Brad Keselowski just fine with bad boy image

If you were hoping an offseason of reflection would change or mellow Brad Keselowski, prepare to be disappointed. The driver who was in the middle of two post-race scuffles during the 2014 Sprint Cup isn’t going to alter his arguably antagonistic behavior.

In fact, if anything the offseason break has actually cemented Keselowski’s belief that he did nothing to warrant being jumped from behind by Matt Kenseth and punched by a member of Jeff Gordon’s team.

“Those particular incidents that have maybe frustrated some of those fans, are ones that I honestly feel really good about,” Keselowski said. “I know I did the right thing. I am trying to do what I think is right. And what I think is right is not always what everyone else thinks is right and that’s OK.”

“I walk my own path and that makes the success that much more enjoyable.”

It was in October at Charlotte Motor Speedway when Keselowski drew the ire of Kenseth, first by pushing him towards the wall on a restart and later by slamming into Kenseth on pit road after the race. Normally mild-mannered, Kenseth blindsided Keselowski in the garage between two haulers, setting off a scrum.

Three weeks later at Texas Motor Speedway Keselowski was again under attack, this time by Gordon. The four-time Cup champion was displeased with an aggressive pass Keselowski attempted that resulted in Gordon cutting a tire and subsequently spinning. An enraged Gordon confronted Keselowski, and with an assist from Kevin Harvick, who shoved Keselowski, a brawl ensued.

At the time and during the weeks thereafter, Keselowski defended his actions, saying he was racing for the win and his playoff livelihood. Three months later with the dawn of the 2015 season on the horizon, his perspective remains unchanged.

Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup championship who won a series-best six races in 2014, likens it to high school. His rationale is that veterans don’t like being beaten by someone entering just his sixth full season.

“With the lack of turnover in our sport over the last decade, even though I may be a champion, I’m still a ninth-grader,” Keselowski said. “I’m still the freshman in high school. In that sense, no high school football player likes to get beat off the varsity team by a freshman. That’s where I’m at, and I understand that.”

The run-ins with two of NASCAR’s more popular drivers have cast Keselowski in the role of the villain. During driver introductions he now receives the loudest boos, a distinction Kyle Busch previously held. But if you think Keselowski cares, well, think again.

“I’m never going to be Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., and I’m OK with that,” Keselowski said. “Certainly, everybody wants to be popular -- I’m no exception -- but not at the expense of running well. For me to run well I have to challenge the status quo. I have to challenge the established drivers in this sport that have won four championships and have competed for 10 to 20 years. That’s how I’m going to win races.”