Running a racing team empire is not a task for the faint-hearted. NASCAR drivers owning racing teams has become a common sight now, but few have taken their association with the motorsport a notch up. In the fast-paced world of NASCAR, where precision and performance are paramount, Brad Keselowski has found a new arena to race in: the world of high-tech manufacturing. After years of battling it out in the racetrack, Keselowski has shifted gears, revving his passion for engineering into a business venture disrupting the way performance parts are made.

In an interview, Keselowski shared the fascinating story behind his venture into the manufacturing world, an initiative that ties closely with his racing career and his vision to follow in the footsteps of his former boss Roger Penske.

New engineering horizons for Brad Keselowski and Co.

Keselowski’s journey into business began in 2018, a pivotal year for the driver and his racing team. After making a reluctant decision to close down his truck team Brad Keselowski Racing after two racing seasons, he shifted his focus to try out other things he had in mind, an idea that would forever change the way parts were made for high-performance vehicles. Roger Penske, whose $160 billion business empire has replicated its success formula in IndyCar has been the biggest inspiration behind Keselowski’s fearless drive. Penske Racing combined with Siemens’ expertise in additive manufacturing (3D printing) was detrimental in bringing in parts that are lightweight, durable, and customized for the unique needs of high-performance racing cars.

“I started to see some of the parts on our race cars that were made using metal 3D printing technology and they were really cool. They were fascinating to me. We only had one set of these 3D-printed parts. I tell that story because those cars had a significant amount of 3D printed parts and we couldn’t get them. Like, the parts that we’d gotten at the time was through a partnership that Penske had, Team Penske had with Siemens and Siemens made those parts for them and like but it was like here like it was a gift yeah so to speak like send us a couple part files we’ll print them for you like you couldn’t go back and get more of them and it’s like all right well we’ll find a company to make them for you.” Keselowski explained in an interview with Kelley Earnhardt-Miller. Within this challenge, Keselowski found a silver lining of an opportunity—why not create a company that could solve this issue for the entire racing industry and beyond?

The revolutionary technology played a role in his winning a string of three consecutive races in 2018, including prestigious events like the Southern 500 at Darlington, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. These victories which were marked by the use of 3D-printed parts on his car were a first for the racing world. Keselowski’s newfound love for 3D printing technology wasn’t just about winning races—it was about the bigger picture.

“Seeing the lack of availability for parts made me think, ‘This seems like a good business opportunity,’” he said. His entrepreneurial mindset aided in setting up his manufacturing business, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, in 2018, a decision that stemmed from both necessity and a deeper passion for engineering. Keselowski’s ambition to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and manufacturing processes was a driving force behind the company’s success. Today, the company employs around 45 to 50 people, with Keselowski no longer directly involved in day-to-day operations. Instead, he serves on the board after a merger with a larger portfolio company, Adman. At the same time, this company assists RFK Racing with its car during the Cup Series season, inadvertently making Keselowski’s long-run

It’s only a small example of Keselowski’s commitment to running a business.

Keselowski reveals his way of running RFK Racing

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Having finally entered into team ownership after failing his first attempt, Brad Keselowski had a lot of work to do. He wasn’t just a team-owner, but a driver for the team as well. To bring in results, it meant working closely with every single aspect of the team, and it shows.

Speaking about his work at RFK HQ, Keselowski revealed, “I love walking the shop floor. It’s probably my favorite thing to do. You get called into meetings, Zoom calls, and whatever fire needs putting out, but walking the floor is where I learn the most. Nine times out of ten, you see something and think, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’ But every now and then, you come across something where you think, ‘Whoa, back it up’.”

It’s not just the shop floor he’s walking. Keselowski has a hands-on approach when it comes to running the team. He remains involved in every single aspect. The arrival of Kroger as a sponsor was just one evidence of that. In addition to this, the driver does a lot of work to drum up interest for the team, particularly on social media platforms like X. RFK’s acquisition of a new charter and driver was one of the stories Keselowski kept building up to the whole season.

What do you think of Brad Keselowski’s entrepreneurial ambitions? Let us know in the comments below!