Fast Facts: 2012 Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski

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Brad Keselowski proved he was tough in 2011 when he drove his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge at two of the Sprint Cup Series most challenging tracks, Pocono and Watkins Glen, with a broken ankle, then won at Bristol. One year later, he became the Sprint Cup Series champ in just his third full-time season in the series. It’s time to revisit the career of young Mr. Keselowski with a new chapter – the road to the 2012 championship.
  • Bradley Keselowski was born February 12th, 1984 in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He is the son of former ARCA Racing Series and Truck Series driver Bob Keselowski and nephew of former Cup Series driver Ron Keselowski. His older brother Brian also competes part-time in the Cup, Nationwide, and ARCA Racing Series.
  • Keselowski began racing quarter-midgets at age 14; at age 16, he moved up to the Factory Stock division at local tracks in Michigan. In 2004 at age 20, he made his Truck Series debut in the family-owned #29 entry, moving from part-time to full-time in the series in 2005. In 2007 he moved up to the Busch (now Nationwide) Series, driving first for Keith Coleman Racing, then Germain Racing, and ending the season with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, where he stayed in 2008 and 2009.
  • In 2009, driving part-time in the Sprint Cup Series for Phoenix Racing, Keselowski won his first race in just his fifth start, leading the only lap the counts – the last one – at the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in April of that year.
  • In 2010, Keselowski signed with Penske Racing to race in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. He earned the Nationwide Series title that year with six wins and 29 top 10 finishes while finishing 25th in Cup Series points. In 2011, he earned three wins and a fifth-place finish in the Chase for the Sprint Cup; he also won five times in the Nationwide Series.
  • In 2012, Keselowski earned five wins in Cup Series competition, including two in the Chase on the way to the title. During the Chase, Keselowski never ranked lower than second, and his worst finish in the 10-race Chase was 15th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami. In 36 starts, he completed 98.9-percent of the laps (10,329 of 10,442) and led 735 laps. In Nationwide Series competition, Keselowski competed in 21 races, winning three times and earning one pole at New Hampshire in July.
  • He started Brad Keselowski Racing in 2007, competing in the Camping World Truck Series beginning in 2008. In 2012, 18-year-old Ryan Blaney won his first race in his third start in the Truck Series at Iowa Speedway driving the BKR No. 29. With the win, Blaney became the youngest winner in series’ history.
  • Fast Fact on Keselowski’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe – as a driver, Wolfe competed in the Busch North (now K&N Pro Series East) and Busch (now Nationwide) Series. Among the teams he drove for: Evernham Motorsports (2005).
Fast Facts: 2012 Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski Fast Facts: 2012 Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski Reviewed by Paula on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 Rating: 5