“She Hates It”: When Brad Keselowski Was Ready to Give Up His Favorite Hobby in Exchange of NASCAR Title

The holy grail for NASCAR drivers is the championship trophy, the pursuit of which defines their careers, and life even. And, regardless of how many titles they may have won, the hunger for more remains insatiable. Brad Keselowski exemplified this spirit to the hilt back in 2015.

With a 2012 Sprint Cup Series crown, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series title, and several other accolades to his name, Keselowski already had an overflowing trophy cabinet by then. But he badly wanted a second title too. So badly that he would have given up anything for it. Yes, his video game obsession too, Brad had said in 2015, while answering to the hypothetical scenario presented by Jeff Gluck.

“I would take it and Paige [White, his girlfriend] would definitely take it because my favorite hobby is Madden football [the video game] and she hates it. I wouldn’t hesitate a second… I’d burn every copy I had if it was a guarantee I’d win another title. Not even a question,” The RFK Racing co-owner had said. 

Keselowski doubled down, adding that he would he would give up not just one but all his video game collections.

“Yeah, I’d give them up. The championship is the No. 1 priority I have in my life.”

Keselowski’s performance since 2015

Since then, Keselowski has delivered several strong and consistent performances over the years. But the second title has eluded him.

The closest he came to clinching a championship was in 2020. That season, he won four races, finishing P4 at Martinsville in the penultimate race and securing a runner-up finish in the finale at Phoenix.

During his tenure with Team Penske, piloting the #2 entry, Keselowski was a model of consistency. He never finished worse than P8 in the standings. However, his performance took a dip after joining RFK Racing as co-owner. In 2022, he ended the season with a disappointing P24.

By 2023, he rebounded impressively, finishing P8. But in 2024, he was eliminated after the Round of 16, falling short of a deeper playoff run. With momentous changes implemented within the team this season, Keselowski is hopeful for a turnaround in 2025.

Whether it’s through strategic adjustments or perhaps a bit of luck, the team remains optimistic that he would reclaim championship glory. Hopefully, without the need for a genie to play a hand.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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