As was rumored late May, Brad Keselowski will head to Roush Fenway Racing in a driver/owner role after departing Team Penske at the end of 2021. According to Steve Newmark, president of Roush Fenway Racing, Keselowski will purchase a minority stake in the team.
“It’s a big dream of mine to be an owner and partner at the NASCAR level,” Keselowski said Tuesday during the NASCAR Hall of Fame announcement. “I’ve been studying my whole life for this moment and I’m ready for the test.”
Keselowski will assume the driving duties in the iconic No. 6 that was made famous with Jack Roush behind the wheel. In the announcement, Newmark commented that discussions are in process to determine if the current driver of the No. 6, Ryan Newman, will race in a part time role for next year – but the operation will remain at two fulltime rides.
Newman is still considering his options.
Roush Fenway Racing has 137 wins, but none in the last four seasons. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won twice in 2017 – both on plate tracks. There have been six different drivers behind the wheel of a Roush Ford since that last win with Newman joining the organization in 2019 and Chris Buescher coming aboard in 2020.
Keselowski’s announcement comes one week after Team Penske and the Wood Brothers announced their driver lineup for 2022 that includes Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric for Penske and Harrison Burton in the No. 21 that has a close affiliation with that organization.
With the pressure of the announcement off their collective shoulders, all three Penske drivers landed in the top five at New Hampshire. Keselowski was the top-finishing driver in third. That is his seventh top-five in 22 races this season, but one of these was a victory on the aero-restricted track of Talladega Superspeedway that will lock him into the playoffs.
The No. 21 with Matt DiBenedetto finished one position outside the top 10 in 11th.
Newman finished a lap off the pace in 24th. The other Roush Fenway driver, Buescher finished 29th after sustaining crash damage during the race.
An announcement has not been made about Buescher’s contract status beyond 2021 but in May when they announced Fastenal would continue as sponsor, the team has stated they expect him their arrangement with Buescher to las “through the next three years of the Fastenal relationship, but well beyond that as well.”