When the roar of engines and the smell of burning rubber punctuate your family lineage, the path you choose is often predestined. Brad Keselowski, a NASCAR titan, is testament to this. His family tree, laden with racers, traces its roots back to his grandfather John, a motorcycle racer in the 1950s. His wife, Paige, too originates from a North Carolina-based racing family. Naturally, their offspring are most at home amidst the grease and gears of the racing garage.
A proud father of three, with the fourth one on the way, Keselowski’s youngest, Maize, born in November 2023, is already showing signs of following in his illustrious family’s tire tracks. Despite his tender age, Maize’s fascination with the world of racing is unmistakable.
The car shop, akin to a shrine for NASCAR drivers, is where the magic unfurls before race weekends. Keselowski’s uncles, Bob and Ron, tread the same path, honing their skills in their father John’s shop before carving successful careers for themselves. Bob clinched 24 ARCA Menards Series races and the 1997 Craftsman Truck Series championship, while Brad, too, cut his teeth working for his family’s team. Under his father’s tutelage, Brad triumphed in the 2012 Cup Series championship, amassing an array of race victories.
As the owner of RFK Racing team, Keselowski envisions a similar destiny for his children, especially Maize, who seems to have inherited the racing gene. Keselowski recently shared heartwarming pictures of his toddler son taking his first steps in the late model shop, under the watchful eye of his grandfather Louis White, Paige’s father and a former stock car driver.
Keselowski fondly remembers his own father, Bob Keselowski, who passed away in 2021. Despite his retirement from racing due to back pain and a pinched nerve, Bob remained an influential figure, instilling in Brad the values of hard work and perseverance. His unwavering faith in his family’s future remained resolute even when his team folded in 2006.
Brad Keselowski acknowledges the challenges inherent in a racing career, having personally navigated through them. “I knew what I wanted to do way before I got into high school or even while I was in middle school”, he asserts. Keselowski admits that his unusual upbringing might not fit the conventional mould but stands firm in his conviction to guide his own children along a similar path.
Yet, for all the exhilaration and trepidation of the racetrack, Keselowski finds the most daunting task in his domestic life. Navigating through parenthood, he humorously recounts the fear of cleaning up after his young children’s shower-time mishaps. This candid admission reveals a softer, more relatable side of the tough-as-nails racer.
Even his dietary preferences are dictated by his role as a father. Despite a childhood incident that led him to avoid watermelon, he willingly serves it to his children, who love it.
With the arrival of another child, the Keselowski household is bound to be filled with more laughter, more chaos, and perhaps, more racing stories in the making. As Brad embarks on this journey of nurturing the next generation, his racing lineage is set to continue, with the Keselowski name destined to keep echoing down the racetracks.