Keselowski is planning something big, and Denny knows it from experience.
As of 2026, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan are joint owners of 23XI Racing. After what they have gone through together in the past few years, it is nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in their team. But what if there was a third variable that never joined? As it turns out, 23XI Racing could've had not one but two current NASCAR drivers sharing its ownership. The details of the same were revealed by Denny Hamlin and later confirmed by Brad Keselowski.
Now, Denny Hamlin was clear that he wanted to develop his team as one of the best on the grid. 23XI Racing has been trying to break the status quo, right from the start. So for the same reason, Hamlin reached out to Brad over the likelihood of bringing him in. After Keselowski left Penske, Hamlin contacted him about joining hands for 23XI Racing. However, the deal didn't go through because Keselowski was firm about the incentives he wanted to receive. Hamlin couldn't afford the same, and hence, the two never really got a chance to run a team together.
Keselowski knows his worth and won't back down
During his podcast, Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin, Hamlin also reveals that Keselowski in fact wanted a major sum from Penske at the end of his contract. When Team Penske refused to entertain his wishes, he simply left. That's the type of driver Brad is. Whenever he feels like he is worth a certain amount, he won't back down until he finds a team ready to entertain him.
On his social media handle, Keselowski confirmed Hamlin's proposal. In fact, he also took a jab at the media, claiming that he had many offers and proposals that would shake the entire community.
"Since Denny put this out on his own accord, I can confirm that an offer was made for me to join his team. At the time of offer, RFR had gone to contract with their offer, and it was ready to sign. I was very interested in the opportunity and offered them a quick match to gauge seriousness. Didn’t go any further, so here we are…The story of the deals that didn’t come together could feed families for decades."
Denny believes that the same situation is underway at RFK Racing. Chip Bowers can't afford running Keselowski in an open car and paying him a massive salary. On the other hand, RFK's main sponsor, Kroger, is more interested in Preece and Buescher.
So if Keselowski is leaving the team, it means he was being asked to back down from his demands. And Brad being Brad wouldn't care about anything unless he got what he deserves. So if he has left the team of his own accord, it means that he already has a solid backup plan ready and he isn't revealing it until the right moment.
