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Sprint Cup
CUP: Another Keselowski Makes 500
Brian Keselowski will race in his first Daytona 500...
Brian Keselowski (Left) talks with younger brother Brad Keselowski (Right) in August 2010 at Michigan International Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Each of the five drivers who raced his way into the Daytona 500 in Thursday’s Gatorade Duels was happy and appreciative to earn a spot in Sunday’s big race, which should provide a paycheck of at least $250,000.
Michael Waltrip was happy. So were J.J. Yeley, Travis Kvapil and Dave Blaney.
But when all was said and done, absolutely no one was happier than Brian Keselowski. And no one who made the field was a bigger underdog, either. Keselowski raced his way into the Daytona 500 with an unsponsored car, a five-year-old chassis he bought from Ray Evernham.
Keselowski finished fifth in the second Duel, in large part due to his little brother Brad getting on his bumper and pushing him for much of the race. It was more support than he’s been used to lately. Although Brian grew up in a racing family, he got a late start and has had to fund his own career.
“They pushed me in the right direction, my uncle, mom and dad,” Brian said. “But I had to do it all on my own. Bought my own truck and trailer, race cars. They helped, gave me a motor. If I didn't put it together, I wasn't going racing. That's a lot like it is right now.”
His crew includes two buddies who came down from Michigan earlier this week and bought their own NASCAR credentials.
“Honestly, it's just me and my dad right now,” Brian said. “My uncle came down and helped me this weekend. That was about it. Without a lot of friends and family, a lot of help, we wouldn't be here today.”
And his car was hardly state-of-the-art.
“We bought this car as a package deal, I guess, two Decembers ago now from (Ray) Evernham. I mean, it's an original Evernham before Gillett type of deal. (Editors note: Evernham sold his race team to George Gillett in August 2007). I think it's the eighth one they ever built. Bought a package of four really old cars originally thinking we were going did make them Nationwide cars.”
Keselowski original planned to re-body the car and use it in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but changed his mind.
“For a little bit of money, I can cut the nose, do the Daytona test. I felt like I had a good drafting car," he said. "It was helpful to come here. If we couldn't really afford a good motor, there was no way we were going to make this race. We ran so bad all week. There's no way, we're done.
“They dropped the green and I stayed with some guys. ‘All right, maybe we got a chance at this.’ Then a couple drove away and we couldn't get anybody to help us. ... When Brad got back there, I knew this was our chance. If there's anybody that's going to push me, it would be Brad. I thank God for it now. If there was anybody else, there was no way they were going to come and stay on my rear bumper the way that he did.”
And so, Keselowski had a big smile on his face.
“I'm really, really, really glad that that happened,” he said. “I can look everybody in the eye again and say, ‘Thank God this worked.’ I told everybody this is going to work, just hold on, please help, and they did. So thank the Lord.”
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
Michael Waltrip was happy. So were J.J. Yeley, Travis Kvapil and Dave Blaney.
But when all was said and done, absolutely no one was happier than Brian Keselowski. And no one who made the field was a bigger underdog, either. Keselowski raced his way into the Daytona 500 with an unsponsored car, a five-year-old chassis he bought from Ray Evernham.
Keselowski finished fifth in the second Duel, in large part due to his little brother Brad getting on his bumper and pushing him for much of the race. It was more support than he’s been used to lately. Although Brian grew up in a racing family, he got a late start and has had to fund his own career.
“They pushed me in the right direction, my uncle, mom and dad,” Brian said. “But I had to do it all on my own. Bought my own truck and trailer, race cars. They helped, gave me a motor. If I didn't put it together, I wasn't going racing. That's a lot like it is right now.”
His crew includes two buddies who came down from Michigan earlier this week and bought their own NASCAR credentials.
“Honestly, it's just me and my dad right now,” Brian said. “My uncle came down and helped me this weekend. That was about it. Without a lot of friends and family, a lot of help, we wouldn't be here today.”
And his car was hardly state-of-the-art.
“We bought this car as a package deal, I guess, two Decembers ago now from (Ray) Evernham. I mean, it's an original Evernham before Gillett type of deal. (Editors note: Evernham sold his race team to George Gillett in August 2007). I think it's the eighth one they ever built. Bought a package of four really old cars originally thinking we were going did make them Nationwide cars.”
Keselowski original planned to re-body the car and use it in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but changed his mind.
“For a little bit of money, I can cut the nose, do the Daytona test. I felt like I had a good drafting car," he said. "It was helpful to come here. If we couldn't really afford a good motor, there was no way we were going to make this race. We ran so bad all week. There's no way, we're done.
“They dropped the green and I stayed with some guys. ‘All right, maybe we got a chance at this.’ Then a couple drove away and we couldn't get anybody to help us. ... When Brad got back there, I knew this was our chance. If there's anybody that's going to push me, it would be Brad. I thank God for it now. If there was anybody else, there was no way they were going to come and stay on my rear bumper the way that he did.”
And so, Keselowski had a big smile on his face.
“I'm really, really, really glad that that happened,” he said. “I can look everybody in the eye again and say, ‘Thank God this worked.’ I told everybody this is going to work, just hold on, please help, and they did. So thank the Lord.”
Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.
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