Keselowski Racing to End Operations Following 2017 Season (Update)
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| It's clear the Truck Series just needs to go away. The next to fold his team will be Kyle Busch |
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski has said more than once that his lower-level Camping World Truck Series team loses about $1 million annually, but that he keeps doing it because the team is what’s “in [his] heart." But after this year, Keselowski said the team will be no more “for a number of reasons."
Keselowski races for Team Penske in the top-level Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and won the 2012 championship. He also owns Brad Keselowski Racing, a team his website says he started in 2007 and that runs two entries in the Truck Series. Keselowski’s race team isn’t to be confused with BK Racing, a Cup Series team that NBC Sports reported earlier in August owes nearly $700,000 to the IRS for three tax liens in less than a year.
But Keselowski had money issues of his own with Brad Keselowski Racing.ESPN reports that Keselowski has said repeatedly over the years that he loses about $1 million annually to run trucks in the lowest tier of NASCAR’s top three national touring series, and said recently he decided he won’t be fielding a team in 2018.
The two drivers on Keselowski’s truck team, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric, are fourth and 10th in the championship standings after the most recent race at Bristol Motor Speedway, respectively. Both are in their rookie season, and the team has yet to win a race this year.
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| Stick a fork in the failing truck series, it might soon be over. As with most Truck races, the grandstands at Bristol were near-empty |
08/17/17
Today NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team owner Brad Keselowski announced that his team, Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR), will end operations at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
"The Truck Series is truly special to me given my family's ties to the history of the sport, and this decision comes with much contemplation. But, for a number of reasons, and as I plan for the long-term future, I've decided not to field a team in 2018," said Keselowski.
BKR has fielded trucks in NASCAR competition dating back to 2008. Since that time, the organization has provided opportunities to more than a dozen up-and-coming drivers. BKR has amassed nine Camping World Truck Series wins and the team has twice contended for the championship in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"My goal with BKR was to create a top-tier team which would allow me to give back to the sport by creating opportunities and quality experience for others, whether they be drivers, mechanics, engineers, or support personnel. With outstanding leadership from BKR's GM Jeremy Thompson, assistance from Team Penske, and the support of our long-time partners Cooper Standard and Horizon Global, we were able to successfully achieve this goal. I am very proud of this and intend to do my best to help my BKR team members stay and grow in the sport. I am also incredibly appreciative of the great relationships we have developed with our partners over the years.
"The team has also provided me with meaningful experience as a team owner," Keselowski continued. "I've never made it a secret that I would eventually like to be an owner at the top level of the sport. And, while this is many years down the line, I want to start to prepare for that possibility now. Part of that preparation is seeking to develop an advanced engineering and manufacturing company that would be housed out of our 78,000 square foot facility in Statesville and ultimately help to support this vision."
BKR, its team members, and its drivers remain fully committed to pursuing victory in the remaining races on the 2017 calendar, and hopefully contending for the Series championship in Homestead.