MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske has locked up 2012 NASCAR Cup champion Brad Keselowski with a multiyear extension.

Keselowski, 33, has driven for Penske throughout his 10-year career in NASCAR’s top series, notching 23 wins and the series title five years ago. His crew chief with the No. 2 Ford, Paul Wolfe, has also agreed to a multiyear extension with Penske. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed Tuesday.

“In the time that Brad has driven for Team Penske, he has risen to the top echelon of stars in NASCAR,” owner Roger Penske said Tuesday. “Brad and Paul have established a terrific, winning combination and they are both real leaders within our team.”

Keselowski has two Cup wins this season, at Atlanta and Martinsville, and is sixth in the points standings.

“We’ve made some great progress so far. Sure, it’s human nature to look around, and take a look at your neighbors’ houses. Maybe there are some with patches of grass that look better from a distance. Maybe there are others that look a little worse,” Keselowski wrote on his blog . “I like our house. I was very interested in just sticking around and watering my own grass.”

He also denied he talked with anyone at Hendrick Motorsports about taking over for the retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. next season in the No. 88.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has long reigned as NASCAR’s most popular driver. But too many of his fans have started complaining in 140-character bursts a most unpopular opinion for Earnhardt – that crew chief Greg Ives should take the blame for the No. 88’s struggles this season.

Not so fast.

“We’ve had a difficult year and there’s just been a little rumbling in the background from fans,” Earnhardt said. “They just love to target the crew chief. Our struggles are no one individual’s responsibility. I think me and my crew chief, we have such a very passionate fan base, very large fan base, it’s a challenging position for anybody. ”

Ives, in his third season with Earnhardt, was criticized over the weekend for his decision in the Brickyard 400 to send the No. 88 to the pits even though it was good on fuel before the end of the second stage. Had Earnhardt stayed out, he would have come off a restart inside the top five. Instead, he was 24th and soon wrecked out of the race when he connected with Trevor Bayne.


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