Brad Keselowski defends Rick Hendrick from fan criticism after “devastating” moment revelation 

Brad Keselowski said that he didn't blame Rick Hendrick or Hendrick Motorsports for canceling his contract back in 2010. The RFK Racing driver was running the number 9 Chevrolet for James Finch at the time. Halfway through the season, HMS signed the then 25-year-old Keselowski on a part-time schedule for 2010 and a full-time contract for 2011.

Unfortunately, Hendrick Motorsports welcomed Mark Martin instead of Brad Keselowski to pilot the #5 Camaro that Kyle Larson drives today. Keselowski recalled feeling "devastated" about the same as he spoke to Kevin Harvick in the latest episode of the Harvick Happy Podcast.

A fan reflected on the same and said,

"He's not the only one that got screwed out of his contract with a team because of Mark Martin, sadly. And that's not a shot at Mark, more a shot at the teams that dishonored the drivers contract."

However, Keselowski did not feel like he was "screwed". He just found it funny wondering what his career would have looked like had he been a Hendrick Motorsports driver back then. On that note, he replied to the comment by saying,

"Mark M. and Rick H. didn’t screw anyone. I’m happy with how my career has turned out."

"This moment was just an unexpected turn that makes for a fun story of what ifs. That’s all," he added.

Soon after, Team Penske slated Keselowski for the 2010 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The Rochester Hills native recorded six dominant wins, 26 top-5, and 29 top-10 finishes that year, besides bagging the Xfinity Series championship. That year, Keselowski also landed a full-time Cup Series deal as the driver of the #12 Penske Ford.

Roger Penske revealed why Brad Keselowski left his team in 2021

Throughout his stay at Team Penske, Brad Keselowski amassed 34 Cup Series victories and the 2012 championship. With that said, Keselowski was reportedly offered an extension to this contract with Team Penske beyond 2021. However, the organization could not offer what he was looking for; an ownership stake.

Therefore, Keselowski left Team Penske and moved to Roush Fenway Racing. He bought an ownership stake there, and the team was renamed Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing in 2022.

Nevertheless, the move was mutually agreed upon by both the driver and the Team Penske owner.

"He (Brad Keselowski) and I talked about this over the years,” Roger Penske said in an earlier statement, as reported by Autoweek. “There were discussions about having ownership in the team, but the way we’re structured and the subsidiaries we have, it wouldn’t have worked out. He understood that. It was amicable all the way."

Keselowski won his first race as the co-owner of RFK Racing this year in May and thus, snapped a 110-race winless streak. Currently, he sits 9th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings with 498 points to his name.