NASCAR, D.C.-style: Brad Keselowski to be honored by President Obama

Credit: Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images

Next week, Mr. Keselowski goes to Washington.

In an annual tradition, President Barack Obama will honor Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski on Tuesday at the White House. But instead of the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers joining in, the focus will be on Keselowski and his championship-winning No. 2 Miller Lite team at Penske Racing.

Since 2000, the Sprint Cup champion has been recognized at the White House. In recent years, the Chase lineup was included in the festivities.

However, Obama and his administration decided to change things up this year. David Higdon, managing director of NASCAR's Integrated Marketing Communications, said Thursday on his Twitter account that the White House "opted to change format, and honor the entire TEAM rather than bring the Chase drivers, like other sports."

Keselowski's championship marked a significant milestone for Penske Racing, giving team owner Roger Penske his first title in NASCAR's top series after 40 years in the sport. The championship is also the first for longtime sponsor Miller Lite.

According to the White House, Keselowski will also be recognized for his community service and will meet with wounded troops.  

Fans can look forward to tweets and photos from Keselowski's White House visit. The driver is adept at connecting with NASCAR fans through Twitter. Keselowski gained more than 150,000 Twitter followers after tweeting photos during the red flag brought out by the jet dryer explosion at the 2012 Daytona 500.