Brad Keselowski kicked off his NASCAR career in the Craftsman Truck Series, debuting in 2004 with limited starts and achieving a best result of 16th at Mansfield. In 2005, he ran a full season for SUBcrews.com and Samson Stone, scoring a single top 10 finish at Daytona and ending the year 21st in the standings. But it all changed in 2007 for the 2012 Cup Series champion.

NASCAR veteran Ted Musgrave deep-dived into how he helped propel Brad’s career. Reflecting on that instance, Musgrave has made it clear that he is still mad at the RFK driver who didn’t thank him for the seat and went on to take over his sponsorship.

Ted Musgrave opens up about the brutal truth behind Brad Keselowski’s Truck Series career

Keselowski’s big break came unexpectedly at the 2007 Memphis race. With Ted Musgrave suspended after a dangerous on-track incident, the 41-year-old jumped into the No. 9 Germain Racing Truck. He owned the pole, led early, and nearly pulled off a win, only to get spun late and finish 16th. That strong showing under pressure caught the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who recruited him for JR Motorsports, turning a near miss into a career-defining moment. However, credit goes to Ted Musgrave, as it all started with him.

Reflecting on the switch-up, speaking on the DJD, Ted Musgrave finally opened up about the moment he changed Keselowski’s career. He said, “I said, ‘I’ve been thinking, why can’t we put Brad Keselowski in this thing?’ That’s right. I said, “He’s my same height, same weight, kind of just built like I am. He’s not doing anything.’ And I know from the previous year or two, he came and filled in for Kelly Sutton in a truck. And I watched him because I was following for a little bit. I said, ‘This guy can get around this racetrack. He’s got a knack for Memphis.'”

It is no secret that Ted Musgrave struggled when he moved to Germain Racing after a successful stint at Ultra Motorsports. He disliked the highly specialized track, complete with non-standard spindles and shocks that felt worlds apart from the refined and familiar Ultra setup. So much so that Musgrave asked for the Memphis truck to be reconfigured like it was at Ultra, seeking comfort in what had previously worked.

Just before the Memphis race, in Milwaukee, Musgrave retaliated after a wreck with Kelly Bires, ramming into him again post-crash. NASCAR deemed the move a serious safety violation and suspended Musgrave for the next race. The Germain manager, Mike Hillman Senior, called Musgrave to inform him of the suspension and that Randy LaJoie would be getting that seat. But Musgrave pushed back, arguing it would double the crew’s workload due to seat and setup changes.

That is when Musgrave made a pivotal suggestion to slot Brad Keselowski into the No. 9 Truck. Musgrave pointed out they are similar in stature and noted that Brad was out of a ride after Keith Coleman Racing folded. With that, Keselowski took over, setting the stage for his breakout, winning the pole and nearly taking victory, which launched his rapid rise through the NASCAR ranks. But Musgrave isn’t entirely happy with Brad Keselowski.

Musgrave added, “So I finally convinced them to put Brad in it. This is a story that people don’t know the truth about, you know. So I convinced them, put him in there. Sure enough, he goes out there, wins a pole, almost wins the race. That truck’s good, isn’t it? You know, so that caught your eye, caught a lot of other people’s eyes, and put Brad on the map. But the only thing is, I’m still pissed off about—he never once thanked me. He’s never once said, ‘Thank you for putting me in.’ And then about a year or two later, he tried to steal my sponsor. Team ASE. Double whammy.”

During Ted Musgrave’s time at Germain Racing, ASE, a long-standing and trusted partner of the series, backed his No. 9 truck. ASE had originally sponsored Ultra Motorsports and continued supporting Musgrave even after the team transitioned to Germain. Their involvement helped underscore the significance of seasoned sponsorship relations in NASCAR development tiers, and Musgrave confirmed that Brad attempted to lure his sponsorship. Meanwhile, fast forward to today, and the 2012 NASCAR Cup champion is facing other issues altogether.

Keselowski just went off on the tires at Richmond, and now, as he struggles to find his way into the playoffs, one veteran has shown faith in him.

Brad Keselowski is the top pick for Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR finale regular season round

NASCAR’s regular season finale is set for a high-stakes showdown at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, and a few places serve up more drama than the 2.5-mile superspeedway. With the playoff grid about to slam shut, Kevin Harvick is putting his money on one man to steal the spotlight: Brad Keselowski.

Brad Keselowski, sitting 19th in the standings, has yet to taste victory this season. For the RFK Racing veteran, the math is brutally simple: win at Daytona or watch the playoffs from the sidelines. The rules are clear: 16 drivers make the cut, a wind locks you in, and if the spots aren’t filled by winners, they go to the highest points. But with Daytona chaos, nothing is guaranteed. On the Happy Hour podcast, Harvick didn’t hesitate to back the 2012 Cup champion.

Hinting at a potentially electrifying upset, Harvick said, “I’m going to go with another guy that needs to get back to Victory Lane, Brad Keselowski. That would mark his first win of the season as well.” Still, Keselowski’s road glory is anything but easy. This year, he has managed just four top-five finishes and has struggled to command the front of the pack. With everything on the line, Daytona will be his toughest and most important fight of 2025.