Brad Keselowski, one of the biggest names in NASCAR in the modern era, has a fascinating family history. Taking a trip back in time, the RFK driver and co-owner narrated tales of his childhood, shedding light on his Polish ancestry and how the family migrated and settled in Michigan.
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His grandfather came to the country to work at the Ford factory.
“My family, obviously a Polish descent family, immigrated and came here to work for Henry Ford. That’s how they got to the Detroit area and Rochester Hills is a suburb of Detroit,” Keselowski revealed during a chat with Stapleton42.
“World War II broke out, some different things happened and they actually moved up here to the suburbs because my grandfather was a drill bit maker,” he added.
Keselowski shared that although the initial plan was to look for a house over time, his grandfather preemptively built their family home before getting drafted into the army for World War II.
After his service, he returned as a skilled tradesman and worked at a nearby drill bit plant, continuing to contribute to the war effort. “So that’s how we got or my family got to this area,” he said.
Brad added that his less privileged upbringing has played a crucial role in shaping him as a driver, imbibing in him the grit needed to succeed on the racetrack.
Getting into racing was in his genes as well, with both his father Bob Kaselowski, and uncle Ron Kaselowski reputed drivers in stock-car racing back in their day.
Keselowski reveals how his parents met and fell in love
The #6 driver shared details about his parents Bob and Kay Kaselowski, shedding more light onto his background.
He reminisced: “My mom moved into this house in the late 70s. She was recently divorced, had three kids. Made friends with the neighbor across the street over here who had a brother who was single. And that was my dad… That’s where it all began.”
“So, my mom and dad met here, got married, and next thing you know there was me and my brother,” added Brad.
It was in his family home that he started sim racing. His father initially didn’t believe Brad, with his lean physique, would do well in racing. But after seeing him drive on the simulator in his garage, Bob found him a midget racing car opportunity. Kaselowski was able to win a couple of real-life races and that happened to be the ‘breakthrough’ in his racing career.
Witnessing his performance behind the wheel, Bob finally believed his son’s potential. And fast forward to 2024, with 36 career Cup Series race wins, the 2012 champion has indeed made it big.
