Keselowski's '08 season a coming out party to enjoy

First win, first top-five points finish among the highlights
By Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM
December 22, 200811:20 AM EST

Brad Keselowski's rise to fame was as unexpected to him as the rest of the garage. After losing his ride with Keith Coleman Racing in 2007, Keselowski was left without a ride and a less than stellar Nationwide Series resume.

But it was impressive enough to catch the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr. After releasing Shane Huffman from his No. 88 JR Motorsports team halfway through the '07 season, Earnhardt called Keselowski and offered him a second chance at success -- and Keselowski didn't disappoint.
Brad Keselowski had 11 top-fives and 20 top-10s in the 88 car.

Six top-10s in 14 races was enough to secure a full-time ride with JR Motorsports in 2008 and Keselowski took full advantage of his new opportunity.

The season didn't start out great. Transmission problems at Fontana and a crash at Las Vegas had the 24-year-old 19th in points -- but that would be the lowest he would fall in standings.

Three consecutive top-six finishes at Atlanta, Bristol and Nashville propelled Keselowski to sixth in the standings and established him as a serious threat to compete for the championship.

Beginning at Charlotte in May and ending at Gateway in July, Keselowski went on a tear with nine consecutive top-10 finishes, including his first career win at Nashville and a dominating 145 laps-led effort from the pole at Milwaukee.

That's not to say Keselowski avoided trouble along the way. At the Charlotte race, Keselowski and Denny Hamlin raced aggressively at the finish and both pit crews were involved in an altercation on pit road after the race that led to fines and suspensions for some on the No. 88 crew.

Keselowski's amazing run led to a job offer for a Cup ride at Penske Racing in August, but Keselowski turned it down, choosing to be loyal to JR Motorsports and its Cup partner, Hendrick Motorsports.

In the final weeks of the season, Keselowski was unable to keep up with eventual champion Clint Bowyer and runner-up Carl Edwards, but Keselowski finished a strong third and was rewarded for his efforts by being named the Nationwide Series' most popular driver for the 2008 season.

Best Race
Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway -- It took 49 races, but after coming close numerous times, Keselowski finally earned his first Nationwide Series win with a strong performance at Nashville. With Tony Eury Sr. calling the shots, the 88 team used pit strategy to get up front. Then on the final restart with seven laps remaining, Keselowski was able to pass David Reutimann, Bowyer and Kyle Busch and hold on for the victory.

Turn for the Worse
Camping World RV Service 300 at Auto Club Speedway -- Keselowski was riding high heading to Fontana for the second time in the '08 season. He was coming off a win at Bristol, his second of the season, and was second in points just 112 behind leader Bowyer. Unfortunately for Keselowski that would be the closest he would get to the championship. Engine problems led to a 33rd-place finish in Southern California and a 21st the following week at Dover would drop Keselowski to third in the standings for the rest of the season.