Brad Keselowski Sheds New Light on His Controversial Team Penske Exit, Two Years after “Step Backwards” Gamble

NASCAR drivers are no strangers to taking risks. One such move that raised eyebrows was RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski departure from Team Penske, a powerhouse organization where he achieved great success. Now, two years later, Keselowski has shed new light on the real reasons behind his controversial exit.

He recently had a candid conversation on The Kenny Conversation about what prompted him to join forces with Jack Roush’s organization. Keselowski revealed that there was mutual interest and a compelling offer from Roush’s team.

Why did Brad Keselowski make a “self-admitting” backward move to RFK Racing after what he achieved at Penske?

Keselowski acknowledged that his move to Roush Fenway Racing was indeed a step backward in terms of his career trajectory. However, he firmly believed that one must humble themselves and weigh it out in the long-term scheme of things. He emphasized the importance of timing and the unique circumstances that aligned with him—youth, experience, and the prospect of owning a team.

While acknowledging the time it would take to fully regain the momentum he had at Penske, Keselowski takes pride  in the progress the team has made at RFK. When Kenny asked, “How did that conversation go with Jack Roush asking you to take over his organization?” this is what he had in response.

“Well, I never really spoke directly with Jack but I spoke to his team. And his team said that, you know, Jack wanted to do this and that he was interested. And then, they made a pretty aggressive offer to me, and there was mutual interest. I think all along the way I’ve been looking for an opportunity to be a team owner.”

He further added, “I knew it was going to be a step backward in my career. There’s no question. But I’m a firm believer. Sometimes, you have to humble yourself and you have to take a step or two back before you can take three or four forward. I’m just now getting to a spot where it looks like I’m getting close to even where I was at Pensky.”

READ MORE: Brad Keselowski Reflects on Nightmare First Season as Driver-Owner in the 2022 Cup Season

The insight provided by Keselowski offered a deeper understanding of the complexities behind his controversial team change. It highlighted the aspirations of a driver who sought growth, ownership, and a chance to unlock his full potential.

Brad had come much closer than this in the past to reveal why he left Team Penske

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While he acknowledged that he could have continued working for Penske, he believed his situation at the organization didn’t provide him with the opportunity to fully realize his potential. Despite recognizing some of it, he felt that there were untapped possibilities.

This is what he had commented on leaving Team Penske in his past interviews.

“I can’t bulls**t it, but the timing’s not right to fully disclose it….there was some other pieces that happened behind the scenes with some contract negotiations that I was having with Penske.”

“I feel like my situation at hand when I was at Team Penske didn’t give me an opportunity to fully recognize that potential, I had the opportunity to recognize a lot of it, but not…all the way.”

Watch This Story | I Can’t Bullsh*t That- Brad Keselowski Hints at the One Issue With Penske That Pushed Him to Makr the Move to RFK Racing

Priorities change, and so has Brad’s. Only time will tell how this gamble ultimately plays out for him.