The agreement to make Brad Keselowski a driver and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season was finalized quite some time ago.
The worst kept secret regarding the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season was finally verified on Tuesday when Roush Fenway Racing announced that current Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski will become not only a driver but also a co-owner of the organization beginning next year.
Keselowski is expected to replace Ryan Newman behind the wheel of the #6 Ford in 2022, with Chris Buescher behind the wheel of the #17 Ford, after 12 seasons as a full-time driver for Team Penske.
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For a few months, this move was considered the sport’s worst kept secret before it was officially verified. The 2012 series winner was supposed to have been offered this role back in May, and numerous sources said it was a likely move. Later, those same sources referred to it as a “done deal.”
It took over a month for it to be confirmed, but it was ultimately done.
Roush Fenway Racing’s respect for Team Penske’s driver lineup decision for 2022 was one of the main reasons for the delay in announcing the arrangement.
Roush Fenway Racing made the Keselowski switch official as Roger Penske’s team stated that Austin Cindric will be moved from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series to pilot the #2 Ford that Keselowski now drives. But how long had this agreement between Roush Fenway Racing and the 37-year-old Rochester Hills, Michigan-based team been in place?
According to team president Steve Newmark, it was done months before the story first surfaced in mid-May. He stated that this transaction was completed in March.
So, while this was deemed the “worst kept secret” regarding the 2022 driver lineup, it was actually maintained fairly effectively under wraps by all parties concerned.
Both Roger Penske and Keselowski have made comments regarding renewing Keselowski’s contract for 2022 since March. But that was not to be.
While Penske was surprised that Keselowski wanted to leave the only team for which he had ever driven full-time in the Cup Series, he was unwilling to provide him with an ownership position in the team, which was a deal breaker for Keselowski.
The former owner of the Brad Keselowski Racing Truck Series team (2008-2017) has always expressed a desire to pursue team ownership in the Cup Series, and now he has the opportunity.
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