Born: February 12, 1985 (26) Rochester Hills, Michigan Awards: 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion
Summer Ava Keselowski (born February 12, 1985) is an American auto racing driver currently competing in the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing. She won his first championship in the 2009 Nationwide Series, the first Championship for both Summer and Penske Racing.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2001-2006)[]
Keselowski began her NASCAR career in the 2001 Craftsman Truck Series season, as the driver of the #29 for his family-owned K Automotive Motorsports team. She made her debut at Daytona International Speedway, where she started on the pole and went on to win the race, where she was
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | |
|---|---|
|
Car no., team |
|
|
2010 position |
2nd |
|
Best Finish |
1st - 2009 |
|
First Race |
2007 Orbitz 300 (Daytona |
|
First Win |
2007 Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General(Nashville) |
|
Last Win |
2011 Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage (Charlotte) |
|
Wins |
36 |
|
Top Tens |
171 |
|
Poles |
20 |
the youngest person to win a NASCAR sanctioned race and the first
| NASCAR Camping World Truck Series | |
|---|---|
|
Truck no., team |
|
|
2010 finish |
94th |
|
Best Finish |
2nd - 2004 |
|
First Race |
2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona) |
|
First Win |
2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona) |
|
Last Win |
2006 Ford 200 (Homestead-Miami) |
|
Wins |
38 |
|
Top Tens |
122 |
|
Poles |
13 |
woman to win a NASCAR sanctioned race. The next race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, she got purposefully turned and went straight into the wall head-first by fellow driver Tina Rogers, which after the race, Tina said her reason was that 'Summer was just a rookie who caught a break very quickly, where I couldn't catch one for the 6 years that I've been racing the Trucks, and I'm the one who's standing up and telling this rookie a hard-felt welcome to the Craftsman Truck Series'. Tina and Summer went on with their rivalry for a season and a half, ending at ORP, where they were told by NASCAR officials to make up their differences, or they would be both suspended for the rest of the season.
In 2003, Keselowski engaged in a verbal battle with former Winston Cup (now known as the Sprint Cup Series) driver Lauren Durango all because Lauren was questioning Summer being in NASCAR with basically no experience other than the two full season of the Truck Series, and also saying that the only reason that Summer was in NASCAR was because of her last name. That lasted for the whole 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Season.
In 2004, Summer once again got into a scuffle, this time, it was with older brother Brad as at Mansfield, they were battling for a position, but Brad accidentally spun Summer, making her hit the wall, and making her finish 20th, last truck on the lead lap, where he finished 16th. What Summer said after the race about Brad was, 'he may be family, but family or not, you should never try and piss me of. Because when he does, I'll beat him so badly, his great great great great great great great grand children will feel it'. They ended up battling with each other up till the third race of the 2005 season, where Brad held off Bobby Hamilton so that it would allow Keselowski to get her second win of the 2005 season, with the first one coming at the first race of the season at Daytona.
For the rest of the 2005 and the whole 2006 season, Keselowski was quiet when it came to rivalries on the track, but she ended up scoring between 2005 and 2006 three poles and fourteen race wins.
NASCAR Busch/Nationwide Series (2007-Present)[]
Before the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series) season, Keselowski received a call from car owner Roger Penske, with him asking her to drive his #12 Verizon Wireless Dodge for the full Busch Series season. Keselowski accepted his offer, and completed the 2007 season with four wins and thirty-five top ten finishes.
In 2008, she re-signed with Penske Racing for a four year contract extension, where it would end in 2012, and she completed the 2008 season with four wins, thirty-four top ten finishes and one DNF due to an accident in the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In the 2009 Nationwide Michigan race, Keselowski and Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch were battling each other all day, where at the final laps, Keselowski was 'slowing' Kyle down, preventing Kyle for the win, as well as herself, were Brad just drove past the both of them to get the win. After the race, the two got out of their respective races and were just getting into each other's faces about what had happened during the race. Then, during their
Keselowski's 2009 Nationwide Car
respective interviews, Kyle said that Keselowski was, 'stupid for doing what she did to herself and him' and a 'idiot for doing it in the first place'. Keselowski said that 'it isn't the 'Kyle Bush Show', it's the Nationwide series. I race drivers the way they drive me. I'm not just going to lie down and give someone the win'. That was their only confrontation on the track, but they kept on battling for the 2009 Nationwide Series Champion all the way to Homestead-Miami Speedway at the end of the 2009 Nationwide Series Season, but with her win, Keselowski won the battle and became the first woman to win a NASCAR championship. She completed the season with six wins and thirty five top ten finishes.
In the 2010 NASCAR season, Keselowski was caught up in the middle of the rivalry that Brad and Sprint Cup Driver Carl Edwards was in at the time, where she ended up taking advantage of at Gateway after Carl intentionally wrecked Brad with his intentions on winning, but he ended up spinning out himself and Keselowski just charged to cross the start/finish line to win the race. For the 2010 Nationwide Series points standings, she finished second behind Brad, and she also finished off the season with six wins and thirty five top ten finishes.
So far in the 2011 season, Keselowski has won thirteen times.
Keselowski's 2011 Nationwide Series Car at Texas Motor Speedway on April 8, 2011
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series[]
It has been confirmed that Keselowski will run a full Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2012 driving the #12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger for Penske Racing.
It has also been confirmed that in order for her to prepare for the Sprint Cup Series in 2012, she is scheduled to race the last three race of the 2011 season: Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami driving the #12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger for Penske Racing.
From Summer's Latest Photoshoot
Personal Life[]
Keselowski is the daughter of Bob Keselowski and the niece of Ron Keselowski. She is the youngest out of the Keselowski siblings. Her older brother Brad competes in the Sprint Cup Series, and the Nationwide Series. Her other older brother Brian competes part-time in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Sprint Cup Series. As of November 21st, 2009, it was confirmed that she's dating (eventual) 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne.
Photoshoot before her date with Trevor
Races Won[]
Busch/Nationwide Wins (36 wins)
2007
- Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General at Nashville Superspeedway - June 9, 2007
- Kroger 200 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis - July 28, 2007
- Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway - August 24, 2007
- O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway - November 3, 2007
2008
- Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - March 22, 2008
- Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 24, 2008
- Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway - August 16, 2008
- Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway - September 27, 2008
2009
- Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - April 11, 2009
- Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - June 6, 2009
- Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway - August 21, 2009
- Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway - September 26, 2009
- Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - October 16, 2009
- Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway - November 21, 2009
2010
- Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - April 3, 2010
- O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway - April 19, 2010
- Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards at Road America - June 19, 2010
- Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway - July 17, 2010
- Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International - August 7, 2010
- Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway - September 10, 2010
2011
- Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway - March 26, 2011
- O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway - April 8, 2011
- Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - April 23, 2011
- Royal Purple 200 at Darlington Raceway - May 6, 2011
- 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover International Speedway - May 14, 2011
- STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway - June 4, 2011
- Alliance Truck Parts 250 at Michigan International Speedway - June 18, 2011
- Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway - July 23, 2011
- U.S. Cellular 250 presented by the Enlist Weed Control System at Iowa Speedway - August 6, 2011
- Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - September 3, 2011
- Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway - September 9, 2011
- OneMain Financial 200 at Dover International Speeway - October 1, 2011
- Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage at Charlotte Motor Speedway - October 14, 2011
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (38 wins)
2001
- Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway - February 16, 200
- GNC Live Well 200 at The Milwaukee Mile - June 30, 2001
- Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis - August 3, 2001
- Federated Auto Parts 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 10, 2001
- Sears Craftsman 175 at Chicago Motor Speedway - August 18, 2001
- Orleans 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - October 14, 2001
2002
- Advance Auto Parts 250 at Martinsville Speedway - April 13, 2002
- Rocky Mountain 200 presented by Dodge at Pikes Peak International Raceway - May 19, 2002
- Michigan 200 at Michigan International Speedway - July 27, 2002
- Federated Auto Parts 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 10, 2002
- American Racing Wheels 200 at Auto Club Speedway - November 2, 2002
2003
- Florida Dodge Dealers 205 at Daytona International Speedway - February 14, 2003
- O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway - July 5, 2003
- Sears 200 at Michigan Speedway - July 26, 2003
- Federated Auto Parts 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 8, 2003
- New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - September 13, 2003
- Advance Auto Parts 200 at Martinsville Speeway - October 18, 2003
- Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway - November 14, 2003
2004
- EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - March 13, 2004
- Infineon 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 21, 2004
- O'Reilly 400k at Texas Motor Speedway - June 11, 2004
- Line-X Spray-on Truck Bedliners 200 at Michigan International Speedway - July 31, 2004
- Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 14, 2004
- Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway - September 9, 2004
2005
- Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway - February 18, 2005
- World Financial Group 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - March 18, 2005
- Quaker Steak and Lube 200 presented by Click It or Ticket at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 20, 2005
- MBNA RacePoints 200 at Dover International Speedway - June 4, 2005
- Paramount Health Insurance 200 at Michigan International Speedway - June 18, 2005
- Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 13, 2005
- EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - October 29, 2005
2006
- AAA Insurance 200 at Dover International Speedway - June 2, 2006
- Con-way Freight 200 at Michigan International Speedway - June 17, 2006
- Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers at Kentucky Speedway - July 8, 2006
- Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway - August 12, 2006
- John Deere 250 at Talladega Superspeedway - October 7, 2006
- Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway - November 17, 2006
Twitter Account[]
Keselowski's Twitter account is @beautyfromMichigan12 and she uses it to talk to her friends, family and fans whenever she gets a chance. She also posts pictures of herself and Trevor whenever she has a chance to and also posts photos of her and Brad whenever get gets a chance to.
Youtube Account[]
Keselowski's YouTube Account is 'SummerK12', where she posts Q & A videos where she answers some of the fans' questions and random videos that she has some other people video tape for her.