Brad Keselowski Headed to Sprint Cup

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s young protege Brad Kesekowski is headed to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series for at least 2 races.

Hendrick Motorsports will enter 24-year-old Brad Keselowski in two Sprint Cup Series events in 2008, marking the successful young driver’s first foray into NASCAR’s top division.

Keselowski will attempt to qualify a fifth Hendrick Motorsports entry — the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet — for the Oct. 11 Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the Nov. 2 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Veteran crew chief Lance McGrew will direct the effort.

“We’ve gotten a glimpse of what Brad is capable of in the Nationwide Series, and that’s just scratching the surface,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He has a load of talent and potential, and we’re excited to give him an opportunity at the next level.”

A Rochester Hills, Mich., native, Keselowski sits third in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings with two victories, one pole position, 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10s in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The team, which is co-owned by Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., has posted wins this season at Nashville, Tenn., and Bristol, Tenn.

“I’m focused on making the most of these first two races,” Keselowski said. “The Sprint Cup Series has always been a goal, and now it’s up to me to take advantage of the opportunity. I have to thank Mr. Hendrick, Dale Jr. and the folks at GoDaddy.com for showing so much faith in me.”

Keselowski, who already has tested the new Chevrolet Impala SS for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, will drive the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevy this week during the two-day Sprint Cup Series open test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord.

“I’ve already gotten a lot of seat time in the Impala SS and developed some great chemistry when testing with Lance, so we’re a little ahead of the curve,” Keselowski said. “Now I’ve got to concentrate on furthering my communication with the team and developing more of a relationship with my teammates.”

The two-race effort with Keselowski and the No. 25 Chevrolet will mark GoDaddy.com’s first primary sponsorship of a Sprint Cup Series team. The world’s largest registrar of domain names, GoDaddy.com joined JR Motorsports this season as a primary sponsor in the Nationwide Series.