Career Timeline of Brad Keselowski: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Brad Keselowski made an impact.

Brad Keselowski is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a team he co-owns. He also owned Brad Keselowski Racing, which had two full-time trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for a decade.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2006: Kurt Busch drives No. 2 car since 2006

Since 2006, Kurt Busch had been driving the No. 2 car until a sponsorship change led to Brad Keselowski taking over the role in 2011.

2008: Team Competes in Truck Series

In 2008, Keselowski's team began competing in the Truck Series. Keselowski drove the No. 29 Chevrolet himself and earned the team's first top-ten finish.

November 2011: Kahne wins at Phoenix

At Charlotte in 2013, Keselowski won after battling Kasey Kahne. This was Keselowski's first win driving a Ford and the first Chase race won by a non-Chaser since Kahne won at Phoenix in November 2011.

2011: Move to Penske's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

In 2011, Brad Keselowski moved to Penske's No. 2 Miller Lite-sponsored Dodge, replacing Kurt Busch due to a sponsorship change. Shell sponsored Penske's second car, and Busch moved to the No. 22 Dodge with his crew. Keselowski's crew followed him to the No. 2, and the No. 77 team was dissolved and merged with Keselowski's team.

2011: Wins Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol

In 2011, Keselowski finished second at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, and third at the Pure Michigan 400. He then won his third race of the year at the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol.

2011: Qualifies for first career Chase for the Cup

In 2011, Keselowski qualified for his first career Chase for the Cup, securing a spot due to NASCAR's rule change designating wild card slots for drivers with the most wins ranked eleventh through twentieth in points. He finished the regular season eleventh in points with three wins.

2011: Wins STP 400 at Kansas Speedway

In 2011, Keselowski won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 and then won the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway by holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on fuel mileage. He ran out of fuel during the victory celebration.

2011: Kligerman drives for BKR

In 2011, Parker Kligerman drove the No. 29 Ram in the Camping World Truck Series for BKR. Kligerman finished eleventh in points.

March 18, 2012: Wins Food City 500 at Bristol

On March 18, 2012, Keselowski won the Food City 500 at Bristol, marking his first race win of the season.

June 30, 2012: Wins at Kentucky Speedway

On June 30, 2012, Keselowski won his third race at Kentucky Speedway, becoming the first driver to win three races in the 2012 Cup season and joining Kyle Busch as a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Kentucky. This win initiated a hot streak leading to his Sprint Cup title.

August 2012: Finishes second at Watkins Glen

In August 2012, Keselowski finished second in the Nationwide race at Watkins Glen. Carl Edwards won, and both drivers confirmed they no longer disliked each other.

September 15, 2012: First Victory for BKR

On September 15, 2012, Ryan Blaney drove Keselowski's team to its first victory at Iowa Speedway.

2012: Qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup

During the 2012 Sprint Cup season, Keselowski had a strong showing that qualified him automatically for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He entered the Chase in fourth place due to his three regular-season wins.

2012: Posts Twitter updates during Daytona 500 red flag

In 2012, Brad Keselowski posted pictures and status updates via Twitter from his car during a red flag period at the Daytona 500. He was later caught up in a crash and finished 32nd.

August 10, 2013: Wins at Watkins Glen in Nationwide series

On August 10, 2013, Keselowski won at Watkins Glen in the Nationwide series, achieving four consecutive wins in his last four starts.

September 5, 2013: Wins Nationwide Series race at Richmond

On September 5, 2013, Keselowski won his third Nationwide Series race at Richmond, marking his fifth race win in his last six starts and his 24th career win in the series.

2013: Second place finish at Watkins Glen

In 2013, during the Cup race at Watkins Glen International, Keselowski finished in second place after challenging Kyle Busch for the victory. Keselowski said he didn't want to wreck Kyle in the final turn to avoid creating drama.

January 25, 2015: Keselowski Hired as NASCAR Analyst

On January 25, 2015, Jeff Gluck of USA Today announced that Brad Keselowski was hired as an Xfinity Series analyst for NASCAR on Fox, along with Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick. Keselowski was slated to be in the booth for the Atlanta, Phoenix, and Richmond races.

August 17, 2017: BKR Closing Announcement

On August 17, 2017, Keselowski announced that Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) would close at the end of the 2017 season, but he remained hopeful to reopen the team in the future. This vision was partly realized when Keselowski purchased an ownership stake in the Cup Series team Roush Fenway Racing, turning it into Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

2017: Contract extension with Penske Racing

On October 2, 2013, Keselowski signed a contract extension with Penske Racing to remain with the team until 2017.

2018: Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing Established

In early 2018, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) was established by Keselowski, focusing on American manufacturing with an emphasis on additive manufacturing.

January 24, 2019: KAM Official Launch

Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) held its official launch on January 24, 2019.

2020: New Crew Chief for 2020 Season

In 2020, Jeremy Bullins replaced Paul Wolfe as Keselowski's crew chief, marking the end of their nine-year partnership.

July 15, 2021: Cindric to Take Over No. 2 Car

On July 15, 2021, Penske announced that Austin Cindric would take over the No. 2 car beginning in 2022. Five days later, Keselowski announced he would join Roush Fenway Racing as a minority team owner and driver of the No. 6.

2021: Daytona 500 Crash and GEICO 500 Win

During the 2021 Daytona 500, Keselowski crashed on the final lap, but walked away uninjured, finishing thirteenth. Later in 2021, he won the GEICO 500.

2022: Keselowski to drive No. 2 Car

In 2022, Austin Cindric took over the No. 2 car, while Keselowski left Penske and joined Roush Fenway Racing.

2024: KAM Merges with ADDMAN

In 2024, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) announced a merger with the Florida-based manufacturing company ADDMAN. Keselowski became a commercial advisor on ADDMAN’s board of directors.

2026: Corey LaJoie drove the No. 6 car at the Cook Out Clash

For the 2026 season, Corey LaJoie drove the No. 6 car at the Cook Out Clash, as Keselowski injured his leg in a skiing accident in December 2025. Keselowski returned to the No. 6 at Daytona, where he drove the car to a top-5 finish.