Michigan International Speedway will always be a special venue for Rochester Hills native Brad Keselowski, and the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford driver hopes to make his home track that much more significant with a win in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.
Recalling some of his earliest memories at the track, the Michigander can’t help but feel nostalgic when he competes at the two-mile Brooklyn, Mich. track.
“I think some of my fondest memories were just pulling in the gate and seeing the overwhelming infield at Michigan International Speedway — just full of campers and full of people,” Brad recalled.
While Brad hasn’t delivered that breakthrough Michigan win in Sprint Cup Series competition yet, he’s come close many times. In 14 starts, he’s completed all but four possible laps, and finished in the Top 10 in half of those starts – including the last five consecutive.
His Michigan Cup debut came in the second 2009 race, with the 24th place result to only be overshadowed by his win in XFINITY competition the day prior. And in the winner’s circle at that race, an impassioned BK showed just how much the home track win meant.
“Oh my God, I won at home! I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m usually terrible here and to win here is a major accomplishment. It’s so cool to win in front of my hometown fans,” Brad said.
But to make a reappearance to Victory Lane on Sunday, Team Penske will have to continue on their low downforce package success. The new, extra-low downforce package has been used twice this year, the first one at MIS in June, won by teammate Joey Logano. Once the second package race rolled around in Kentucky, BK took his Deuce to Victory Lane, proving that his race team adapted to the challenge.
Brad hopes to put on a great race, not only because the track is home to him, but it’s also home to his team owner, The Captain, Roger Penske. With his Penske Corporation headquartered right outside of Detroit, Penske’s passion for motorsports in Michigan stretches deep. Not only was The Captain responsible for bringing IndyCars back to Detroit’s Belle Isle, but in 1972 he purchased Michigan International Speedway—something that isn’t lost on the driver of his No. 2 Ford.
“Roger used to own Michigan International Speedway and it’s a track that he holds dear to his heart,” he said. “It’s my home track. It’s the 50th year for Team Penske. All these things are lining up.”
For the third straight season, Kes has the opportunity to showcase a cause near and dear to his heart: ensuring that our veterans have a place in the workforce. Through a joint effort between Team Penske sponsor MillerCoors, and personal sponsor Cooper Standard, the Careers For Veterans initiative will grace the rear fenders this weekend.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to bring national attention to the Careers For Veterans program and it wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of our longtime partner MillerCoors,” Brad said. “There have been some big moments for me this season and hopefully we can add a few more this weekend at my home track in Michigan.”
Brad enters the second and final MIS race of the season at No. 1 on he Chase Grid and as one of just two drivers, defending Cup champ Kyle Busch being the other, with four wins on the season. Already locked into the postseason, the 32-year-old has nothing to lose when he takes on Michigan’s D-Shaped oval this weekend, eyeing win No. 5.
“Michigan will always be my home track, and that puts it at a whole other level compared to other tracks of wanting to win in front of your family and friends in the place you recognize as home,” he said. “If we could win Michigan, it would be one of the biggest wins of my career — if not the biggest.”
Qualifying is set for 5 p.m. ET and will air on NBC Sports Network. The 2 Crew will have two more practice sessions at 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday to fine-tune the Miller Lite Ford.
Tune into the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday, Aug. 28, to see if Brad can bring his first MIS trophy home for himself, Ford, and Roger Penske. The 400-mile race airs live on NBC Sports Network at 2 p.m. ET.
Team BKR Takes to Michigan
As if both Brad Keselowski Racing drivers didn’t want to win Michigan International Speedway enough, they have an extra incentive: team owner Brad Keselowski is part of the race sponsorship. The Careers for Veterans 200 Presented by Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation is also cross promoted through BKR partner Cooper Standard, a nearby Michigan company.
Tyler Reddick takes the wheel of the Cooper Standard No. 29 machine, looking for his own breakthrough victory to put his name back in the Chase hat. After a couple rough weeks, pointing their way in the the title format is nearly out of the question, and they’ll need a win to make it in.
“The Careers For Veterans 200 is important to us because it’s a home race for both Cooper Standard and Ford,” Reddick says. “There are 3,000 Cooper Standard employees and guests that will be at the track on Saturday and that’s really cool. Even though the corners are wide at Michigan, it’s still pretty difficult to run the lower lane there due to the transition and banking. You’re still kind of limited to what’s the best lane. The draft is really important for the trucks. Our Cooper Standard Careers For Veterans Ford F-150 needs to not only have great speed but also drive good in traffic.”
His teammate Daniel Hemric pilots the No. 19 Draw-Tite Ford, another Michigan based partner. Hemric sits in a slightly better point situation than Reddick, but a win at MIS would surely solidify their Chase position—and Hemric is looking forward to doing it in front of a home crowd for his sponsors and Team BKR.
“Michigan is a very important race for our entire company,” he says. “We have an opportunity to visit Cequent Performance Products, Ford and so many other people who support our program. We really want to run well there for those guys. Going off of how I ran at Michigan last year and knowing how the truck needs to feel will play big into how we approach practice. The most important thing is making sure the truck is exactly where it needs to be in the race. You have to get your truck to where it’s not only fast, but it also drives good; that’s the key at Michigan. The guy who can stay in the gas the longest is probably going to be the best.”
Following Michigan, the Truckers only have two more events before the Chase commences. They’ll race at Mosport in Canada, and Chicagoland—both tracks where BKR has performed well at in the past. See if they can tackle Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 1 p.m. ET live on FOX Sports 1.