Keselowski seeking spot in title round
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Brad Keselowski moved to Team Penske to become a NASCAR champion and industry leader.
He achieved his first goal in 2012 when he won the Cup title, the first for team owner Roger Penske in NASCAR competition. Keselowski also earned Penske’s 500th victory and in 2019 passed Mark Donohue as the winningest driver in Penske history.
Keselowski’s time with the Penske organization is in its final two-race stretch, and he’d like nothing more than to leave with a second Cup title. To grab that one final trophy on his way out the door, Keselowski will have to race his way into the championship finale on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
He’s six points below the cutline with three spots up for grabs at Martinsville. Kyle Larson is the only driver already qualified for the winner-take-all Nov. 7 title-deciding finale at Phoenix.
Keselowski doesn’t have to win Martinsville to earn one of the remaining championship berths.
“Even if we don’t win the race, realistically, if we put up a lot of stage points and do all those things, we’ve got a great shot, so I feel pretty good about this weekend,” he said.
The competition is tough. The four drivers above the cutline are Hendrick Motorsports teammates Larson and Chase Elliott, the reigning Cup champion, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
Below the cutline are all three Team Penske drivers — Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano — as well as JGR driver Martin Truex Jr. Logano is probably the only one who must win Sunday to advance, like he did in 2018 to make the championship finale.
Keselowski, winner of Martinsville’s grandfather clock trophy in 2017 and 2019, has wanted to focus only on Sunday’s race and not use his closing days to reflect on his time driving for one of the most respected organizations in motorsports.
Keselowski is leaving to become driver and partowner at Roush Fenway Racing, where he’ll fulfill his goal of having an important voice in the sport after 12 seasons driving for Penske that included 34 Cup victories, a Cup title, an Xfinity Series title and the successful recruitment of Logano to the organization.