Bradley "Brad" Keselowski-an auto racing car driver

It's somehow fitting that Brad Keselowski, a driver with deep racing roots, has joined forces with one of the most storied organizations in motorsports – Penske Racing.
Keselowski grew up in an environment where spending time at the race shop and the track was just a way of life. His father, Bob Keselowski, was a 1997 race winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His uncle, Ron Keselowski, competed at the Sprint Cup Series level in the early 1970s.

After establishing himself as one of NASCAR's rising stars with his success in both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series, Keselowski officially joined Penske Racing in September of 2009. He was named to drive for the team full-time beginning in 2010 behind the wheel of the No. 12 Penske Dodge in the Cup Series and the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge in the Nationwide Series.

As the newest member of the Penske Racing family, the team welcomed to its ranks the determined and skilled racer with an impressive pedigree in motorsports. As Keselowski gained some experience with the Cup Series Dodge Charger competing in the final three races of 2009 in the No. 12 Penske Dodge, it set the tone for what the team and the driver hope will be a successful 2010 season.

At the age of 14, Brad Keselowski made the transition from turning wrenches for his family-owned team, K Automotive Motorsports, to racing. He started competing in the Senior Honda 120 Quarter Midget division in 1998. In his first season, he earned six feature wins. The next year, he moved up to the Senior Honda 160 Quarter Midget division where he won eight feature races and the championship.

In 2000, Keselowski began racing stock cars in the Factory Stock division. That season, he collected nine feature wins as well as Rookie-of-the-Year honors at two Michigan tracks – Auto City Speedway and Dixie Motor Speedway.

During the next three years, Keselowski balanced his budding racing career with his full-time job working for his family's Camping World Truck Series operation. He advanced to the Limited Late Model and Super Late Model divisions and continued to rack up wins, despite competing on a limited basis. In 2001, he earned five fast qualifier positions, one feature win and five top-five finishes. Over the next two seasons, he collected 11 fast qualifier positions, two Super Late Model wins, two Limited Late Model wins and nine top-five finishes.

Keselowski graduated to Camping World Truck Series competition in 2004 as he drove the truck operated by his family's team for eight races. The following season, he ran the full Truck Series schedule. His best finish was seventh, which he recorded in February 2005 at Daytona International Speedway.

In 2006, Keselowski continued to gain more NASCAR experience as he ran a partial schedule in both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. He earned valuable seat time as he competed in 13 combined races – seven in the Nationwide Series and six in the Truck Series. That experience prepared him for 2007, when he caught the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr., owner of JR Motorsports.

Keselowski entered the 2007 season expecting to compete full-time in the Nationwide Series for Keith Coleman Racing. But Keselowski had to alter his plans when the team suspended operations in June. Keselowski, who already raced in two Truck Series events earlier in the season, was given another chance later that month when Germain Racing needed a last-minute replacement for Ted Musgrave in the Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Though Earnhardt was aware of Keselowski's talent, he really became intrigued as he watched the young driver win the pole position, lead 62 laps and compete for the win that day in Memphis. But what struck Earnhardt the most about Keselowski was how he handled himself on the track, especially after being spun out with 10 laps to go by eventual race winner Travis Kvapil.

Keselowski still salvaged a 16th-place finish after the incident. The race was the turning point in Keselowski's NASCAR career. Realizing how much Keselowski had to offer, JR Motorsports signed the young gun to drive the No. 88 car in the Nationwide Series.

Keselowski made his debut for JR Motorsports in the July 2007 Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. He earned a 14th-place result – the first of eight top-15 finishes he would score during the season. Keselowski competed in 27 races in all, but earned his best results driving the No. 88 entry, recording five top-10 and eight top-15 finishes in 14 starts.

In 2008, Keselowski enjoyed his breakout season. He finished third in the Nationwide Series standings as he produced wins at Nashville Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway in his first full season of Nationwide Series competition. He also earned one pole position, 11 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. The promising racer led laps in 21 races for a total of 295 as he earned the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award for 2008. Keselowski also was chosen by the fans as the Nationwide Series' Most Popular Driver.
On Nov. 2, 2008, Keselowski made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway, driving the No. 25 car for Hendrick Motorsports. He climbed from his 37th starting spot to finish 19th. Later that month, he made his second Cup Series start and finished 23rd in the season-finale at Homestead- Miami Speedway.

The 2009 campaign was a season to remember for the 25-year-old Rochester Hills, Mich. native. Not only did Keselowski capture four victories and two poles in the Nationwide Series, but he won the biggest race of his career when he took the checkered flag at Talladega Superspeedway in April, marking his first NASCAR Cup Series victory.

Over the final three Cup Series events of the season, Keselowski took over the reigns of the No. 12 Penske Dodge and he earned a top finish of 25th place at Homestead.
Keselowski earned four top-10 results in a total of 15 Cup Series starts in 2009. He once again was a force in the Nationwide Series as he finished third in the championship battle for the second consecutive season and he was also voted the Most Popular Driver in the series for the second year in a row.

In his first Cup Series full-season effort, Keslowski will race in both NASCAR's premiere circuit as well as a full-time entry in the Nationwide Series in 2010. The bar is set high for the up-and-coming star, but with Keselowski's emerging skill and determination, the sky is the limit.

"I am really excited about the 2010 season and what lies ahead with Penske Racing," said Keselowski, who resides in Mooresville, N.C. "Everyone has been working hard in the offseason and we are ready to race for wins and championships with both the No. 12 Penske Dodge and the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge teams."