Brad Keselowski has always been open with his opinions regardless of how controversial they are, and often gets criticized for them too. Back in 2022, a comparison he drew while expressing his admiration for entrepreneur Elon Musk attracted quite a lot of backlash from his followers.
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The RFK Racing co-owner wrote how Musk helped create online banking, revolutionized the automotive industry, and commercialised the space industry. “Looking more and more like @elonmusk is the Thomas Edison of our generation… truly astounding,” he wrote on X.
Fans felt that Keselowski had gone overboard with his admiration, and that he should not have compared Musk to the iconic inventor.
One response said, “Move on Brad. Don’t talk anymore. Just drive.” Another added, “Sorry Bradley I think you’ve been brainwashed.”
One fan asked, “You know online banking existed before PayPal?”
Despite the contributions of Musk, the overarching sentiment in the reactions made it evident that not everyone in the NASCAR community was fond of the business tycoon.
You mean stealing other people's ideas than taking all the credit for it? Yea sounds about right
— keith🦖 (@klnascarfan) December 9, 2022
Another one of them wrote, “This is actually a much better analogy than I think you intended it to be. Musk is indeed pretty similar to Edison. He has an extremely shallow understanding of physics and engineering, he just takes credit for the work of others and profits through unethical business practices.”
The sarcasm in the comments were clear and pointed. Keselowski’s tryst with Musk, however, began much before this online exchange.
When Keselowski wanted Musk to come to a Cup Series race
In 2018, when veteran NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck asked Keselowski which celebrity he’d like to host at a race, he had named Musk. He then added that they’d be exchanging views about self-driving cars.
“He might say something that makes me think about it differently,” said Keselowski.
“And that’s OK. That’s part of why I’d enjoy it. I would enjoy it not from the cult of celebrity perspective, I would enjoy it from the viewpoint perspective,” he added.
Keselowski was one of the first people in the world to own a Tesla. He bought a car back in 2009, after being impressed by the EV during a test drive.
Interestingly, he had rejected the chance to meet Musk at the time for two reasons. First, neither Musk nor Tesla were as popular back then as they are now. Second, he had a prior commitment to give an appearance for Hendrick Motorsports.
Now that Tesla leads the EV space as a manufacturer, Kesewlowski is unlikely to pass the chance. His praise for Musk says so too.
