It’s no secret the effect Rick Hendrick has on Brad Keselowski. Just two months ago, the 41-year-old driver couldn’t help but praise Mr. H, saying, “Rick Hendrick was probably the best people I’ve ever seen in my life. Understood how to motivate people, how to push them to be their best, while still holding them accountable.”  And now with Ford’s big announcement coming through for the 2027 season, Keselowski is highly motivated.

What started as a single line in an interview about Ford’s next big program hints at something bigger. As Ford is committing to building a hypercar to participate in the Le Mans, Brad Keselowski may have just taken a few notes from Rick Hendrick’s leadership book, and now the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion has dropped the hammer.

Brad Keselowski is ready to take on more responsibilities

When the Michigan native was asked about adding another feather to his cap, Keselowski’s answer was point-blank. He said, “Ford is building a hypercar for 2027 that is going to compete at Le Mans and maybe the United States. And if it competes in the United States, I’d like to own that team.”

When Will Ford said, “This is not a marketing exercise,” he wasn’t playing around. The Ford Racing general manager drove this point home, underscoring the program’s genuine intent and its importance in advancing Ford’s broader performance and electrification goals. And now Ford is committing to a factory hypercar/LMDh program aimed at the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027, and Keselowski has publicly signaled interest in running the effort if it appears on US soil.

To understand why the 41-year-old’s remark echoes Hendrick, look to Le Mans’ Garage 56 program. Garage 56 is a special Le Mans slot reserved for an innovative, non-standard entry, a showcase rather than a conventional class entrant. In 2023, Hendrick Motorsports teamed with NASCAR, Chevrolet, IMSA, and Goodyear to adapt a NASCAR next-gen Camaro for Garage 56, bringing a high-profile US racing operation to the Le Mans stage and demonstrating how NASCAR expertise can be adapted for international endurance racing.

That project required heavy cross-organization cooperation (the ACO/Le Mans organizers, IMSA, and manufacturers,) and post there is appetite, and precedent, for US teams to bridge the NASCAR/Le Mans worlds. That’s exactly what Brad Keselowski aims to do.

The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion already wears two hats. One, being an active driver for RFK Racing, and two, co-owning the team. But if one looks closely, Keselowski has been planning this for a while now. Last year, he discussed expansion beyond Cup competition, even testing the waters towards sports car programs and extra entries. He said, “As NASCAR continues to get heavier and heavier into road course racing, I think that pedigree (IMSA) offers a lot of advantages to the ecosystem of a successful Cup team. I don’t see us on a path to a Xfinity or Truck team in the near future.”

And this may as well just be coming for RFK. The premier professional sports car racing series in the United States, IMSA first brought RFK Racing co-owner Jack Roush widespread recognition long before his NASCAR team debut in 1988. When Roush returned to IMSA and the Sports Car Club of America in 1984, he went on to dominate both arenas, securing 24 national championships, 12 manufacturer titles, 119 race victories, and an unprecedented streak of 10 straight sedan class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

RFK’s footprint in NASCAR, plus Keselowski’s road racing experience and public interest in IMSA-style expansion, make him a plausible steward for a US-based operation tied to Ford’s 2027 program. However, with no official statement yet, one can only pray and hope that the 41-year-old’s wish comes true.  But for now, Mr. H is busy battling it out with his old friend Joe Gibbs as the Phoenix weekend rolls out.

Rick Hendrick opens up about his rare appearances on the NASCAR front

As an owner of NASCAR’s most successful team, one expects Mr. H to be present on race day. Look at Joe Gibbs: the coach is always by his team’s side on Sundays, even sharing his insights on the race during media availabilities. But for Rick Hendrick, it’s getting more difficult as he laid out his health issues ahead of the Phoenix weekend.

He said, ” I think my job is during the week, when the crew chiefs are back here, knowing what they need. I’m trying to run 100 dealerships, and I’ve also had an operation on my leg, but I do have the ability to listen to every guy and to monitor what’s going on.”

At 76, Rick Hendrick continues to juggle several demanding roles. In addition to leading his NASCAR powerhouse, he has the Hendrick Automotive Group, one of the largest privately owned dealership networks in the US, boasting more than 130 retail franchisees across 14 states.

Balancing such an expensive business empire with his racing commitments naturally limited Hendrick’s ability to travel frequently, especially following a leg surgery earlier this year, according to team sources cited by FOX Sports.

However, Hendrick did provide some reassurance. With his trademark humor, he said, “So hopefully you’ll see me more next year. But I kind of like my role, I can watch, listen, and critique. No, I’m just kidding. Really, those guys know what to do. Jeff and I are there from the beginning to the end of the race, except for handing the phone to the driver; he doesn’t do that part as well.”

But for now, as the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion gets crowned, Rick Hendrick is definitely going to be on call or maybe even in person to cheer on Kyle Larson and William Byron as they aim to give Hendrick Motorsports its 15th Cup title at Phoenix.