Most motorsports experts will agree that no one owner has amassed a record in IndyCar racing like Roger Penske in terms of championships.
Despite winning more championships and Indy 500s than anyone else, Penske has yet to be the owner of a NASCAR Cup level champion. "Well, we've been close," said Penske on Friday at Homestead Miami Speedway. "We've won a lot of races. We haven't had the number of chances because when you look at our statistics the number of starts that we've had on the team. And basically there's been some super competition out there when you look at the great teams that we compete against." Brad Keselowski may be the magic bullet to get that first Sprint Cup. "Obviously when you look at the consistency, starting 24th and many times during that race he let people go by because he knew where he needed to be ready to go with 100 laps to go, last week, certainly the race at Texas," said Penske. "You know, he's a calculating driver. He's smart. I think his windshield is much wider than many of the drivers'. "He's seeing what's going on, and I think he's rehearsed it with Paul (Wolfe), things that can happen. He's done it with the team, and he's a student. And I think today we've got a great athlete, a great race driver but also someone that's thinking. He's a thinking‑man's driver, which is very important in today's sport." Penske likes the communications with Keselowski and is optimistic for the future not just this Sunday. "We've got a great driver. I think today Brad is young, and he's not on a plateau, that's for sure. Every race he gets better. Just watching him last week, I watch him from the spotter's stand. I know when we're good and I know when we're bad." Keselowski is compared to a four-time Indy 500 winner in Penske’s mind. "Well, I'd have to say, digging down deep, a lot like Rick Mears, really understated but someone that when it was time to dig deep and make it happen, the consistency, and obviously he's a winner, and I'd have to put him in that category, which is a pretty special class as far as I'm concerned," said Penske. Another piece of the puzzle is Keselowski’s crew chief Paul Wolfe. "He's got experience, and he's been the glue," Penske said. "I think he's been a good sounding board for Brad because he's been a driver and he understands the cars completely, and that's what it takes. He's calm, he's cool. "There's been a lot of comparisons with that relationship between Brad and Paul and Chad Knaus and Jimmie (Johnson) Those guys are the best. And if we can just be in their shadow and in their draft and stay with them this weekend, we're going to have a great season."
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