Keselowski -- Head driver at Penske

Many wouldn't have thought Brad Keselowski would be in the position he is now. A few short years ago he was a young, rookie driver that left people wondering, "Who is this guy?" Not many NASCAR fans knew his name. He started out with disaster in 2011, crashing in the first few races. After a horrific crash while testing at Road Atlanta that left him with a broken ankle everyone thought his season hopes were crushed. The first race after the testing crash and he wins the race. His 2011 season turned around in the blink of an eye. Winning races and even making it into the Chase.

When Kurt Busch ended his relationship with Penske Racing during the silly season it left Keselowski without a teammate. A.J. Allmendinger soon replaced Kurt in the 22 car and Keselowski became the, I guess you could say, veteran driver. Brad has a lot more leadership qualities than you may think.

Thursday during media day at Penske Racing Keselowski proved that he knows what he is talking about. He explained the sponsorship commitments for 2012 and directed photographers and writers to where to go for one-on-one interviews. He modestly said he is not the leader of the team, but can be an important part in the team's success. He also did not exclude new teammate A.J. Allmendinger.
"I have a commanding presence? I'd say Roger's the leader," Keselowski said. "Leadership in racing is tied directly to success. It's my goal to be a co-leader of this team with [new teammate A.J. Allmendinger] or whoever my teammates are. It's very important for us to both be leading and steering the ship."

Penske has noticed Keselowski's ability to lead a team and thinks he is the key to a Sprint Cup Championship this season.
"When I met with Brad the year before he came to drive for us, he came to the shop and said, 'Look, I'd love to come to your organization someday and help you build the best team in the business,'" Penske said. Keselowski is an obvious option for Roger Penske and he believes he has what it takes to be a part of the business side of things.
Roger Penske said Brad was a part of hiring A.J. He also has been a big part in getting other people into the organization. He will get on the phone and tell people how great the team is. Keselowki has helped Penske Racing in many ways over the time he has been there.

Brad Keselowski is not ready to believe that a 2-car team cannot run for the Championship. Yes, Hendrick is one of the most dominate team in NASCAR with 4 cars, but Penske can be just as competitive with 2. He feels no disadvantage from a 4-car team and believes 2-car teams are just as fast and aggressive on the track. Brad says that surrounding yourself with people who tell the truth will make you a better competitor and he says he doesn't necessarily tell people what they want to hear. Penske can already tell Keselowski will go far and can see him developing into a star the sport will remember for a long time.