How NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski became Elk Grove Village's pitchman

  • Brad Keselowski celebrates after winning the Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on April 25, 2021.

    Brad Keselowski celebrates after winning the Geico 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on April 25, 2021. Associated Press 2021

  • The No. 6 car -- complete with Elk Grove Village decals and branding -- will be driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Chicago street race Sunday.

    The No. 6 car -- complete with Elk Grove Village decals and branding -- will be driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Chicago street race Sunday. Courtesy of Elk Grove Village

 
 
Updated 6/30/2023 4:50 PM

On Sunday, veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski will navigate his No. 6 Ford Mustang through 12 turns of the 2.2-mile Chicago downtown street course.

During commercial breaks, he'll serve as Elk Grove Village's pitchman.

 

"Elk Grove Village is located just outside Chicago, and their community is beyond business-friendly. From manufacturing to state-of-the-art data centers, Elk Grove Village has the infrastructure and the people to help your business thrive," Keselowski says in one of the two 30-second spots that will air during the NBC broadcast.

The commercials have been running throughout the Midwest for the past month, under the village's $400,000 sponsorship of the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team. The village board recently agreed to up its contribution by $50,000 to take those national, with one commercial right before the start of the 4:30 p.m. race and one during.

Elk Grove will also get its "Makers Wanted" business marketing tagline affixed to a special "on the move" feature during the broadcast.

The tagline, logo and related branding already are plastered on Keselowski's stock car -- among 37 in the race.

Elk Grove has been showing off a similar car -- Keselowski's from last season -- at community events. That included the ESPN 1000-AM radio broadcast Friday afternoon of the "Waddle & Silvy" show from Real Time Sports Bar and Grill.

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Village officials say Keselowski is a good fit to market their sprawling industrial park. When not on the racing circuit, Keselowski is at his Statesville, North Carolina-based hybrid manufacturing company, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, which specializes in additive metal technologies and computer numerical control machining.

He touts that experience in the ad, which also has a version airing on local radio.

"As a manufacturer and a business owner, I know that driving a race car is a lot like growing a business. You're only as good as your team. Elk Grove Village is a great team," Keselowski said.

The two-year sponsorship of Keselowski's car -- with a third year option at the same rate -- represents the Northwest suburban municipality's latest unconventional sports marketing sponsorship. The town paid $300,000 in both 2018 and 2019 to sponsor the Bahamas Bowl college football game, and $175,000 to back three USA Olympic teams in 2021.

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