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Brian Keselowski

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Brian Keselowski
Keselowski at the Milwaukee Mile in 2009
Born (1981-09-02) September 2, 1981 (age 43)
Rochester Hills, Michigan, U.S.
NASCAR Cup Series career
3 races run over 2 years
2013 position49th
Best finish49th (2013)
First race2011 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race2013 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
63 races run over 6 years
Best finish31st (2010)
First race2006 Arizona Travel 200 (Phoenix)
Last race2011 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
Truck no., teamNo. 29 (Brad Keselowski Racing)
Statistics current as of August 11, 2013.

Brian Keselowski (born September 2, 1981) is an American race car driver. A past winner in the ARCA Racing Series, he currently owns the 54 driven by himself and Matt Kurzjeski in the ARCA racing series.

Early life and family

Born in Rochester Hills, Michigan in 1981, Brian Keselowski is the older brother of 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, and the son and nephew of former drivers Bob and Ron Keselowski, respectively.[1]

He graduated from Rochester High School in 1999, taking night classes to allow him to work as a jackman for the family racing team, K-Automotive Motorsports; he flew to the racetrack directly from his senior prom to assist in competition.[1] He began his racing career competing in super late model events, winning rookie-of-the-year at Auto City Speedway in 2000.[1][2]

Early career

Keselowski made his stock car debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2004. He made six starts that season, driving the #29 Competition Graphics Dodge for Bob Ducharme. He had three top-tens, including a ninth-place run in his debut at Kentucky Speedway, and finished 34th in points. The next season, the team was purchased by his family,[1] and he ran seven races including a string of five consecutive top-ten finishes. In 2006, Holloway Motorsports and Dusty's Collision became the sponsors of his car, and he won his first race at Berlin Raceway. Keselowski also made his NASCAR Busch Series (later renamed the NASCAR Nationwide Series) debut that year at Phoenix in the #23 Ridley Motorcycles Chevrolet for Keith Coleman Racing, starting and finishing in 43rd place. He had intended to compete at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, but was not approved to run at the 2-mile (3.2 km) track; his brother Brad drove the race instead, jump-starting his career.[1]

2010 Nationwide car

In 2007, he ran a career-high 12 races in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, splitting time with his family team and the #5 Lucas Oil Pontiac for Bobby Gerhart. He won twice and finished 22nd in points. In the Busch Series, he made four starts in the #19/49,[1] including his first top ten finish at Memphis Motorsports Park.[1] The next season he made 11 starts, beginning in the #28 Jay Robinson Racing Chevy for four races before moving to his family's #92, co-owned with Dusty Whitney,[2] with a best finish of 15th at ORP, four spots ahead of his brother.[1]

For 2009, Keselowski attempted his first full-time season for Whitney and K-Automotive Motorsports, which renumbered its car with the #26. The primary sponsor for Keselowski's car during the 2009 CarQuest Auto Parts 300 was the Detroit Red Wings National Hockey League team; Keselowski ran eighteen races, but stepped aside for twelve of the final fifteen events to act as crew chief while other drivers competed in the car.[2] During the 2010 season, he qualified for 26 of 35 events; he finished 11th in the season-opening event at Daytona,[3] but had an average finish overall for the season of 34th.[2]

2010–2012

During the 2010 season, Keselowski attempted to qualify for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, starting with the August race at Bristol Motor Speedway,[4] although he failed to qualify for any of these events.[5] In early 2011, Keselowski declared his intention to compete for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie Of The Year title; he was the only driver to do so as of the start of Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway,[6] however Andy Lally stated his intention to run for the award while Speedweeks was underway.[7] The decision to move up to the Cup Series was made on economic grounds; the costs of competing in the Nationwide Series were deemed to be comparable to a Sprint Cup effort.[8]

In qualifying for the 2011 Daytona 500, Keselowski posted the slowest time of the 48 cars that attempted to qualify,[9] requiring that he finish in the top two of non-qualified cars in the second Gatorade Duel to secure a position in the race.[10] With a little help from brother Brad,[11] Keselowski finished 5th in the second Gatorade Duel and started 12th in the 2011 Daytona 500.[12]

Shortly after Keselowski's surprise finish in the Duels, he received help from a number of sources, including tires from Evernham Motorsports (Keselowski driving a former Evernham chassis from 2006) and an engine from Penske Racing. The engine Penske offered could not be fitted into the car in time.[13] In addition, the K-Automotove Motorsports team received sponsorship from Discount Tire.[14] Keselowski ran as high as fourth, but was involved in a wreck on lap 29, finishing 41st.[15] Keselowski failed to qualify for the next two races.[16]

In March 2011, Keselowski had severe abdominal pain and needed gallbladder surgery;[16] Dennis Setzer filled in for races at Bristol, where he finished 38th, and Martinsville, where the team withdrew after a practice crash. Keselowski returned to the No. 92 team for races at Richmond and Darlington in May, but failed to qualify for either race.[17][18] Following further time off for reevaluation of his underfunded race team, K-Automotive switched to Chevrolet for Michigan and received a one-race sponsorship deal with Melling Auto Parts,[19] but failed to qualify for the race;[20] Setzer attempted to qualify at the fall Martinsville race but also failed to qualify.[21]

For 2012, the team competed in two events in the ARCA Racing Series;[22] teaming with Sinica Motorsports to field the No. 94 for Keselowski in the ARCA event at Mobile International Speedway,[23] and also competing at Berlin Raceway, where Keselowski posted his best finish of the season, 23rd.[24]

2013

Keselowski's 2013 Cup car

In 2013, Keselowski announced his intention to compete in the Daytona 500 with Hamilton Means Racing.[25] Keselowski did not have a great qualifying run, which made him start poorly in the Budweiser Duel. Keselowski started the Budweiser Duel 23rd, but failed to make the race, with a finish in the Duel of 21st.[26] He returned to the Sprint Cup Series at Richmond at the end of April.[27] He started the Sprint Showdown on May 18, qualifying 23rd and finishing 19th (four laps down) in a field of 23 cars.[citation needed]

2014

In January 2014, Keselowski announced that he would be returning to running the No. 92 for his own team, Brian Keselowski Motorsports in the 2014 season,[28] running a Ford Fusion.[29] Ultimately, though, the team never attempted a race.

2015

On October 15, 2015, Keselowski's brother Brad announced that Brian will drive the No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing in the Camping World Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway as a replacement driver for Austin Theriault, who had been injured earlier in the season.[30]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

* Season in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

Daytona 500 results
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
2011 K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge 12 41
2013 Hamilton Means Racing Toyota DNQ

Camping World Truck Series

* Season in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Swan, Raygan (August 15, 2008). "Brian Keselowski: An older brother looking for success". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  2. ^ a b c d "Brian Keselowski bio". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  3. ^ "Drive4COPD 300 results". The Sporting News. February 13, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  4. ^ "Jimmie Johnson wins pole for Bristol night race". August 20, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  5. ^ "Mac Hill Motorsports To Cease Operations; Brian Keselowski; K-Automotive Undecided For 2011". Catchfence.com. November 21, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  6. ^ Spencer, Lee (February 10, 2011). "Bayne can't run for Cup rookie award". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  7. ^ "Lally Running for ROTY". Motor Racing Network. February 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  8. ^ Aragon, Dominic (2011-02-04). "Brian Keselowski's 2011 Plans". The Racing Experts. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  9. ^ "Time Trial Results: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona 500" (PDF). NASCAR Statistics. February 13, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  10. ^ Jensen, Tom (2011-02-14). "CUP: Duels Will Be Critical Test". SPEED Channel. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  11. ^ Menzer, Joe (February 17, 2011). "Brotherly shove". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  12. ^ "Kurt Busch wins first Daytona qualifier". ESPN. February 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
  13. ^ "Notebook: Offers roll in after Brian Keselowski's big run". The Sporting News. February 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Brian Keselowski picks up sponsor for Daytona 500". The Washington Post. February 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Smith, Steven Cole (February 20, 2011). "Crash can't wreck Keselowski's spirit". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  16. ^ a b Gluck, Jeff (March 17, 2011). "Brian Keselowski To Have Emergency Surgery And Miss Bristol; Dennis Setzer To Sub". SBNation. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  17. ^ "Sprint Cup starting lineup for the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond". SceneDaily.com. The Sporting News. April 29, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  18. ^ Keith, Bryan Davis (May 21, 2011). "Beyond the Cockpit: Brian Keselowski on Hard Wrecks and Hard Knocks". Frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  19. ^ "Melling to Sponsor Brian Keselowski at Michigan International Speedway". Engine Builder Magazine. Akron, Ohio: Babcox Media. June 16, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  20. ^ Gluck, Jeff (June 18, 2011). "NASCAR At Michigan International Speedway Starting Lineup For The 2011 Heluva Good! 400". SBNation. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  21. ^ "Stewart-Haas Racing: TUMS Fast Relief 500 Qualifying". Tony Stewart Racing. October 29, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  22. ^ "K-Automotive Motorsports Expands Company Into ARCA With New Driver Announcements For 2012". K-Automotive Motorsports. Catchfence.com. December 16, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  23. ^ "Brian Keselowski to Drive for Sinica at Mobile". Automobile Racing Club of America. March 1, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
  24. ^ "Brian Keselowski - 2012 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
  25. ^ Pearce, Al (February 1, 2013). "Brian Keselowski has a ride for Daytona". Autoweek. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  26. ^ "Brian Keselowski will miss Daytona 500". RotoWorld. NBC Sports. February 21, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  27. ^ "Entry List for the Toyota Owners 400". NASCAR.com. April 22, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  28. ^ DiZinno, Tony (January 9, 2014). "NASCAR notes: Dave Blaney, Brian Keselowski announce 2014 plans". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  29. ^ Keselowski, Brian (December 16, 2013). "Happy to give this car a new home here at BKM". Brian Keselowski official Twitter. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  30. ^ "Our Newest Driver". Brad Keselowski. October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.

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