Brad Keselowski: Nationwide Champion

Driver Brad Keselowski and team owner Roger Penske pose with the NASCAR Nationwide Series
Championship trophy at Texas Motor Speedway. (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Everyone was picking Kyle Busch to win Saturday's Nationwide race at Texas. No one could foresee what this race would entail. But one driver was trying to win not only his first championship, but also his owner’s first ever NASCAR championship. Could Brad Keselowski clench the 2010 Nationwide Series Championship?

Finishing the race in third, Keselowski made it official. For Keselowski, winning this championship is a dream come true. Brad got his start with JR Motorsports back in 2007, a ride that he took pride in. That’s one thing Brad does: every ride he has been offered he takes pride in. Being a fan as long as I have, seeing him get that championship yesterday was an amazing feeling; even my eyes watered some, for it clearly was an amazing sight to see.

“I’m so very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity with (crew chief) Paul Wolfe and Roger and everybody back at the shop, the guys that are there miss their kids’ Little League games working hard on my car,” Keselowski said as he jumped out of his racecar.

For car owner Roger Penske, it has been long due. A championship winner in IndyCar, but never a championship winner for NASCAR. But now, Roger Penske can finally have that championship.

“We’ve been in NASCAR a long, long time. To me, it’s like winning the Indy 500 for the first time. What can you say; it’s a team sport and a team effort. To me, that’s what we came here for. Paul Wolfe, the whole group, they worked their heart out and we got the results,” Penske said.

For Brad, it wasn’t an easy road. There was a point when Brad didn’t have a ride, when the family had to shut down their racing team. There were times Brad didn’t get to race, but that all changed when Brad signed with JRM and the rest is history.

Brad has gone from a Truck Series driver, to a Nationwide Series driver, to now a full-time Sprint Cup driver. Now a Nationwide champion, Brad has proven his will and talent, never backing down in any of the rides he has had. It wasn’t an easy road, but every step of the way has been worth it. Through the good and the bad, Keselowski kept his head held high, which paid off November 6, 2010, when he was crowned the Nationwide champion.

This season has been a whirlwind for sure. With the many things that happened this year, there was never a dull moment. In fact, it was a great season filled with crazy cautions and crazy rivals. But nothing can top seeing Brad Keselowski race that No. 22 to his first championship.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.