From Nationwide Series to driver of iconic 'Blue Deuce'

Oh, how things might have been different had Brad Keselowski backed off. He was primarily a Nationwide Series driver last April, competing in a handful of Sprint Cup events for James Finch's race team. Although Rick Hendrick was keeping an eye on him, he didn't exactly have owners from NASCAR's premier circuit banging on his door. And then came the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway, where Carl Edwards came down the race track, Keselowski held his line at the bottom -- and everything changed.

Where would he be had things unfolded differently?

Moving on

It's been one year since Carl Edwards' infamous flight at Talladega thanks to Brad Keselowski. As the drivers return, both say they wouldn't hesitate to draft with each other again.

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• Talladega race video

"You know, a lot of great things have happened to me the last 12 months, and, you know, coming back to Talladega is a great chance to reflect upon that. But to know where I'd be, geez, man, it's so hard. It's so hard to label that," said Keselowski, now driver of Penske Racing's No. 12 car, and defending champion of Sunday's event on the 2.66-mile track. "There are so many different options that were out there, and different paths that my life could have gone down. I don't even know. I don't even know where to answer that question. I'm just thankful for the opportunities I do have."

As a championship contender and race winner on the Nationwide tour, Keselowski was clearly ticketed for NASCAR's big time before that fateful day in north Alabama, but his rise began in earnest in that moment he and Edwards barreled toward the finish line. As part of a JR Motorsports outfit co-owned by Hendrick, he was already having some conversations about where he might fit into the organization long-term. His cold-blooded victory at Talladega, where he stubbornly held his position at the bottom of the race track even though it inadvertently sent Edwards spinning up into the catchfence, made him the sport's hottest commodity overnight.

"That certainly got me a lot of phone calls," he said.

Including one from Roger Penske, like Keselowski a Michigan native, who had an open seat available by virtue of David Stremme's release. The two connected, and after consulting with friend and mentor Dale Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski made the move. Now he's on the brink of another, one that will put him behind the wheel of his organization's best-known car: the No. 2 made famous by Rusty Wallace, and currently piloted by Kurt Busch. Miller Brewing Co., the vehicle's primary sponsor, announced Wednesday that it is switching to Keselowski while Busch will move to a No. 22 car backed by Shell/Pennzoil.

What a difference a year has made for the 26-year-old Keselowski, who is enduring something of a rough rookie season -- he's 25th in Sprint Cup points, and without a top-10 finish in eight starts this year. But 12 months ago he was a Nationwide driver, and now he's slated to take over the "Blue Deuce," one of NASCAR's most famous rides.

"That car is an icon," Keselowski said. "It's a car that I grew up watching, even when it was black and gold with Rusty, and everything that he did with it ... . That was just a cool car, and it's a legendary car that sends shivers down your spine, again, even about the opportunity to drive it. Just really humbled at that opportunity, and glad to be wanted. I think that's a great feeling, and I'm just ready to get out there and mix it up in a car that's not just a car, it's an icon."

• Changes at Penske for '11
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It's part of a sponsorship reshuffle for Penske's organization, which is losing Mobil 1 as primary sponsor of its No. 77 car, but whose network of automobile dealerships almost certainly helped lure Shell/Pennzoil from Richard Childress Racing. For Keselowski, the benefits are manifold -- from the step up in stature and visibility that comes with being connected with a high-profile sponsor, to the parties and nightlife opportunities that go along with being backed by a brewery.

But he's most pleased by the implied stability that comes with being a part of the longest-running sponsorship-team marriage in NASCAR, a deal that's been in effect for 20 years and was extended with Wednesday's announcement. Keselowski's current No. 12 car is backed by a collection of sponsors including Verizon, which has to leave its name off Sprint Cup vehicles because of Sprint's exclusivity at NASCAR's highest level.

"The key words are solidifying our future and giving some validity to our program," he said. "Obviously when you have rotating sponsors every week, there's some confusion that goes with that, not just with the fans but also with the team itself. So to be able to look the guys in the eye [Wednesday] morning and tell them that's what we are going to do next year, and see their faces and see how excited they were about it, to know that there's a solid future ahead for not just me but for everyone on my team, that's so important, so very important. This is a people sport, and you know, when those people believe in you and believe in the company and the team that you drive for, it carries you a long ways."