No driver would ever pass up the opportunity to feel the exhilaration of slamming on the throttle on the track or catching the competitors in the rearview mirror as one flies past them. NASCAR drivers can definitely relate to it. To them, racing is more of a lifestyle than a hobby, and even after making it to the elite tier of the sport, many continue their stints at the XFINITY Series.

That being said, it is highly likely that both races provide unique learning opportunities. The point was emphasized by a former Cup and Xfinity Series winner. In a recent interview with Kenny Wallace, Brad Keselowski detailed his rise from being a Xfinity Series winner to a Cup Series champion and discussed the lessons he learned along the way.

Brad Keselowski’s journey from Xfinity to the Cup Series

By finishing third in Texas in 2010, Brad Keselowski earned the Nationwide Series title, giving owner Roger Penske his first title in a national NASCAR series. Yet, he kept his head down after winning the title and worked tirelessly to win the 2012 Cup series.

For sure, he felt a surge of happiness at that instant, since he joined an exclusive group of only six other drivers who have won both the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series by capturing the Cup of Cups.

When asked in a recent interview what he learned in the Xfinity series that helped him win the NASCAR Cup series, Keselowski said that the Xfinity series was solely responsible for his current success. As Brad Keselowski put it, “Well! I mean, it’s not one thing; it’s everything. I learned everything in that series: how to build a successful NASCAR team, I learned how to drive the car; how to manage the races; the people that I need to be successful, how to draw the attention of car owners.

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“I needed to have the resources; all that came from running the Xifinity series. I couldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for that series.”

After winning the Cup in 2012, he perished the following year. For Brad Keselowski, 2013 will always be the year of 35 weeks of frustration. Keselowski fell short of the chase a year after reaching the summit of his sport.

Keselowski’s post-championship blues

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What made things worse was the confiscation of his car’s rear suspension at Texas Motor Speedway in April, causing dissatisfaction on his team’s part. Even though the squad members’ penalties were reduced from six weeks to two, Keselowski and the team still received a 25-point penalty.

But he didn’t allow the setbacks of 2013 to get to him. “Like in any aspect of life, it’s the lows that make you appreciate the highs. … Having rough spots makes you think how lucky you are to have any kind of success from time to time,” Keselowski said in a 2013 interview. He eventually returned to racing and began the 2014 season with a runner-up result to Denny Hamlin in the Sprint Unlimited.

While he has certainly achieved a lot in his life, he still has many goals he wants to accomplish. In the course of the interview, when Kenny said, “You checked all the boxes; you have truly done it all,” Brad’s response was a little out of the ordinary.

As for what he hopes to accomplish in the future, he said, “I’m missing the Daytona 500; I’m missing the second championship. I’m grateful for all the success I’ve, Kenny, but I’m really hungry for more.”

In a moving conclusion, Brad compared the situation to a half-full glass: “I feel like you could answer a question with a glass half full, but there’s a lot more room to fill the glass up.”

Not to mention, it would be fascinating to see Keselowski make progress toward his goals. After all, he confirmed, “I want to be part of the sport until the day I die”

Read More: “I Haven’t Done Enough” – Regretful Brad Keselowski Makes a Heart Warming Confession