Keselowski considering all options as promising prospects looks for full-time ride in 2010

Keselowski’s racing future still up in the air

JOLIET, Ill. — Brad Keselowski’s racing team for 2010 is still undecided.

The 25-year-old Keselowski hoped a recent meeting with team owner Rick Hendrick would answer some questions about where he’d be racing next season. Keselowski wants a full-time ride next year, and he’s optimistic he can stay affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports. He discussed several possibilities with Hendrick, though no final decision was reached.

“I have some preferences, but I haven’t gotten very far with them,” Keselowski said. “I’m not really close on anything.”

Keselowski was making only his seventh Cup start of the season Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway. He qualified 29th in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 25 Chevrolet, and had Tony Eury Jr., as his crew chief. Eury was calling the shots for the first time since he was ousted as Dale Earnhardt Jr’s crew chief in late May.

Eury’s father is Keselowski’s crew chief at JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. Keselowski drives the No. 88 in the second-tier series for Earnhardt, who could move the team up to NASCAR’s premier series and open up a spot for him.

Keselowski was introduced at Friday night’s Nationwide race as “Junior’s best buddy.”

Keselowski, who had a surprise Cup victory in April at Talladega, could also run next season as a third entry at the Hendrick-supported Stewart-Haas Racing.

NASCAR’s four-car limit means Hendrick doesn’t have an open seat for 2010.

No matter where he ends up, Keselowski felt he would have a full-time ride next season.

“I feel pretty confident that’s the way it’s heading,” he said. “It would have to be a big problem to come up for that not to happen.”

He recorded his lone Cup win for owner James Finch and runs a part-time schedule this season for Finch and Hendrick. Keselowski said he wasn’t feeling impatient and was just thrilled there was interest in him, especially in this economy. But he found enough common ground over future goals with Hendrick that Keselowski expected to remain in the fold.

“I think he appreciates the fact that I can be blunt sometimes,” Keselowski said. “We’ve made progress because of that. I don’t hide how I feel about things. I think there’s a home for me over here.”

DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS: Race director David Hoots issued a warning at the drivers meeting that rules’ flexibility with the double-file restarts is over.

“You’re the best in the world and you shouldn’t have any problems doing this,” Hoots said.

Hoots said NASCAR officials had been “lenient” as drivers became accustomed to the revamped restarts. But Saturday night’s race at Chicagoland Speedway marked the sixth one with the new format and it was time to get tough.

One example: Hoots said the lower-place driver should no longer expect to get away with beating the higher one to the line, then give the spot back.

“It’s not going to happen,” Hoots said.

Crew chief Chad Knaus, and drivers Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin were among the attendee’s who still had questions about the policy.

PIT STOPS: Red Bull Racing swept the front row for the first time. Brian Vickers sat on the pole and Scott Speed was second. … Only 14 drivers have competed in the eight Cup races at Chicagoland. … Six different drivers have won races. Kyle Busch won here last year.