Bob Keselowski, NASCAR Legend and Father of Brad Keselowski, Dead at 70

By Brian Jones

Bob Keselowski, a NASCAR legend who became a pioneering driver in the early days of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has died, NASCAR announced. He was 70 years old. Keselowski is the father of current NASCAR star Brad Keselowski who posted an emotional message on social media. 

"My dad will always be my hero," Brad wrote.  "He was quiet and understated, but that didn't change the impact he had on me or that I watched him have on everyone who knew him. I am forever grateful for what I learned from this man, and I will remember him every day."

Bob Keselowski was an ARCA Menards Series champion before making a name for himself in the Truck Series world. He won 24 times in the  ARCA Menards Series and surpassed Bob Brevak in the standings during the 1989 season to win the title. Keselowski finished among the top three in series standings from 1987-93. 

In 1995, the inaugural season, Keselowski moved to the Camping Truck World Series. He was a regular in the series and won his lone Truck Series race in 1997 at Richmond Raceway. "Boy, I needed this one bad," he told reporters after the race. "We are just starting to get all the big haulers and the shop and everything. I don't want to lose it now. It took me 40-something years to get to this point."

Keselowski stepped away from racing during the 1998 and 1999 seasons due to back pain and a pinched nerve in his hip.  "I don't plan on quitting completely," he told the Detroit Free Press at the time, "and I don't plan on sitting around the house." Keselowski continued to be a team owner until 2006 and supported his sons — Brad and Brian — who have made names for themselves in the racing world. Brad won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012, while Brian is a three-time ARCA winner before becoming a crew chief and spotter for NASCAR teams. 

"Bob Keselowski was a true racer whose determination and love of the sport embodied the NASCAR and ARCA spirit," a NASCAR statement read. "He worked tirelessly to build his family-owned team, doing whatever it took to compete. Our thoughts are with the Keselowski family during this difficult time."  

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