Brad Keselowski wants to race full time next season in the Sprint Cup Series, he’s just not sure where he’ll find the seat.
His first choice, he said Friday, is Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR’s newest Cup winner is exclusively negotiating with Hendrick on a long-term contract. He currently races full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, and has a developmental deal with Hendrick that runs through the end of the year.
“The key part of it is to stick with what got you where you’re at,” Keselowski said at Richmond International Raceway. “Having competitive cars and support from Hendrick Motorsports is what got me to Victory Lane at Talladega.
Keselowski said there are several scenarios that could keep him aligned with Hendrick, including rides with teams that receive Hendrick support.
“I wouldn’t write anything off,” he said.
Keselowski had an opportunity last year to move to the Cup series with Penske Racing, but passed on the chance because he didn’t feel he was ready.
“I felt like on any given weekend I was anywhere from a 15th- to 30th-place Cup driver,” he said. “I feel like I’ve made some progression toward the end of last year where I am a 10th- to 20th-place Cup driver. I know that to make the next step I need to run full time.”
Keselowski’s win at Talladega came in his third Cup start of the season, and fifth overall. His previous best finish was 19th in last season’s finale in Homestead, Fla. The Associated Press
Keselowski laughed when he said winning at Talladega “can’t hurt,” but to the same degree Earnhardt has said he’s in no hurry to determine if Keselowski will drive for him next season, so too is Keselowski on his next step.
“I’ve only talked to Mr. Hendrick very briefly, so I haven’t had any detailed discussions on next year with him,” Keselowski said. “But that’s down the road and I’m not going to try and rush that. We’re going to take our time and stick with that because like I said, that’s gotten me where I’m at, that relationship.
“So I don’t want to run from it because there’s a different opportunity or whatever or so to speak—and that goes the same on the JR Motorsports deal on the Nationwide side and with Dale, and I don’t want to run from that either because the things I was able to learn there are what got to me to where I can run competitively at the Cup level. Does this strengthen the negotiations? I’d like to think it does.”
But Keselowski’s remarks proved he knows how his bread is buttered, so to speak.
“That’s why the whole contract negotiation is very pivotal to the future of my career and I know that,” Keselowski said. “HMS is what got me here and what’s got me talking to you right now. I need to be a part of that if I want to continue to talk to you guys and continue to have the shot to win races.” NASCAR.com
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