Why Denny Hamlin Feels Brad Keselowski Might Be a Sleeper Pick in NASCAR Despite Long Winless Streak

When Brad Keselowski won the 2021 Geico 500 little could he have known that it would be his last race win for a long time to come. 92 races have gone by since and he is yet to find his way to victory lane. However, Denny Hamlin believes that Keselowski’s lack of results on the track might be proportional to his attention spent on building and managing a two-car race team.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said on his podcast, “When you’re trying to build an organization or trying to help on the technical side of things, it’s a process. I can understand firsthand how tough it is for a two-car organization or a three-car organization to go out there and win.” Hamlin’s words stem from his own experience managing a race team, 23XI Racing.

Have we seen the best of @keselowski yet?

https://t.co/ibQr0sxVVo pic.twitter.com/vxDTgXtelF

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 12, 2024

Keselowski signed up with Roush Fenway Racing from Team Penske in 2022 as a driver and co-owner. Ever since, he has worked toward taking the organization back to its days of glory. Using his experience and leadership capabilities, he helped Chris Buescher run deep in the 2023 season with 3 wins. As for himself, he garnered 7 top fives, 16 top tens, and an 8th place in the standings.

Regardless of the numbers over these last two years, Hamlin has expressed staunch belief in Keselowski’s skill. He added, “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is behind the wheel. He is just really, really good… He is getting to that sweet spot [age] where statistically he is going to be in his prime. So I think, ‘Have we even seen the best Brad yet?”

What does 2024 hold for Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing?

Chris Buescher had a transformative season in 2023 with a 7th-place finish in the standings. While he will look to capitalize on the momentum he has gained, Keselowski will be gunning to put the win drought behind him. Despite the lack of victories in 2023, it wasn’t a bad season for the #6 Ford Mustang driver by any means. He made a comeback into the postseason after missing it in 2022 and will try to go the whole way this year. 

For someone who won 34 races and a Cup Series championship between 2011 and 2021, finding the victory lane one more time cannot be that hard a task. He will be piloting the #6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with Matt McCall as his crew chief.