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CONCORD -- "Oh my God, look at this!"

Bob Keselowski was in a hospital room with his wife Kay as she was about to give birth. He wasn't looking at her, though. He was focused on the TV and the sight of Ricky Rudd's flipping car at Daytona that February day in 1984.

Kay, in labor, wasn't impressed.

"I'm a little busy here," she told her husband.

Shortly afterward, Brad Keselowski was born.

It's funny in a way that Kay Keselowski ties her son's birth to a driver considered among NASCAR's most determined --Rudd duct-taped his eyes open so he could drive a few days after that accident and later set the record for most consecutive starts.

Brad Keselowski's challenges haven't been as spectacular as Rudd's crash but they have been just as daunting. The third-generation driver twice came back after his teams folded earlier in his career to earn a surprising appearance in tonight's all-star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

His career could have been sidetracked after his second team ceased operations, but a competitor's one-race suspension for rough driving helped lead Keselowski to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team. Then, to victory lane in last month's Sprint Cup race at Talladega.

Tonight, the 25-year-old Keselowski, who has competed in six Cup races, challenges Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, among others, for an all-star title he wasn't eligible for until his Talladega victory.

Three years ago, the thought of Keselowski winning, let alone reaching the Cup series seemed doubtful.

His family's truck team folded that season. He picked up a few rides here and there and started the 2007 season with a full-time ride in the Busch series. That team folded by summer.

Keselowski asked his father if he should go to the next race in Milwaukee although he didn't have a ride. One of the toughest things for drivers is to be at the track without a ride.

"You need to keep yourself out there and keep talking with people," his father, a former racer and 1989 ARCA champion, told Keselowski.

He went. That weekend, Ted Musgrave ran into a competitor's truck during a caution and NASCAR went on to suspend him for the next race. Keselowski received a phone call from that team for the one race Musgrave would miss.

Keselowski won the pole and led several laps before an incident with the eventual winner and finished 16th. At about that same time, Earnhardt was replacing his Busch series driver. He hired Keselowski for a three-race stint. Keselowski hasn't left since.

Keselowski competes fulltime in the Nationwide series but has only a part-time Cup ride. He'll drive some races this season for Hendrick Motorsports and other races for Phoenix Racing, which receives Hendrick support.

Keselowski said he didn't want a full-time ride this season.

"I sat out this year because I didn't think that the timing was right, and I didn't think I was ready for a full schedule,'' he says. "And I wanted to do this right as far as the Cup level goes.''

While his success could lead to more races, Keselowski likely will run about half the Cup races. He is not eligible for Cup rookie of the year honors.

"I didn't file for rookie of the year because the last thing I wanted to see was my name at the bottom of that list knowing that you probably couldn't win it unless you ran the whole deal,'' he says.

While he's won numerous trophies throughout his career -- his bedroom in his family's home remains stocked with trophies including the 6-inch trophy he received after his first race -- that Talladega trophy is just fine in place of rookie of the year honors.

The only thing missing that day at Talladega last month were his parents. His mom was back in Michigan with Brad's brother, Brian, who had competed in the Nationwide series race the day before. Brad's dad, Bob, drove back from Talladega and was on the road, trying to hear the final dramatic laps of the race on the radio as the signal faded in and out.

"The radio came back on and I thought I heard them say that Brad won the race," Bob said. "I said there ain't no way he won the race."

Then the calls started to come.

"Did he win this race?" Bob Keselowski asked the first caller.

"Yes."

"Wow."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long @news-record.com