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ROCHESTER HILLS — In NASCAR, there’s an image of the laid-back Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his buddies hanging out at his place in Mooresville, N.C., playing with go-karts and racing simulation video games until way too late on most nights.

Well, Brad Keselowski is living the dream. The Rochester Hills 23-year-old isn’t just the kid Earnhardt picked to drive his JR Motorsports Busch series stock car. He’s also staying in Earnhardt’s guest house and trying to keep up with the boss on late-night video endurance races.

“We were racing last night,” Keselowski said Wednesday, the day after JR Motorsports announced he will get a three-race audition, starting Saturday in Chicago in the U.S. Navy sponsored Chevy. “We were playing some European game with road courses. He was beating me up pretty good.”

Keselowski said he had been working on a deal to drive for Earnhardt for almost three months, but that was for a new, second Busch series team Earnhardt was considering adding. Instead, Earnhardt parted ways with his driver Shane Huffman.

“I wasn’t looking to replace Shane, but Memphis changed things. After Memphis, people started talking. People saw something. They saw what I can do,” Keselowski said.

They saw Keselowski make the most of a one-time chance at driving a top quality NASCAR Craftsman truck. Subbing for the suspended Ted Musgrave, “Kez” was the fastest qualifier and led for 62 laps, until near the end when Travis Kvapil spun Keselowski out and won the race.

Raised in a family of race car drivers, the rookie took it like a pro. He didn’t say anything rash.

“I’ve been around racing all my life. My dad, my uncle, my brother,” he said about the family’s efforts in short tracks, in ARCA and NASCAR’s truck series. “Racing is all I’ve ever known and all I need to know right now. They taught me that being a jerk has never helped anybody. Be patient and work hard.”

Hanging with Dale Earnhardt Jr., talking, playing, eating and breathing racing has been a thrill, but Keselowski said he also remains focused on getting good performances at Chicagoland, Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, and Indianapolis Raceway Park.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, but I’ve done this with him before,” he said. “We’ve known each other for a while, but the deal to drive for him is an awesome opportunity.”

Keselowski would like to settle for a long stay at JR Motorsports. He knows this is going to be an up-and-coming organization with Earnhardt’s deal with Rick Hendrick Motorsports, including help from Hendrick for JR Motorsports. That probably means great engines and technical support. That means fast race cars. Tony Eury Sr. also just came over from Dale Earnhardt Inc. This is the man Dale Earnhardt Sr. charged with turning his son into a race car driver. Keselowski would like to benefit from some of that magic.

“We’ve already worked together a little bit,” he said. “We’re both the new guys in the shop and I’m really excited about working with him. The most exciting thing will be seeing how this will work with the link with Hendrick.”

How long will it be before Earnhardt, just like his father, fields NASCAR Cup teams of his own while driving for another car owner? Keselowski hopes he can prove he deserves to be in the organization when that happens.

“My only focus right now is making the most of this opportunity in the next three races,” he said. “Success is measured by chemistry and showing the potential for success. There are a lot of very talented drivers out there who will never get the chance I have in front of me. Dale wants to succeed and so do I.”