An ownership stake and a leadership platform that would craft his legacy as one of NASCAR’s iconic driver-owners. That’s what Brad Keselowski desired in 2021, when he was on his way to making arguably the biggest gamble of his career. In hindsight, it did pay off. RFK Racing completely transformed. But the reputation he built could have been completely different had he struck a deal with Denny Hamlin at the time.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Hamlin, at the time, was just laying the foundations of 23XI Racing, a team that is today a competitor in the postseason. And to help him do that, he turned to Keselowski, who actually ended up feeling undervalued.
“I just think back to when he left Penske. I think I contacted Brad about driving at 23XI, and Brad was very firm on ‘I want this amount of money and ownership.’ I was like, ‘Whoa, what?” Hamlin revealed on his Actions Detrimental podcast.
“He was very steadfast that that’s what he believes his value is. It was a lot!”
Keselowski spent 11 years with Penske before considering a bold switch. He had been immensely successful, winning 36 races and the 2012 Cup Series championship. So, glory as a driver was clearly not the only thing he was looking for. And considering the scale of the gamble he was taking, it is easy to see why he felt he deserved more. After all, there was no guarantee that Keselowski would have succeeded at 23XI Racing.
Hamlin would have related at the time, because he too was taking a big risk, albeit not with his driving career like Keselowski was.
Hamlin explained that he had considered investing in other race teams before creating 23XI. But he never felt he would have enough influence to make the investment worthwhile. He wanted enough of a stake in the organization to help determine how it was run, which is why he understood Keselowski’s desire for control.
As for Keselowski, Penske could not offer him an ownership stake. Roger Penske had revealed in 2021 that the organization’s corporate structure would simply not allow that. Roush Fenway Racing approached, and they put pen to paper on a five-year deal that gave Keselowski what he wanted at the time.
Keselowski joined the organization ahead of the 2022 season as both a driver and co-owner, with the team also giving him the title of ‘Head of Competition’. With that, he transformed a struggling team into a playoff contender. Alas, the same desire to keep control of his career has now contributed to another major turning point.
RFK announced that Keselowski will leave after the 2026 season, with president Chip Bowers explaining that the organization wanted him to transition more heavily into competition management. On the other hand, Keselowski wanted to continue driving for the foreseeable future. Where he lands up, and whether or not it’s in an ownership role once again, remains to be seen.
Brad Keselowski Responds to Hamlin’s claim
Keselowski did not stay silent for too long following Hamlin’s revelation that he wanted more money and bigger status than what 23XI offered. He took to X on Wednesday, saying:
“Since Denny put this out of his own accord, I can confirm that an offer was made for me to join his team…
“At the time of the offer (Roughly April 2021), RFR had gone to contract with their offer, and it was ready to sign. I was very interested in the opportunity and offered them a quick match to gauge seriousness. Didn’t go any further, so here we are. The story of the deals that didn’t come together could feed families for decades.”
So, Keselowski already knew where he would go after leaving Penske when Hamlin arrived with his offer. There was no negotiation. It was simply the 42-year-old taking a look at what the Joe Gibbs Racing star had to say.
He also hinted that there were other deals in the pipeline, which makes sense considering newer teams in the garage, like Kaulig Racing and Trackhouse Racing, were looking for a veteran to help them find their feet.
Hamlin may have been surprised when Keselowski first named his price. But looking at everything that followed, it is clear that Brad knew exactly what he wanted. He can now leave RFK Racing knowing he can turn a team around. He leaves it in a much better place than he found it.