Head2Head: Keselowski making the right decision?

This is really simple. Every stock-car driver dreams of one thing: making it big in the Cup Series. To excel in the sport's highest level, that's what racers want to do.

And when someone offers you the opportunity -- you take it. You don't sit around and wait for a potentially better one to come around, especially when the offer is from one of the better organizations in the sport.

That's exactly what Brad Keselowski did. He was offered a better than average ride with Penske Racing and he accepted. Would he have liked to remain at Hendrick? Probably, but his future there was cloudy.

It's nice that Mr. Hendrick says all the right things about Keselowski, but actions speak louder than words, and the fact is there is no room for Keselowski at Hendrick. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. aren't going anywhere and who knows when Mark Martin will finally hang it up.

So Keselowski would be forced to remain in the Nationwide Series, all the while losing valuable time that he could be spending in the premier circuit. It doesn't make sense.

At Penske, Keselowski is in good equipment, has a champion mentoring him in Kurt Busch, and more importantly, will be racing each and every week against the best competition in the world.

To suggest Keselowski turn down the offer at Penske to remain a Nationwide driver at Hendrick is ludicrous. Keselowski has earned the right to run in Cup and it would be a mistake for him to pass on it.

Rick Hendrick once called Brad Keselowski "the future of Hendrick Motorsports." Now, one has to wonder if Hendrick Motorsports will ever be in Brad Keselowski's future. If not, it's a lose-lose situation for team owner and talented young driver alike.

Brad Keselowski opting for a full-time gig at Penske over a part-time -- and eventual full-time -- ride at Hendrick Motorsports is like a high school graduate dumping his longtime sweetheart (who just happens to be drop-dead gorgeous) for lesser prospects because he didn't want to wait a year to see her every day in college.

With HMS, Keselowski would be amongst familiar faces, including his Nationwide Series owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. His teammates would be stars of the sport -- veteran drivers combining for at least seven Sprint Cup championships and 143 wins. Many drivers would give various limbs for such resources.

With Penske, he can lean on Kurt Busch ... but the next best thing is Sam Hornish Jr., who is just getting the hang of cars with fenders. Keselowski could have been in top-notch equipment, allowing him to maximize his talent. Instead, he'll be bottlenecked driving the No. 12 car (which has seen as many top-10 finishes this season as I have).

I realize Keselowski has the talent to race in NASCAR's premier series now, but sadly patience was a virtue that the young hot-shoe didn't possess. Long-term legend for the sport's juggernaut team or stumbles and struggles in the near-term? I think Keselowski made the wrong choice.