Keselowski to leave Penske, take stake in Roush Fenway
LOUDON, N.H. — Admitting it was “hard to walk away” from a NASCAR career almost all spent driving for Roger Penske, Brad Keselowski is bullish on a fresh start in 2022 — as a driver and an owner.
Keselowski is set to race for Roush Fenway Racing in 2022 and the team scheduled “a major announcement” Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame to make the signing official. About 75 miles away from Fenway Park, Keselowski said Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway the time was right to break from Team Penske after nearly 12 years in the No. 2 car, 34 Cup victories and the 2012 championship.
“Certainly everybody has aspirations that where they go to work, things will work out where you could stay forever and continue to grow,” Keselowski said. “Life has other plans. There’s no bitterness about that.”
One sticking point with Penske was Keselowski’s desire to hold an ownership stake in a Cup team. Keselowski fielded his eponymous team in the NASCAR Truck Series for a decade and the desire to have a piece of a team in the elite Cup Series never went away. He’ll get that chance at RFR.
“I just really enjoy the idea of ownership and management and seeing people grow,” he said. “The idea of building teams and seeing people grow and be successful together, I take a lot out of that.”
Keselowski had a prolonged contract negotiation a year ago that netted him only a one-year extension and salary cut. Penske said last week he would have extended Keselowski’s contract for two to three years had ownership not been part of the negotiations. Keselowski, a perennial championship contender, has one win this season, 35 in his career and joins a once-proud team that hasn’t won a Cup race since 2017.
Keselowski wants to right the ship on a foundering team.
“I think right now there’s a lot of demand out there for proven drivers that can win races and that demand remains,” Keselowski said.
Penske said last week the move was simply “a business decision.” The 37-yearold Keselowski insisted there were no hard feelings.
“He’s been really good to me over the years,” Keselowski said.”
His departure led to a shakeup at Penske that will see 2020 Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric, the 22year-old son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, slide into the No. 2 Ford in 2022. Cindric, meanwhile, was to replace Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. That seat will now go to Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton. Wood Brothers and Penske operate as partners.
DiBenedetto, winless in 233 career starts, was crushed he didn’t get to keep his ride and posted a nineminute video on social media where he vented his frustration at losing the 21.