Smack: Penske move has Keselowski on fast track

1. Did Brad Keselowski make the right decision to sign with Penske Racing for 2010?

David Caraviello: Yes. Hey, I understand that in a perfect would, he would have liked to have stayed aligned with JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports. But you have to take the options that are available, not wait on an option that may or may not become reality. Given that, he absolutely made the right call.

Joe Menzer: Well, what was Brad supposed to do? Wait on something to fall into place at Hendrick? Even though last year Mr. H said BK was "the future" at Hendrick Motorsports, the timing was all off by a year or more. And he's ready for Cup racing now.

Raygan Swan: I think it was time in his career to make the next move, and Penske was the only viable option on the table. He's had a couple of seasons running the Truck Series and three in Nationwide, on top of 10 Cup starts. He couldn't afford to stay at JR Motorsports another season. It is essential in his development that he move on the to the next level and keep learning these new cars in the Cup Series.

David Caraviello: I think he hoped to swing some kind of Cup deal that would allow him to continue to drive the Nationwide car at JR Motorsports. Hey, that's laudable. Loyalty is a good thing. But it's not always practical. Very big of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to tell him to take the leap with Penske.

Joe Menzer: He couldn't afford to wait one more minute before going Cup racing full-time. And like y'all pointed out, Penske was his best option for 2010 at this point. Now what is most interesting to me about the whole deal is how Mr. H said he "would come and find" BK when the time was right. And he even added to make sure reporters told other owners that.

David Caraviello: And yet, the folks at Penske said Tuesday that this is a multi-year deal, and there are no plans for him to go back there. And even Brad said this is a long-term step for him. So it doesn't sound like he's just in the No. 12 car to bide his time.

Joe Menzer: Who knows what happens down the line, but this is not like a deal where Brad will gain experience at Penske for a year or two and then bolt to Hendrick. At least I don't see it that way. The loyalty he has shown to Junior now is likely to be transferred to Penske.

Career-maker

Brad Keselowski will admit, it was the hardest decision he's ever had to make. But having the blessing of Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it a little easier.

• Complete story
• Keselowski to join Penske

David Caraviello: Joe, I would hope Brad is smart enough to not take this ride with an eye toward something else. Let's face it -- there aren't a lot of top-level rides open out there for next year. Even good drivers cannot afford to be choosy in this environment. Landing a job with a team that's going to put the No. 2 car in the Chase is an absolute home run.

Raygan Swan: I agree, but if they can't consistently give him a competitive car week in and week out on the 12 team, then I can't see him staying. But he does appear to be loyal, and I think he learned that from his father Bob, the ARCA champ. But like David said, where else would he go? His options are limited.

Joe Menzer: I think the 12 car can be competitive with someone else driving it. Listen, David Stremme is a nice guy and all, but this is twice now where he has failed to get it done in a pretty decent ride. It should be different with BK behind the wheel.

David Caraviello: That's the whole key -- the state of the 12 team. How much of it was Stremme, and how much was everything else? You'd like to think this is the same group that won all those races with Ryan Newman, but that was a long time ago. We should find out quickly what kind of potential that 12 team really has. But you'd have to think, given Kurt Busch's success and Sam Hornish's progress, that the pieces are there. It all goes back to those Penske "resources" we've all heard about for so many years, and whether this organization as a whole can take that next big step up.

Raygan Swan: Maybe they need an overhaul, scrap the whole bunch and start fresh. And yes I'm officially convinced Stremme belongs in the Nationwide Series permanently. Sorry, but a second chance like that doesn't come around very often and he did little with it.

David Caraviello: Raygan will no longer be receiving Christmas cards from the Stremme household.

Joe Menzer: She's just speaking the truth, man!

Raygan Swan: Yeah Joe, speaking the truth! He pointed the finger at the Ganassi operation for his poor performance, so I had high expectations for him this season. Maybe Brad can hire him on to the family team.

Joe Menzer: What I'm wondering is, why the heck they don't just pull Stremme from that car now and put BK in it? Probably because of BK's contractual commitments to others (i.e. Hendrick and JR Motorsports) this season. But man, that could make a difference for next year.

David Caraviello: They say they have no plans to do that, Joe. I would think it would have to do with Brad's intentions to finish out the year strong on the Nationwide side and make one last big title push for his buddy Dale Jr.

Joe Menzer: Yeah, if he's still under contract to Hendrick as well as he obviously is with JR Motorsports, there is that Chevy-Dodge conflict. And why would Mr. H give him/them a jump on next year? I mean, Junior and Mr. H love BK and all, but business is business. You don't want to help the competition -- and that's what BK essentially is now. (Continued)