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| Brad Keselowski (No. 2) will replace Ryan Newman (No. 6) in 2022 (Google Images) |
Following months of rumor and speculation, the news was made official on July 20, 2021 that Brad Keselowski will leave his championship contending seat at Team Penske for an opportunity to become an owner/driver with Roush Fenway Racing.
The partnership will see Keselowski take over the seat of the team's flagship No. 6 Ford Mustang on the track on Sunday, and give the 35-time Cup Series winner a place on the competition committee at RFR at the shop on Monday.
Founded in 1988 as Roush Racing, Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group still maintain one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history and one of Ford's tent pole organizations. However, it's been a long fall for RFR from the five team juggernaut that took half the berths in the championship playoffs in 2005. Now relegated to mid-pack status, getting both their No. 6 and No. 17 entries into the top ten feels like a trip to victory lane for Roush Fenway fans.
Enter Keselowski.
The 2012 Cup Series champion feels that, while he's giving up a chance to win more races and championships in the immediate future, this move will enable him to play a role in returning Roush Fenway Racing to victory lane and enable him to remain a part of the sport once he hangs up his helmet.
"I am thrilled to share the news about this next venture with my fans, peers, and the industry," the Rochester Hills, Mich. driver said. "This presents an opportunity to continue my on-track success with a strong team and a long-term commitment, but also dive into my passion of team ownership where I know I can be an asset to the future of the team."
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| Brad Keselowski (L) and Jack Roush (R) will be teaming up in 2022 (Google Images) |
Keselowski is no stranger to the ownership side of the sport, owning his own Camping World Truck Series operation from 2007 to 2017. The team rose to become a championship contender, finishing runner-up in the points standings twice, and providing a springboard for rising stars Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Hemric, Ross Chastain, and Austin Cindric.
As mentioned, Keselowski is buying into a team that has been at the top of the sport for almost four decades. The first NASCAR team to reach 300 wins, Roush Fenway Racing has also amassed eight championships, including back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.
"I'm truly excited about this partnership with Brad," said Roush. "I think it will bring a lot to the organization, from not only his ability behind the wheel, but a rejuvenation and fresh perspective across our teams. I've had the opportunity to watch Brad for a number of years, as he has fought and clawed his way up the ladder, molding himself into a champion and one of the top drivers in our sport. I've always admired his resolve and determination. I'm very pleased that he has chosen to be a part of our organization and I'm proud to partner with him moving into the future."
But while Roush, affectionately known as the Cat in the Hat, has no plans to retire any time soon, at 79-years-old, team officials needed to plan for the organization's continued, long-term success. Bringing in a 37-year-old Keselowski allows RFR to plan for the future, and allows Roush an eventual exit strategy. However, he indicated Tuesday morning that fans will still be seeing his trademark straw hat in the NASCAR garage for as long as he's able to be there.
"I've been asked to say that I'm passing my baton to (Brad), which I am, but I've still got one hand on the thing, so I'm not going to give up completely for a while," Roush told the media during the team's press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "There are no retirement plans for me in my immediate future. I intend to keep going to racetracks the way I have and to be as much of a nuisance and distraction as I have to my drivers and crew chiefs in the past."
Keselowski admitted during the press conference that there will be a good deal of work involved in helping return RFR to championship form, but citing the success story of Tony Stewart buying into a struggling Haas CNC Racing in 2009, he feels that he's ready for the challenge and that he's "buying into a stock as it's about to go up."
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| Jack Roush plans to travel to the track for many years to come Google Images) |
"Beyond that, of course, the Next Gen (car) coming into the sport should be a significant reset with the technology, a significant reset for the way the processes flow and and some of those things that we would need to overcome, so I think kind of taking that down the course of NASCAR leadership and some of the things they have going on, a lot of confidence in where this sport is heading."
No contractual or financial terms were discussed during the announcement. The percentage of equity that Keselowski purchased was not mentioned, but Team President Steve Newmark said that it is their "hope and expectation" that Keselowski's minority percentage will grow in the coming years.
"Brad and I have talked and he's going to drive as long as he's competitive," Newmark told the media corps. "Once we get to that point about when he says 'Hey, it's time for me to pass the reigns to another driver,' we've got a structure set in place where he'll assume a greater leadership role, but a lot of those details we don't think are relevant now because they're so far off in the future. But one of the things that has been most appealing to us about this transaction is we now have a 5-10-15 year strategic plan about how we're going to keep growing, getting better.
"The owners have committed to continue to invest in this sport around Next Gen, upgrading facilities, and so, for us, it really gives us a runway that we think will allow us to excel."
Newmark also added that there are "a whole host of things that (the team) is going to be changing." So, now that the initial announcement is out of the way, the team will circle back with details about driver lineups, partners, and other information pertaining to the 2022 season in the coming months.
"This is a big challenge, but it's a big dream of mine to be an owner, and a partner at the NASCAR level with the right ownership group, and I think this is it," Keselowski told reporters. "But it's scary. I have a great team now. I'm not going to say anything differently, and I've been very privileged to drive for Team Penske and to have the success we've had. It's tough to leave that, and I don't want to deny that in any shape or form, but this is a big dream of mine and it was worth leaving it for.
"It's not an easy transition. I know the work is going to be hard and that is scary. It's scary to leave something where you know you can be successful to go to a new opportunity, but I believe in this opportunity. But we have to go do the work. Nobody is going to give anything to us. We have to work for it."
