Brad Keselowski Racing closing it’s doors

Brad Keselowski Racing closed following 2017 nascar season – After 10 years of operation

It’s been rumored for several days. However Brad Keselowski issued a ‘saying goodbye’ message below, making the move official.

The NASCAR Truck Series team is based in a 78,000 square-foot racing shop in Statesville, North Carolina. The team recently moved into the building in 2016. It will now be used for a new un-named business venture of Brad Keselowski’s.

It’s possible Brad Keselowski is prepping for a return as an owner, in a big way. Keselowski recently talked about fielding Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series machines. That would be multiple years down the road, if it happens at all.

Related: Brad Keselowski claims Toyota is sandbagging

BKR Closed following 2017 season
BKR #29 and #19 NACSAR Camping World Truck Series machines

“I’ve never made it a secret that I would eventually like to be an owner at the top level of the sport,” said Keselowski.

“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.”

The BKR team has 287 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Since 2008, they’ve collected 160 top ten’s, 97 top tens and 9 wins.

Drivers have included; Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Dave Blaney, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric and more.

Related: Brad Keselowski wants a new NASCAR racecar design

Read the closing statement from the owner of Brad Keselowski Racing below.

Brad Keselowski Racing closed in 2018
Brad Keselowski Racing shop

Saying Goodbye

—The following is a message from Brad Keselowski—

Today, I had to do one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done: tell my employees that Brad Keselowski Racing would be closing down its truck racing teams.

From an emotional standpoint, there aren’t a lot of things in motorsports that have meant more to me than BKR. The truck team operation started in 2007 with Robb Brent, a local racer from where I’m from in Michigan. My family’s truck team had just gone out of business, so I helped him run a few ARCA and truck races, and my uncle—who also ran in the truck series—helped us out, too. By 2011, we had grown into a full-time operation, and we continued in the Camping World Truck Series with our first full-time driver, Parker Kligerman, which was great.

But this, our seventh year competing full time, will be our last for the foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean I’m done being an owner for the rest of my life. It is my goal to continue to have a deeper role in the sport. I’ve been afforded some different opportunities to do that, whether it be as a member of driver councils, or roles that I have picked up within Penske.

I can’t explain every reason why I’ve made this decision, but I want to talk a little more about the thinking behind it. I also want to share some of my experiences running BKR, to express my gratitude toward everyone who’s made BKR possible, and to give you a little glimpse into what’s coming next.

Brad Keselowski Racing closed following 2017
Brad Keselowski Racing shop

WHY NOW

Like I said, this was a really hard decision to make. I’ve anguished over it for probably the last four or five months. In the end, there just were a lot of factors that, taken together, made it difficult for me to continue to operate a team in the truck series.

My contract with Team Penske and the process related to it were definitely a consideration. It is tougher to get deals done now, and it’s only going to get harder. I’m no longer a driver who’s just starting out, and as I get older, it’s more difficult to justify losing money, especially as I look toward the future.

Along those lines, some of you may be wondering whether the new NASCAR rules about how many races a driver could run played a part in this. It wasn’t connected to that at all.

Brad Keselowski Racing closing in 2018
Brad Keselowski Racing ran it’s first season in 2008

MEMORIES

One of the hardest parts of closing BKR is saying goodbye to everything we’ve accomplished. There’s so much I’m proud of. The first few years I owned the truck team, I didn’t have a job with another team as a driver, so being part of it gave me a lot of meaningful experience on the track and off it. We were able to generate enough revenue to open the BKR shop. That was a big highlight for us. Being able to buy back my parents’ old race team hauler and use it—that meant a lot to me, too. I’m also incredibly grateful to our sponsors. In particular, Cooper Standard and Draw Tite/Reese have been a tremendous part of our success, and I thank them for being there for us.

Brad Keselowski Racing shop
Brad Keselowski Racing shop

Above everything, I’m proudest of all the people we helped in their careers. There are tire changers who started with us—and had never changed a tire before—who are now in the Cup series. The same goes for our drivers. Being able to help Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hemric to reach the Xfinity series makes me feel like we’ve been doing our part to give back to the sport.

Then, of course, there were the on-track wins. Watching Ryan get us our first-ever win in Iowa in 2012 was special. Getting my first truck series win in 2014 at Bristol was pretty great, too. I’d never been able to get it together behind the wheel of a truck, and I finally did. When Tyler won at Daytona in 2015, that was really, really cool. That was the first measurable level of success anyone in my family had ever had at Daytona. It meant a lot. So did Joey Logano’s win later that season at Martinsville. And then we had that one-two finish last year in Las Vegas with Tyler and Daniel, and that was a real indicator of just how far we’d come.

As an owner, I’ll miss a lot of things. I like having a role in the garage, and it’s a really different feeling watching something you own race versus driving it. There is a deeper connection to the people. When you’re driving, you’re focused on, “How do I get the most out of this car?” When you’re the owner, you are focused on, “How do I get the most out of these people, and this structure, and this leadership role?” It’s just two different worlds. Of course, being an owner has helped me as a driver in a lot of ways, too. It’s definitely made me a lot more understanding with everyone I work with.

Finally, this decision really hits home for me personally because, for the first time in a long while, the Keselowski name won’t be part of the truck series. I’m bummed about that for myself and for my family.

BKR closing - NASCAR Truck Series Team
BRISTOL, TN – AUGUST 16: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #29 Cooper Standard Ford, drives during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 16, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

WHAT’S NEXT

As far as the BKR facility goes, it’s going to play a key role in a new business endeavor I’m planning to undertake. I’m not ready to announce what we’re doing, but I’m a big believer in manufacturing, especially advanced manufacturing. We’re looking at developing a new technology that will be relevant to motorsports, and to the broader marketplace, too. Stay tuned.

If I’m able to do what I want successfully, it will give me a pathway back to being an owner. One of the things I’ve learned from Roger Penske is the importance of having a successful core business outside of motorsports. If you have a successful business venture outside of motorsports, you can kind of roll with the ebbs and flows of the sport as an owner. That’s the position I want to be in, and that I’ll need to be in to be an owner who lasts in NASCAR.

As we close the doors of BKR, one of the things that is really important to me is helping our employees find new jobs. With that in mind, we’re going to transition a number of the employees in different of ways. Some of them may go to Team Penske as part of the team for Ryan Blaney’s new car, and I’m really excited for those guys. They’ve got an incredible opportunity. Some of our other workers are going to stay with me in other roles. My hope is that everyone will land smoothly in their next job, whatever that turns out to be.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make BKR a success. It was a dream come true, and I’m glad it was something we could share together. I don’t know where the road is going to take us next, but this is only a stop. There will be other destinations in motorsports to come. My journey as an owner is just beginning.

Brad Keselowski Racing team closed
Brad Keselowski Racing wins at Bristol Motor Speedway
Links

Brad Keselowski Racing
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Brad Keselowski
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Team Penske
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NASCAR
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