For as much as his future is undecided, Brad Keselowski feels pretty good about where he's sitting right now.

He joined Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide Series team, JR Motorsports, for his final 14 starts of the 2007 season and has 12 top-10 finishes in 20 starts this year. That includes his first career victory (Nashville) and pole (Milwaukee) last month.

It's all been a bit of a whirlwind for the 24-year-old who could easily pass for a teenager.

"You're always worried about the next step and winning the next race," Keselowski said. "But there are times where you sit back and you think and you go, 'Wow, this has really been a dream season, really been a great year so far.'

"This is what I've driven for my whole life, was to get this opportunity. And so I'm trying to the best I can to make the most of it and just trying to soak it in when do get a chance."

Keselowski returns to the track Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway, when the Nationwide cars take the spotlight on the Sprint Cup off weekend. Keselowski says his ride in the JR Motorsports No. 88 for next year is "locked in stone." Beyond that, there may be bigger things calling him.

Mark Martin has signed to drive the No. 5 for Hendrick Motorsports for the next two years. Hendrick offers support to JR Motorsports, and owner Rick Hendrick mentioned Keselowski and young Hendrick driver Landon Cassill as possibilities to share the ride with Martin in 2010.

Keselowski said being mentioned as a possible Cup driver within two years is an honor.

"There's a lot of talent, like I said, between Joey [Logano], then there are other drivers in the Nationwide Series that I feel like are very talented. . . . All of them are great drivers as well that I think can compete at the same level.

"So it's great to be told that or hear that, but, you know, we're trying to stay focused on competing in the Nationwide Series."

Beyond his own aspirations, Keselowski wants to do well for Earnhardt. The team owner took a chance on Keselowski, who had a top finish of 24th in 20 starts for Keith Coleman before moving to JR Motorsports.

Earnhardt serves as a mentor of sorts to Keselowski, despite Earnhardt's hectic schedule. And the youngster says he learns as much, if not more, about the off-track stuff from Earnhardt.

"He doesn't have a lot of time to be with me and to explain things with me. But, you know, there are certainly times where he'll help me out," Keselowski said. "Going to Daytona, he helped me out a tremendous amount. Watching footage from Talladega and showing me what I did wrong and what I did right and trying to explain that to me.

"Then there's some of the other behind-the-scenes stuff. How to deal with the huge amount of responsibilities that a driver has, not only to his team and to his sponsor. . . . So, you know, there's no right or wrong on it, but it's trying to find that right balance and that right harmony, so to speak, to make that all happen. And, you know, he is a great role model to show me that."