Brad Keselowski
A NASCAR champion and team owner who battled from a family-built truck to the pinnacle of stock car racing.
Born 1984 (age 42)·American racing driver·Birthday: February 12·Millennials
Biography
Brad Keselowski represents the modern NASCAR driver-entrepreneur, a fierce competitor with a strategic mind for the business of speed. Hailing from a racing family in Rochester Hills, Michigan, he learned the craft in the gritty world of short tracks, often driving trucks prepared in his family's shop. His breakthrough came with a stunning upset victory at Talladega in 2009 for an underfunded team, a win that announced his arrival. Joining Team Penske, he forged a potent partnership, capturing the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship in a dramatic season finale. Never one to follow the well-worn path, Keselowski later made a bold move, leaving Penske to become a co-owner and driver for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, aiming to rebuild a historic team. His career is a testament to calculated risk and relentless drive.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Brad was born in 1984, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1984
#1 Movie
Beverly Hills Cop
Best Picture
Amadeus
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1984Born
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1989Started school
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1997Became a teenager
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Could drive
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Could vote
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Turned 21
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2014Turned 30
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 40
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 42 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
- Captured the 2010 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
- Won the prestigious Daytona 500 in 2021.
- Is one of only six drivers to win a championship in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series.
- Became a co-owner of the NASCAR Cup Series team Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022.
Did You Know?
He is an avid history buff, particularly of military history, and frequently visits battlefields.
Keselowski is a licensed pilot and often flies himself to race tracks.
He founded a manufacturing company, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, which focuses on 3D metal printing.
His first NASCAR win came in a car numbered '09' for Phoenix Racing, a massive upset at Talladega.
He is a published author, having written a children's book titled 'Brad Keselowski's Checkered Flag.'
“You have to be able to look failure in the eye and tell it, 'You're not going to win.'”
