In my next interview, I had the honor of speaking with Brian Keselowski. Brian is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski. He is a past winner in the ARCA Racing Series and is a competitor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driving the no. 92 Chevrolet Impala for K-Automotive Motorsports. Here is my interview with Brian.
Q: Imagine yourself not as a driver but as a race fan, if you were to do a ride along with any driver other than yourself, who would you choose, which track and why?
Brian K: Harry Gant would be the first one. He was really good at a time when the sport was changing to a more younger driver and super team way of doing things. Small team and great driver.
Q: If you could have a track named after you, what kind of track would it be and where would it be located?
Brian K: Track would not be named after me but would be named Motorcity Speedway in Downtown Detroit. 18 degree banking, wide turns, 3/4 mile.
Q: What is your most memorable race?
Brian K: Most memorable race would be the 2011 Daytona 500 qualifying race. We didn’t have a lot of money, but worked hard on our car, and it handled really well when getting pushed. Brad pushed me to the front a few times and I finished 5th in my first ever Cup race. Was an amazing feeling that I will never forget.
Q: Who would you consider to be NASCAR’s bad boy? Golden boy?
Brian K: Bad boy, Kyle Busch. He is a great driver but always cast in a negative light, a lot by his own doing, but still portrayed negatively. Golden boy, Jimmie Johnson. They always seem to get the right breaks when they need them. As a racer, you have to put yourself in a position to get those breaks though. They are simply the best at doing that.
Q: What advice would you give someone who wanted to be a race car driver?
Brian K: Best advice. Drive a car with a lot of power. Figure out how to make it turn and hookup. Don’t stay at just one track, learn a lot of different style tracks. And get good at one division, but don’t stay there too long. Keep moving up and challenging yourself.
