Brad Keselowski’s role in NASCAR has always been bigger than that of just a talented driver, and only a few people in the NASCAR community realise that. Apart from being an Xfinity and Cup champion, the NASCAR veteran has also nurtured several young drivers, now some of the series’ best stock car racing drivers.
Why Should Brad Keselowski Be Proud Looking at the Cup Playoff Field?
The NASCAR Cup Series recently concluded its first eliminator of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the field is now down to 12. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Berry became the first four drivers to get eliminated. And it’s no secret that from here on, the competition is only going to get more intense.
However, looking at the remaining 12 playoff drivers, it’s hard not to notice that six of them used to drive for Keselowski in the Truck series. The X page, NASCAR Classics, shared this stat: “DYK: Six of the remaining 12 NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers previously raced for Brad Keselowski Racing in @NASCAR_Trucks. @Blaney, @chasebriscoe, @AustinCindric, @joeylogano, @RossChastain, and @TylerReddick.”
DYK: Six of the remaining 12 NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers previously raced for Brad Keselowski Racing in @NASCAR_Trucks.@Blaney, @chasebriscoe, @AustinCindric, @joeylogano, @RossChastain and @TylerReddick. pic.twitter.com/ICRFtXkhkl
— NASCAR Classics (@NASCARClassics) September 15, 2025
In 2007, Keselowski started his own Truck Series team, Brad Keselowski Racing. That was also the year the Michigan native ran his first season in the Xfinity Series (then called the Busch Series). But BKR only started running races in 2008, fielding the #19 truck piloted by Robb Brent back then.
Over the years, several drivers ran for them in their three trucks: #19, #29, and, for a brief time, #2. If you recall, Blaney raced in the #29 RAM truck for Keselowski in the 2012 season, and got his first win at Iowa. Then, in 2013 and 2014, Blaney ran full seasons for BKR. Speaking of 2013, the #19 truck had many pilots that season, be it Chastain, Logano, or even Keselowski himself.
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Then, for 2014 and 2015, Reddick drove it for full seasons. In 2016, Daniel Hemric took over, and eventually, Cindric ran the team’s final season in the Truck Series, claiming one win and eight top-5s. On the other hand, Briscoe ran the final season for the #29 truck. At the end of the 2017 season, BKR closed shop.
This was surprising since the team was relatively successful, with 11 wins and 18 pole positions. However, as Keselowski revealed later, it wasn’t “profitable” and hence could not sustain itself.
Regardless, the veteran must feel proud, especially looking at the current field of playoff drivers. The six drivers there are among the top of the competition, and two of them are Cup series champions. Surely BKR and Keselowski can take credit for helping them hone their racecraft in their initial days.