Team Penske has been on an upward trajectory ever since Brad Keselowski left the team in 2022. The team has won three back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series championships in the Next Gen era, and they have been class of the field so far in the spec car era. So this makes you wonder whether Keselowski made a wise call in leaving Team Penske and joining RFK Racing as a driver/co-owner.

From the outside looking in, it might seem like he missed out on making the most of his prime years in NASCAR racing by ditching Penske camp. However, for Keselowski, the decision to take up ownership and build his own team holds more significance. Even if he’s still trying to build his racing project from scratch.

Brad Keselowski is focused on building RFK Racing

The veteran driver won his first race in almost three years at Darlington Raceway and made it to the playoffs this year. Meanwhile, his driver, Chris Buescher, also showed consistent speed and had multiple close calls in winning multiple races. Despite missing the playoffs, he brought his #17 car to victory lane at Watkins Glen. In an era where giants like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske are dominating. Winning two races as a new racing organization is seen as a measure of success for Keselowski and his team.

Taking to X, the Michigan native shared his thoughts on the entirety of the 2024 season. He also came clean on his decision to leave Team Penske to pursue his racing ambitions as a team owner. “I’m not looking back, wondering what would’ve been if I stayed at Team Penske. Success as a driver owner, even if less as of today, means so much more to me.”

Keselowski has been part of Penske Racing since his rookie season. He ran his first full season in the No. Doge car when the team was known as Penske Championship Racing. Well, it’s a fitting title if you are to go by their current exploits in the NASCAR Cup Series. The driver also won his first title with the team in 2012 and came close to winning his second in 2020. Two years later, he left the team and allied with Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group to start RFK Racing.

On the flip side, Brad Keselowski understands that his team needs to make sizeable gains to close the gap on the top dogs. And he further went on to highlight the part of the season where he felt his team fell short despite having a solid regular season run.

The #6 team needs to work on their playoff frailties

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Veteran drivers have had a tough time trying to crack the playoff puzzle since the arrival of the Next Gen car. Kyle Busch is the prime example of how different racing has become in the last few years. Rowdy since his switch to RCR has sunk to new lows in his racing career. Martin Truex Jr. had a similar story as Keselowski and had consistent runs in the regular season, but without race-winning speeds, he had to bow out of the title race.

Denny Hamlin, who is believed to have stepped up his game, has never been able to clear Round of 8 in his last three attempts. So, you see, this is a common concern among drivers who are in the twilight years of their careers. The #6 team just didn’t shift gears during the playoff phase, P19 at Atlanta, which was followed by mediocre 26-place finishes at both Watkins Glen and Bristol. The team wasn’t in the picture to challenge for wins, and failure to collect enough points saw them crash out in the very first round.

Keselowski was critical of his team’s performance and noted where they lost the grip of what could’ve been a solid 2024 season run. “The lowlight for the season 6 team was the first 6 races of the playoffs. We just couldn’t find speed or execution. Tough times,” he added on X. With a change in crew chief along with rumors of the addition of a third car to the team, RFK Racing isn’t holding back in bolstering their squad before the start of the 2025 season.