Menu
Driving the No. 2 Team Penske Dodge, Brad Keselowski recorded five wins and 23 top-10 finishes in 36 races to secure the first NASCAR Cup Series title for himself and iconic team owner Roger Penske.
A second-generation racer, Keselowski began driving on the short tracks near his hometown of Rochester Hills, Michigan. He then followed his father, Bob, into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004.
Keselowski made his Xfinity Series debut in 2006 and his first Cup Series start came two years later. Following stints with JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, he joined Team Penske for the 2010 season.
The combination of team owner Penske, crew chief Paul Wolfe and Keselowski produced three wins during the 2011 season.
The 2012 campaign got off to a rocky start, however, as Keselowski fought through a difficult stretch of double-digit finishes before getting his championship quest on track.
A March 18 win at Bristol helped heal the wounds generated by 32nd-place finishes at Daytona and Las Vegas, but a 36th-place effort at Texas left him deep in the standings.
Morale was fading and Keselowski had to rally his No. 2 team back to winning form.
A win on May 6 at Talladega Superspeedway and top-10 finishes over the next six weeks kept Keselowski in the top 10. A June 30 victory at Kentucky and eight more top-10 results through the Sept. 8 race at Richmond elevated him to second in the title chase.
With his win at Chicago the next week, Keselowski moved into the points lead. A final win at Dover two weeks later and five top-10 efforts during the final seven races placed Keselowski 39 points ahead of Clint Bowyer in the final standings.
PRESIDENT: BARACK OBAMA
NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: THE AVENGERS
MOVIES TO WATCH: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES AND THE HUNGER GAMES
NO. 1 SONG: “SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW” BY GOTYE FEATURING KIMBRA
GALLON OF GAS: $3.60
POP CULTURE: “THE WALKING DEAD” TELEVISION SERIES WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS AS IT BECAME THE MOST-WATCHED DRAMA-SERIES IN BASIC CABLE HISTORY.
California native Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, recorded five wins, 24 top-10 finishes and two pole positions in 36 starts during the 2012 season. Johnson’s statistics were very similar to those accumulated by champion Brad Keselowski, but six DNFs derailed Johnson’s hopes for a sixth title. He ended up third, one point behind runner-up Clint Bowyer. Keselowski, Johnson and Denny Hamlin each went to Victory Lane five times.
On Aug. 12, Australian Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, led only eight laps on his way to victory at Watkins Glen International, holding off Brad Keselowski to win by .571 seconds. Kyle Busch had the lead at the white flag but was running out of gas. He spun after being tapped by Keselowski, and Ambrose then passed Keselowski after he had a problem with two corners remaining.
Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Miller Dodge won five times while posting 23 top-10 results in 36 starts.
Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing 5-Hour Energy Toyota notched three victories with 23 top-10 finishes.
DATE | LOCATION | WINNER
Feb. 27 | Daytona International Speedway | Matt Kenseth
March 4 | Phoenix Raceway | Denny Hamlin
March 11 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Tony Stewart
March 18 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Brad Keselowski
March 25 | Auto Club Speedway | Tony Stewart
April 1 | Martinsville Speedway | Ryan Newman
April 14 | Texas Motor Speedway | Greg Biffle
April 22 | Kansas Speedway | Denny Hamlin
April 28 | Richmond Raceway | Kyle Busch
May 6 | Talladega Superspeedway | Brad Keselowski
May 12 | Darlington Raceway | Jimmie Johnson
May 27 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Kasey Kahne
June 3 | Dover Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
June 10 | Pocono Raceway | Joey Logano
June 17 | Michigan International Speedway | Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
June 24 | Sonoma Raceway | Clint Bowyer
June 30 | Kentucky Motor Speedway | Brad Keselowski
July 7 | Daytona International Speedway | Tony Stewart
July 15 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Kasey Kahne
July 29 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
Aug. 5 | Pocono Raceway | Jeff Gordon
Aug. 12 | Watkins Glen International | Marcos Ambrose
Aug. 19 | Michigan International Speedway | Greg Biffle
Aug. 25 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin
Sept. 2 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin
Sept. 8 | Richmond Raceway | Clint Bowyer
Sept. 16 | Chicago land Speedway | Brad Keselowski
Sept. 23 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Denny Hamlin
Sept. 30 | Dover Motor Speedway | Brad Keselowski
Oct. 7 | Talladega Superspeedway | Matt Kenseth
Oct. 13 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Clint Bowyer
Oct. 21 | Kansas Speedway | Matt Kenseth
Oct. 28 | Martinsville Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
Nov. 4 | Texas Motor Speedway | Jimmie Johnson
Nov. 11 | Phoenix Raceway | Kevin Harvick
Nov. 18 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Jeff Gordon
