Quick hits from a one-on-one interview with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski at the '12 Motorsports Marketing Forum:
-- On having Miller Lite as his sponsor and the reaction to his drinking the product in the winner's circle the night he won the championship: “It is great to have a sponsor like Miller, because it’s a brand that allows you to be yourself and allows you to enjoy the moment.”
-- On ever being worried about how Miller might react to something he said: “Maybe a couple of times, but I think it could be a lot worse. I can’t think of any time Miller has called me and told me they wish I didn’t say that.”
-- On some of his conversations with team owner Roger Penske: “Short-term decisions are about always trying to win a championship. Long term decisions are always trying to stay ahead of the sport. … And long term decisions always circle around people. “
-- On his future in motorsports: “I want to be a leader in the sport. I think you can be a leader in the sport without being a car owner. … You look at some of the things that go on with TV. And look at some of the drivers, or crew members who come back to work for NASCAR. … I want to be a leader of the sport and make the sport better than it is today.”
-- On using Twitter: “I take more from it than I give to it. … I use it as a way to stay connected to the world in real time.”
-- On the key issues facing NASCAR: “There are going to be two things that are going to change the sport. You have the ‘Gen Six’ car, because that is going to create some identity to the car, something that hasn’t been where we’ve wanted it to be, and that is going to be huge for the fans. But the one thing that really sticks to me is the ability to get data service at the racetrack. That is going to be huge. I went to the Lions game on Thanksgiving -- I’m a big Lions fan -- and my phone went dead in 20 minutes. For my generation, that (Wi-Fi connection is) the majority of the experience and not having that KILLS the experience. Those two things are going to be key to NASCAR’s future.”
-- On what brands he would be interested in working with: “I want to be associated with brands that are OK with me being me. I don’t want someone calling me complaining about what I said. So I might miss out on a few business deals, but I’m a lot happier as a person.”
