned Chevy. Originally scheduled to appear next in the 18th race of the season, at Daytona International Speedway, is now scheduled to appear in the upcoming race at Richmond International Raceway. Keselowski will now race the Sprint All-Star Race as well.[2][3] He was forced to pull out of the Richmond race due to commitments to his Nationwide series team.

Keselowski got his third Nationwide victory at Dover. Kyle Busch cut a tire on the restart, second-place Joey Logano rammed Busch and Keselowski passed them both.

Brad Keselowski MySpace Graphics

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Sprint Cup Career Statistics