Brad Keselowski to join exclusive club with 600th career start, wants 200 more

In the entire history of the NASCAR, only 34 of the nearly 3,000 drivers who have started a Cup race have reached that milestone.

Brad Keselowski is about to become the 35th at Martinsville Speedway.

The 42-year-old champion and RFK Racing co-owner is nursing a leg injury early in the 2026 season, but he’s still fully capable of competing at a high level, finishing fifth in the Daytona 500 and nearly winning less than a week ago at Darlington.

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Since making his debut with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway in November of 2008, the Michigan native has put together a Hall of Fame career. He has won 36 races, including three of the sport’s four crown jewels, and he bested Jimmie Johnson for the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

His first victory was about as dramatic as one could imagine, sending Carl Edwards flying upside down through the air as they battled to the finish line at Talladega.

A career to be proud of…and far from done

Championship victory lane: 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing Dodge enters victory lane

Now on the cusp of his 600th career start, Keselowski reflected on his career, saying: “I just wanted to have a career and was trying to prove myself. To think that I’ve had another 599 since then is pretty cool. I just want to sit down with a 24-year-old me and tell him that was going to happen.”

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He then added: “When I first got in a cup, I just wanted to be here. I didn’t think about anything outside of that. I didn’t think of the stats. I didn’t think about the accolades, I just wanted to be here and I’m lucky to be here.”

But for those who think Keselowski is nearing the end of his remarkable career, think again. Keselowski expressed a desire to reach 800 career starts, which only ten other drivers have achieved at this point.

If he reaches that number, Keselowski would still be racing when he’s 47 and through the 2031 season. That’s very reasonable, and hey, he is the boss so he can definitely set his own timeline.

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Keselowski’s career has been a fascinating one, as he came out of the gate as a disruptive young racer who was constantly getting into it with the veterans of the sport. Most still remember the all-out brawl between him and Jeff Gordon during the 2014 title fight. Now, he’s one of the most respected veterans and a very consistent driver.

Keselowski also found quick success when he first arrived on the scene, winning a championship in just his third full-time season. That remains his only title, but he was still very competitive in the years that followed, ending 2020 as the championship runner-up.

Building a new legacy as a team owner

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

And while he could have spent the rest of his career with Team Penske, and could have potentially snagged another title in the first few years of the Next Gen era with the team’s dominance at Phoenix (Penske won every title between 2022 and 2024), Keselowski chose to take on a new challenge.

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He left a comfortable ride at one of the big three teams, and went to RFK Racing with the goal of re-building a once dominant organization. It’s been a struggle, both as a driver and an owner. Keselowski has only won a single race in four years with the team, but he has put in the work to make Roush a contender again. It’s baby steps, but they are clearly better than they were before Keselowski’s involvement.

Roush won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004 and once fielded five full-time cars, but just over a decade later, they were down to two cars and finding Victory Lane became a rare occurrence. They were winless for four straight years before Keselowski’s arrival, but have since won six races (five courtesy of Chris Buescher), and expanded back into a three-car team.

Right now, all three cars are in the top 12 in points, and if Roush can continue to climb higher, then Keselowski’s legacy as an owner would rival his legacy as a racer.

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He will start 23rd for his 600th career Cup race on Sunday, and what better race to snap a 65-race winless streak?

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