Brad Keselowski wants to buy a tank

Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Brad Keselowski is bringing out the heavy artillery to celebrate his first Sprint Cup title, and he hopes neighbor Dale Earnhardt Jr.will join the fun.

The newly crowned champion revealed Tuesday he intended to fulfill a promise to buy himself a tank if he won the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

After hearing a story from NASCAR TV analyst and former driver Wally Dallenbach Jr. about the joys of owning one, Keselowski began researching tanks over the summer. He hasn't decided on a seller yet but wants a model "from World War II to the Korean War, something in that '40s to mid-'50s era."

Keselowski, who lives in a house adjacent to Earnhardt's 200-acre homestead outside Mooresville, N.C., has been trying to convince NASCAR's most popular driver to buy his own tank.

"I thought, 'Wow, that'd be awesome,' " the Penske Racing driver said. "Obviously living where I do around Dale Jr., I thought it would be cool if we both got a tank and chased each other around in the woods with them. It's kind of our deal.

"I promised myself if I won (the title), I would buy one whether Dale does or not. It was kind of a little bit of motivation, I'd say. I'm not one to buy trophies for myself, but I think a tank would be pretty cool. I want to put one together and have some fun with it. When I'm done playing with it, I'll just park it in the driveway."

Earnhardt Jr. gave Keselowski his first full-time Nationwide ride before he moved to Penske Racing.

On his second day as NASCAR's newest primary ambassador, Keselowski's media blitz continued in New York, where he appeared on Good Morning America and was scheduled to handle Tuesday night's top 10 list on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Many of the questions the Miller Lite-sponsored driver has been getting have referred to his giddy appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter, in which he admitted to having "a buzz" after sampling plenty of his primary sponsor's product in victory lane.

Though he's taken some criticism for it, Keselowski said he had "no regrets" about the spot.

"I'm more thrilled people enjoyed it than I am disappointed or questioning my own path because someone didn't like it," he said.

"I think everybody faces their criticism no matter what you do. You'll never going to get all of the people to like something that you do. You just have to let that roll off your shoulders. But if you're true to yourself in the long run, those things will work themselves out."