Why Did Brad Keselowski Racing Shut Down Operations in NASCAR?

NASCAR drivers have often made a habit of dipping their toes into ownership and management whilst their racing career flourishes on track. Brad Keselowski was one of those drivers before he decided to shut up shop on his Truck Series organization. Christened Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR), the 2012 Monster Cup Series champion set the team up in 2008 — with the aim of giving back to the sport that gave him so much.

However, into only its 10th year of operation, in 2017, the 40-year-old announced that he would be closing the team down at the end of that season. Now, bear in mind that his team wasn’t uncompetitive by any stretch of the imagination.

But, as Keselowski himself explained, nine wins, 15 poles, 97 top fives, and 160 top 10s don’t necessarily always translate into profit. “There wasn’t really one reason, but certainly at some point every business needs to have some profitability,” he explained whilst discussing the reasons for BKR’s closure.

On this day in sports history (May 19, 2017)

Austin Cindric (Sponsor LTi, Printing) (Owner Brad Keselowski) finishes 13th in the N.C. Education Lottery 200. Race 5 of 23, in the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/d4OFocUJLu

— Multiple Peefs, a Harry, and a Conor (@HKinney9) May 19, 2020

BKR was running two Ford F150s at the time the announcement came and it coincided with his own announcement to drive the Ford Mustang for Team Penske in the Cup Series. That said, while shutting down his Truck Series team might have seemed like a setback on paper, there was a little bit of ambition behind this move, too.

Many times in the past, the 40-year-old had signaled his intentions of running a team in the Cup Series. While explaining his reasons for stopping his Truck Series activities, he did concede that those plans played a significant role.

“I’ve never made it a secret that I would eventually like to be an owner at the top level of the sport. And, while this is many years down the line, I want to start to prepare for that possibility now,” he said.

Keselowski’s departure from the Truck racing scene had left only Kyle Busch as an active Cup Series driver with a team in the Truck Series. However, last year, Busch himself sold his team to Spire Motorsports.