Brad Keselowski won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladgega but wrecked with Carl Edwards in the last lap. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

While Keselowski hopes to earn the respect of his peers, he’s not necessarily concerned about keeping them happy in the process.

“In my mind, it’s so hard to come into this sport and run well when you’re worried about making everyone else happy,” said Keselowski, who will compete in the Cup and Nationwide Series in 2010 for Penske Racing. “I just don’t see how you can do that because in competitive sports, anytime your competitors are happy with you is when they’re beating you. That’s when they’re going to be happy.”

While he’s earned the reputation of a driver willing to root his way to the front, Keselowski thinks he’s been fair when it comes to give-and-take with the opposition.

“I feel like that, objectively, if you step back and watch my in-car camera tapes and stuff, I feel like I give when it’s the right time to give and I take when it’s the right time to take,” he said. “For the most part I always do that.

“But at the end of the day, when I look my team in the eyes, I want to be able to look at them and say that I took more than I gave. I want to be able to look at them and for them to know that when I got out of that race car, I left nothing on the table. I never gave up a spot that I shouldn’t have. I want to feel proud of what I’ve done.