Brad Keselowski Gets Contract, Bubba Wallace Could be Car Owner

If Roger Penske needed any prodding to resign Brad Keselowski to a new contract, the driver gave it to him Sunday in New Hampshire. Keselowski, with odds of 12/1, won the Foxwoods 301 for his third victory of the season.

Keselowski also won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24 and the Supermarket Heroes 500 a week later at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has 11 other top-10 finishes this season, which has him currently in third in the Cup Series standings.

The details of the contract weren’t disclosed, but Keselowski said in a statement that he’s happy with the arrangement. He’s been with Team Penske since 2009.

“It’s good to get it done and not have to worry about next year,” Keselowski said in a Monday afternoon appearance on NASCAR’s Instagram Live. “It can really wear on you quick, I can tell you that. Really happy to check that box and get that one out of my head so I can just focus on winning races and doing the best I can do on the race track. So, hopefully, it’ll just keep taking care of itself as I go, but I’m glad. I’ve got a great team that’s really coming together, and to not have to worry about that, I’m very thankful for.”

Contract Erases Doubt About Keselowski’s Future

When the 36-year-old entered the year, he was one of the most coveted free agents in NASCAR. It seemed, however, that Team Penske wasn’t in any hurry to resign him.

It was even more puzzling when Keselowski’s teammate, Ryan Blaney, was signed early in the season. Keselowski, however, told reporters in March he wasn’t concerned.

“I really haven’t thought about it,” Keselowski said. “I haven’t put any emphasis on it. I’ve been trying to … I had a baby over the offseason, trying to enjoy that. Then we had the team change right after that, trying to make the most of that and get off to the right start here the first few weeks.”

Now, though, all seems right with Team Penske. Keselowski can now concentrate on trying to win his third Cup Series Championship.

Petty Motorsports making Bubba Wallace Co-Owner?

With Keselowski’s contract taken care of, Bubba Wallace is now one of the most sought after free agents in NASCAR. Wallace, who is making as much news off the track as on it, is the sport’s only full-time African-American driver, and is currently in the last year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Forbes reported that majority owner Andrew Murstein offered Wallace an ownership stake in Richard Petty Motorsports. Murstein said it was a way of keeping him with the team.

“There’s a plethora of drivers,” Murstein told Forbes. “There is only one Bubba.”

Wallace has been involved in social activism and had a Black Lives Matter paint scheme on his car. He was also involved in getting the Confederate flag banned at NASCAR races.