Anyone who is a fan of mine knows how highly I regard our soldiers and first responders. I come from a military family, and as I’ve written before, when I win a race and fly the American flag afterward, it’s because of what it means to the people who see it—in particular, our veterans. Maybe it makes people feel good about the fact that they served. Maybe it reminds people of their parents or family members service. Hopefully, anyone who served feels honored by the gesture.

When I fly the flag after a win, it’s to honor our military and first responders.

NASCAR has a long history of honoring veterans. When it was founded in 1948, a lot of the people involved with the sport were former members of the military. Because of all the history, there’s a real connection between the world of racing and the military that’s pretty unique to NASCAR. A lot of the qualities of the military made their way into our sports. Racing teams have to have discipline and follow orders, or bad things can happen. You spend a lot of time traveling from place to place, and the road and your team become your home away from home for a lot of the year.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

A big difference, though, is that when our veterans come home from their service, they often face new challenges. When I drove for Dale Jr.’s NAVY team, I started meeting with recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, seeing what they’d been through and hearing their stories. And then when I moved to Team Penske, they had a long-standing relationship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, so I’ve had a chance to interact with that organization as well. It profoundly affected me. The experiences I’ve had with members of our military through my foundation, the Checkered Flag Foundation, have deepened my appreciation for soldiers, and the incredible sacrifices that they and their families make for all of us.

I came to understand that when veterans come home, they really need places that will provide them the support that they need. That’s why I’m excited to talk about a few things that we’re doing this weekend, and beyond.

The Tribute2Veterans Miller Lite No. 2 Ford Fusion features the names of around the entire car.

The first is the Tribute2Veterans, which my foundation did in partnership with Team Penske and Miller Lite to raise money for veterans. Fans and families of service men and women nominated a person that has sacrificed for our country, and each nominee will have their name displayed on the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. (The same list will actually appear on Chase Briscoe’s No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation truck in Friday’s race, too.) Afterward, each person will receive a piece of the No. 2 car’s sheet metal that shows their name along with a photo of the car and a letter of thanks. I’m so grateful for everyone who chose to participate, and made the Tribute2Veterans a reality.

Next, we have an announcement about a new partnership with the Fisher House Foundation. Fisher House is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, close to the medical center or hospital they serve. After I visited a Fisher House in Georgia, I decided that I wanted to help open one in Michigan. To that end, I’ve donated $150,000 to Fisher House to build a location in Ann Arbor.

Finally, I want to talk about my partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and the Pure Michigan Talent Connect job web site. As a Michigan native, I have a lot of pride in my home state, and the work MEDC and Pure Michigan are doing to help veterans is something I’m especially proud of.

Michigan’s already leading the way in terms of giving veterans a great place to live and raise their families. Grand Rapids was just ranked the second best place to raise a family in the entire country. The state’s got more freshwater coastline than any other state, 650 public golf courses, 1,300 designated mountain bike trails, 102 state parks, 600 campgrounds, four professional sports teams, the University of Michigan (Go Blue!)—you get the picture.

AT A FUNDRAISER FOR THE ANN ARBOR FISHER HOUSE BACK IN JUNE. PHOTO BY DANA JO PHOTOGRAPHY.

What makes Pure Michigan Talent Connect special is that it helps veterans and reserve members find a variety of programs, jobs and businesses designed to match their skills with employers’ needs. In addition, the employers on Pure Michigan Talent Connect not only respect our military, but understand the value of hiring from such an experienced, talented workforce to their shops, factories and offices. You can find the web site at the link below:

https://jobs.mitalent.org/job- seeker/jobsearch-results/245977

And right now, the career opportunities in Michigan are pretty incredible. Currently, Michigan is No. 1 in the U.S. for creating new manufacturing jobs, No. 1 in employment of industrial and mechanical engineers, and No. 3 in high-tech job growth. Not only that—the state has several programs which allow high school graduates in certain areas to pursue post-secondary degrees with up to 100 percent tuition reimbursement or scholarship.

To any veteran out there looking for a place that will look after him or her, that will provide a great place to live and some of the best employment opportunities in the nation, I urge you to consider Michigan.

Finally, to all the veterans we’re honoring this weekend: Thank you for everything you’ve sacrificed for the rest of us to be free. My family and I could not be more proud of all that you do.

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Beginning at this weekend’s NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), fans and families of service men and women can visit CheckeredFlagFoundation.org to nominate a person that has sacrificed for our country. Nominees will have their name displayed on the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Phoenix on November 12, Veterans Day weekend across the United States. The special promotion will run through the MENCS regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway on September 9.

The cost is $100 per nomination, which is fully tax-deductible, and all proceeds go to the Checkered Flag Foundation. In addition to being recognized on the race car, each nominee will receive a piece of the No. 2 Ford Fusion’s sheet metal that shows their name, along with a photo of the car and a letter of thanks from Keselowski. Fans can use the social media hashtag, #Tribute2Veterans, to highlight their nominee online as well.

“The Checkered Flag Foundation (CFF) celebrates veterans and they work to not only honor them but hopefully enrich their lives through various programs,” said Keselowski. “This unique fundraiser will go directly to those programs, while also providing a one-of-a-kind experience to have veterans virtually ride along with me at Phoenix as we try to earn a trip to the Championship 4 the following weekend at Homestead. Whether through the CFF or the Team Penske relationship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, we are always looking for ways to give back to those that have helped defend our freedom. I think this is another great example of partners working together for a great cause.”

Keselowski is proud of his patriotism, and to make this holiday weekend even more special, the 2012 MENCS champion and last year’s Coke Zero 400 race winner has teamed up with DIS to provide 200 race tickets for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 to local military members and their families. The group will be treated to a private meet and greet with Keselowski and DIS president Chip Wile prior to the race.

“Brad Keselowski has always been a big supporter of our Armed Forces,” said Wile. “It’s great to see last year’s Coke Zero 400 champion utilizing Daytona International Speedway and this July 4th race weekend as a platform to have local military personnel enjoy the excitement of NASCAR on the high banks.”

About Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation

Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation honors and assists those who have sacrificed greatly for our country. Since 2010, the foundation has supported over 50 organizations and individuals in order to help veterans and first responders during their road to recovery. There are numerous ways for those interested to become involved. Visit www.CheckeredFlagFoundation.org for details.

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Brad is in Phoenix promoting the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2nd and he stopped by the Phoenix VA Health Care System to meet with some veterans and give out tickets to the race.

The race at Phoenix is the second of the year for the Cup Series after the festivities at Daytona, so BK and his crew felt it appropriate to start spreading the news of the series’ impending arrival in the Valley of the Suns.

“Football’s over, racing starts, it’s kind of a nice little end of the winter transition and we’re getting pumped for it,” Brad told KTAR “So I’m kind of spreading the word.”

Moreover, Brad felt it was extra important to go meet and speak with some of the men and women who have sacrificed by serving their country. The event is one of many planned this year through his Checkered Flag Foundation, which supports military personnel, veterans, first responders and their families.

“It’s important for NASCAR, it’s important for me personally,” BK said. “The Checkered Flag Foundation does things for servicemen, servicewomen and being able to give them some tickets to come out is hopefully our way of giving back a little bit.”

RELATED LINKS

• NASCAR Champions surprises Valley Vets with Race Tickets (KTAR, February 3, 2014)
• 2012 NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski Surprises Veterans With Race Tickets (Paddock Talk, February 3, 2014)

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For Brad, this is personal. He is involved in every step of the way when it comes to his charity.

The BKCFF not only involves Brad’s fans in raising money, but they put that money toward the Race 2 Recovery program, as well as provide grants to organizations who work for the betterment of veterans. It’s so humbling to know how deeply Brad cares about the military. This week, Brad and Penske Racing made a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. For those who may be unaware, Walter Reed is a military hospital that serves our military and their families. The center also provides care to high ranking government officials. Brad made a visit there this week to spend time with our military service members.

Talk about putting things into perspective. This up and down season is nothing compared to what these soldiers go through on a day-to-day basis. It’s so inspiring to see important, popular figures in the world taking the time to honor those who have sacrificed for our freedom. It’s easy for rich people to throw money toward a charity. But for Brad, this is personal. He is involved in every step of the way when it comes to his charity. He personally takes veterans on rides around the track on the Race 2 Recovery weekends. He also was a big part of the Memorial Day event being so successful. To see the tweets sent to Brad and the photos of the visits he made this week, it’s inspiring and oh so humbling.

For anyone who closely follows Brad on Twitter, you may know he has a couple of wounded veterans he talks to on a weekly basis. His dedication to the military makes me so proud to be a fan. Brad is a busy guy, but the fact that he was able to take some time out of that busy schedule to make a visit to the hospital shows how remarkable his character is. He is truly dedicated to making life after the military more enjoyable for soldiers who may not have thought it could be so. The men and women in the military, especially ones that are being treated in medical facilities, need to know how much the country cares about them. They need that positive reinforcement.

If we don’t take care of our military members, no one else will. This is just one small thing about Brad that will add to the long list of things to be proud of. The journey has barely begun when it comes to writing Brad’s legacy in the sport.

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Hertz was first seen on the No. 22 at the race 11 event in Dover. With Nationwide Series master Joey Logano behind the wheel, a good points day was ensured. After leading 66 of the 200 laps in the event — the second most laps of any driver — strategy played its hand in the 22’s favor. Logano also piloted the bright yellow scheme in race 18 from the Chicagoland Speedway, where crew chief Jeremy Bullins was able to massage the car enough at the end to lead the closing laps.

Then it was Brad’s turn in the Hertz Mustang.

Keselowski’s first event in the taxi cab scheme came when he twisted and turned through Watkins Glen. After leading a race high of 46 out of the 82 revolutions around the 2.45 mile road course, the win came with a margin of 1.4 seconds. Even better was the key part of the day: the progress that was made in pursuit of the all-important Owner’s Title for legendary team owner Roger Penske, the Captain. After a first lap crash from the Owner’s Title rival in the No. 54 car, BK had to do all he could to capitalize.

Then came the second trip back to Richmond. Coming into the race, if you said the 2010 Champion wasn’t a favorite, you were mistaken. Entering the race with two victories in the series, the race was a classic BK performance: not leading early, but putting himself in position to grab the lead when it mattered. The race was dominated by Brian Scott, looking for his first career victory. Scott had led up until lap 239, where there was a restart with 11 to go, giving Keselowski the advantage. From there, Kes took the lead and never looked back.

“These Ford Mustang’s are really really fast. We had to make a couple adjustments, and the car just came alive,” said the winner of the 2013 Nationwide Richmond sweep.

The Friday night victory extended Brad’s Top 2 streak to seven consecutive races now, clicking off five victories and two seconds.

Hertz had a fifth race with Joey Logano at Loudon, but that was in the black scheme promoting the rental car giant’s new Penske Racing editon Mustang. In the yellow Hertz Mustang’s four events, it remains undefeated.

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A person is often considered classy if they are polite, generous, and handle themselves with dignity. A person can be classy and quiet, or classy and vocal.

Enter the most recent questioning of our defending Sprint Cup champion, Brad Keselowski. All over the media this week, after his comments about Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing (and the subsequent backlash that occurred), there have been many detractors of Brad’s openness to voice his opinion on such matters.

Was he misguided in his comments? Maybe. However, one has to respect and admire his willingness to just say what is on his mind when most drivers would rather just not answer the question. Without Brad, the media would have a lot less to write about.

Let’s take what Petty and Spencer had to say about Brad, and compare it to what Brad is actually doing to improve the sport.  

The NASCAR media has its own definition of class and how a person should handle certain situations. Remember: their job is to not only report, but to get people interested in the sport often by saying controversial things themselves. On NASCAR Race Hub this week, former NASCAR driver turned analyst and firestarter Kyle Petty stated that Brad has not handled himself with class as the champion of this sport.

Just because Brad is not vanilla, says what is on his mind like a true human being, and questions certain aspects of the sport, does not make him a bad champion. In fact, it makes him a much more interesting and quotable one.

Jimmy Spencer, also a former NASCAR driver, had words for Keselowski on Race Hub this week, too. His often controversial opinions are usually used to stir the pot and rile fans up, which is exactly what they did when he basically said that Brad needs to shut his mouth and race. 

Let’s take what Petty and Spencer had to say about Brad, and compare it to what Brad is actually doing to improve the sport.  

On June 12, 2013, we lost a member of the NASCAR community and family. Jason Leffler was killed in a racing accident. Brad was one of the first to tweet out concern when we were unsure of Jason’s condition. After receiving the terrible news that we had lost him, Brad tweeted his condolences and then went on to try and solicit ideas on how to raise money for Jason’s young son Charlie. Drivers from all series wound up joining in and trying to help out. He took charge of a terrible situation and tried to rally everyone together during a terrible time. This says a lot about Brad as a person and the champion he is.

For another example: this past weekend racing in Sonoma, California, wasn’t a great result for Brad, and definitely not one he was looking for. But despite his day and result, out of the kindness of his heart, took a case of Miller Lite over to the winning race team’s hauler (the No. 56 of Martin Truex Jr). Now Brad probably didn’t want to make any noise on this — he just left the case by the door of the hauler for the boys to find when they came back to pack up after their victory celebration. But I think he deserves a little credit. It was a genuinely nice gesture on his part. 

He took charge of a terrible situation and tried to rally everyone together during a terrible time. This says a lot about Brad as a person and the champion he is.

He may not be the first driver that fans think of when they think “NASCAR,” but when you really look further into this sport, you realize just how much of a role he plays in being the current leader of this sport.

Yes I may be biased, but when Brad speaks, people read/listen whether they are fans or haters. Even those who don’t like him still follow him on Twitter for the sole reason that the opinions he shares are interesting and enticing. Those criticizing him should take a step back and be thankful we don’t have a dull, boring, closed off champion. Considering all of the backlash Brad has received since hoisting the trophy in November for numerous different things, we should consider ourselves lucky he doesn’t just close his Twitter account and decline all interviews to avoid all this nonsense.

He’s not that type of guy though. He’s classy enough to persevere, and turn the haters into the motivators.

Continue being you, Brad. True fans and supporters understand the type of guy you are — not only as a person, but as a leader and champion of this sport. Never change.

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What’s a girl gotta do to see the Blue Deuce in Victory Lane?

I’ve tried rain dancing and lucky charms, and even a voodoo doll to take out the 48 last week, but NOTHING has helped! I know good things come to all who wait, but I think we’ve been waiting an awful long time. The championship has been great, don’t get me wrong. I am grateful that the 2 team was able to bring home that first championship for Roger Penske.

If I have to create 42 voodoo dolls to take out the rest of the field at Sonoma, I totally will!

But, again, I ask, what’s a girl gotta do to see her driver in Victory Lane?!

The team has been running well all season long. They’ve had a lot of really great runs only to be spoiled at the end, whether it’s by getting caught up by someone driving too aggressively, or by getting caught up in a lover’s quarrel, or even running out of fuel at the last moment.

Something’s gotta give. It won’t be easy, but if I have to create 42 voodoo dolls to take out the rest of the field at Sonoma, I totally will!

It’s been 22 points races since we’ve seen the Blue Deuce in Victory Lane. Personally, I’m ready to see what special, secret Victory Lane celebration Brad has in store. It appears you gods up there don’t! C’mon! How great would it be to see that American Flag fly during a burn out?

So, short of sacrificing a live animal, what’s a girl gotta do for her driver to get a race win?

Okay, okay, I promise, I’ll be good. No more voodoo dolls, honest. I won’t even talk bad about the 48 for the rest of the season…er..week, if you grant me this one thing!

It is time to let that American Flag fly! (Please…?)

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