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The future of Ford Racing in NASCAR planted its roots in Brad Keselowski Racing from 2013 to 2017. Since then, its drivers have become cornerstones of NASCAR Cup Series teams, racking up 25 Cup Series wins, 1 Cup Series Championship, 4 Xfinity Series Championships and a Daytona 500 win.
Like many developmental teams in NASCAR’s National Series, BKR was known to bring in the occasional Cup Driver to start a race for the team. Brad Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano did this consistently during the team’s prime run. Keselowski is a Cup Series Champion in his own right and would win one race in 25 starts for BKR. He is now races for RFK Racing, a Cup Series team he is a co-owner of. Logano has maintained his spot with Ford and Penske, where he has won two Cup Series Championships and a Daytona 500, with BKR Logano won once in six starts from 2013 to 2015.
Parker Kligerman raced for BKR from 2010 to 2012. The highlight of his time there was an 11th-place points finish in 2011 and a fifth-place run in 2012 in a half-season with the team. After departing the team partway through that 2012 season, Kligerman would win a race with Red Horse Racing at Talladega. Kligerman would race a full season for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Xfinity Series the following season. However, from 2014 to 2022, Kligerman failed to stick with a team bouncing between all three National Series despite winning two more Truck Series races in 2017 and 2022. Fortunately, Kligerman would team up with Big Machine Racing in 2023 in the Xfinity Series, a ride he has held ever since. Alongside his Xfinity Series duties, Kligerman is a pit reporter for NASCAR on NBC and hosts a podcast, “The Money Lap,” with Landon Cassill.
Ryan Blaney was BKR’s first success. A second-generation driver, much like Keselowski, Blaney joined the team as a developmental driver for Team Penske. In 58 races with the team, Blaney won four races and had a best points finish of second in 2014. Running part-time in multiple series, Blaney essentially skipped a full-time Xfinity Series schedule and ran his first full-time season in the Cup Series in 2016. Since then, Blaney has won 12 Cup Series races and the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Ross Chastain stopped off at BKR for 14 races in 2013. After this short stint, Ross would float around rides in all three NASCAR National Series. Chastain’s determination would lead to a relationship with Chip Ganassi. Set to become the next development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2019, many twists would lead to Ross once again having to prove himself. Chastain would finally debut CGR in the Cup Series in 2021. That same season the team would sell its assets to Trackhouse Racing for 2022, with Chastain staying on to drive their new second car. Since then, Chastain has won four Cup Series races and is a consistent championship contender.
Tyler Reddick would race for BKR from 2014 to 2016. Reddick would win three races for the team and finish third in Truck Series points in 2015. After leaving Ford, Reddick would drive in the Xfinity Series for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2017, JR Motorsports in 2018 and RCR in 2019. Reddick would win the Xfinity Series Championship in 2018 and 2019, leading to a full-time Cup Series debut for RCR in 2020. Reddick had a breakout year in 2023, winning three races before leaving for 23XI’s new 45 entry, where he has won three races in 58 starts for the young team.
Austin Cindric raced in 29 races for BKR from 2015 until the team’s closure in 2017. The son of Team Penske President Tim Cindric, the young driver was a developmental lock for Team Penske. In his final year with BKR, Cindric won one race and finished third in points. He would have a breakout year in the Xfinity Series in 2020 resulting in a Championship. He would go full-time in the Cup Series in 2022, taking over the two car from a departing Brad Keselowski. In his first race as a full-time driver, he won the Daytona 500 and has since won another race for Team Penske.
Austin Theriault is the most interesting case of all BKR drivers, having only raced in ten races in 2015 and 2016 for the team. After BKR, in 2017, he would run a full-time ARCA Menard Series schedule that would get Theriault seven wins and a championship. After this, Austin would make just seven more NASCAR National Series starts in 2018 and 2019 before making a career change. In 2022, Theriault, a Republican, would run for and win a seat in the Maine House of Representatives as a Representative of the First District. He is currently running for a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he would represent Maine’s Second District.
Daniel Hemric raced for BKR in 2016, scoring a sixth-place points finish. After this season, Hemric signed with RCR for 2017 to run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule. This pair would have show consistency, but no wins as Hemric moved to full-time Cup Series competition in 2019. This year would be a disappointment for Hemric and BKR alumnus Tyler Reddick would replace him in 2020. Hemric would race part-time for JR Motorsports in 2020 before Joe Gibbs Racing gave him an opportunity in 2021. This would pay off, and Hemric would win his first race and the 2021 Xfinity Series Championship. For 2022, Kauling Racing would sign Hemric to run in the Xfinity Series. This has resulted in a 2024 return to a full-time Cup Series Schedule for Hemric, where he has three top-tens in 22 races for Kauling.
Chase Briscoe ran alongside Austin Cindric in the team’s final season in 2017. That year, he finished sixth in points. He stayed with Ford in 2018, running a part-time Xfinity Series schedule for Roush-Fenway Racing, winning one race and moving to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity Series team in 2019. A consistent 2019 would turn into a nine-win 2020 campaign and a promotion to the 14 car in 2021. With the impending closure of Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of this season, Briscoe is set to drive the 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025.
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