Brad Keselowksi’s first year with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing didn’t go as well as he might have expected.
The 2012 champion departed Team Penske for RFK in a driver/owner position. It was expected that Keselowksi would improve the team and would be a contender for the Cup title.
However, it turned out to be a disappointing year for both the driver and the team as Keselowski finished 24 in the standings with no wins, compared to finishing sixth in the 2021 season. He also failed to make the playoffs in the 2022 season.
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Nonetheless, a new season brings new excitement and energy. But there are mixed feelings so far for the driver/owner, who is both happy with the progress but also frustrated with the lack of it.
“I probably have some of those feelings every day at RFK — a little bit of a mixture,” Keselowksi said .
“I think that’s a healthy sign that at least we’re getting somewhere and we have the drive to do it.”
Brad Keselowski says every day he is happy with the progress and frustrated with not enough progress RFK is making. pic.twitter.com/VuXiUpoYmh
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 28, 2023
It was the first time since his first full season as a Cup driver in 2010 that Keselowski failed to win a single race. While the disappointments of the previous season loom still, the No. 6 Ford driver is in no particular rush to start the new season.
“I’m not in a particular rush to get the season started because we have a lot of really active projects through the winter and fall that are based off of key learnings of our first year together,” he said. “And I want to see those mature.”
Keselowski might not have won RFK race in his first season but his teammate Chris Buescher did win one, which was RFK’s first since July 2017.
Now entering his second year, a more settled Keselowski will be hoping to make a bigger impact on his team.