Brad Keselowski is exclusively negotiating with Hendrick Motorsports on a long-term contract. NASCAR’s newest Sprint Cup Series winner has no ride lined up for next season. Rick Hendrick has considered him as an eventual replacement for #5-Mark Martin, but it’s not clear when Martin will stop driving. Keselowski’s surprise victory at Talladega Superspeedway last week has increased interest in the 25-year-old driver. Keselowski drives full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, and has a developmental deal with Hendrick. He’s slated to run seven Cup races for Hendrick this year, but the 2010 season has not been determined. Keselowski’s win last weekend was in a car owned by James Finch.(Associated Press/ESPN) UPDATE: From a press conference Friday at Richmond: Q: WHAT ARE YOUR POSSIBILITIES FOR A CUP RIDE NEXT YEAR, AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’LL END UP? A: “Well, I’d like to be in Cup full time next year. I sat out this year because I didn’t think that the timing was right and I didn’t think I was ready for a full schedule. And I wanted to do this right as far as the Cup level goes. I wanted to come into it as someone who could run competitively and I kind of even shocked myself on how competitive I could run. The other ways of doing it last year was not the situation, so I didn’t take them. I know that to make that next step, I need to run full time. I need to have a full time ride at the Cup level to be a guy who can run for the Chase or take wins. So it’s a matter of making that line up. Opportunities or situations to make that work? I don’t think you guys have time to hear them all. I’ve put some thought into it, but not a lot. The basics of it are that we still have a few months to work some other things out. Specifically I’m working with Hendrick Motorsports and owe it to them to see what they can work out. I think the key part about this whole situation of where I’m at with contracts and next year is that you stick with what got you to where you’re at. Having competitive cars and having support from HMS and being able to look at their data and talk to their drivers is what got me into victory lane on Sunday. It’s hard to run from that, you know. But at the same time, at this point and at this time, there isn’t a clear opportunity there. So we’ll have to see how that plays out.” (Chevy PR) AND: In order to drive for Hendrick, Keselowski initially might have to drive for a team with Hendrick support. One possibility is having JR Motorsports — the Nationwide Series team co-owned by Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. that Keselowski drives for — move up to Cup. Earnhardt has mentioned on several occasions the possibility of making the jump. Another possibility might be Stewart-Haas Racing, which has Hendrick support.(ESPN.com)(5-2-2009)
