Keselowski ruled out of NASCAR Clash; LaJoie to sub

Brad Keselowski will be sidelined from NASCAR's preseason Clash event at Bowman Gray Stadium while his broken right femur continues to heal.

Keselowski told Fox Sports on Thursday that Corey LaJoie, the reserve driver for RFK Racing, will drive the No. 6 Ford Mustang. The Clash will be held on February 1, which is two weeks before the season-opening Daytona 500. LaJoie will also be on standby for Keselowski when the season starts.

The former Cup Series champion is planning to be ready for the Daytona 500. Keselowski was injured on December 18 while on a ski trip with his family, slipping and falling on ice after dropping off his daughter for ski lessons, as he revealed to Fox Sports. He later underwent successful surgery and has been in recovery since.

“I didn’t want to rush back,” Keselowski told Fox Sports. “The team and I made the decision together that if all the rehab went absolutely perfect, we’d be ready like, literally, the day of the Clash. And that seemed super-foolish and didn’t give us any time to do any testing on myself or anything like that.”

NASCAR allows drivers to test after an injury. It would be under NASCAR guidance with certain rules in place about what can be done during the test (such as using multiple sets of tires). Alex Bowman, for example, participated in a test in 2023 before returning from a fractured vertebra.

To be cleared to compete, Keselowski cannot be on prescription medication and will need to show he can enter and exit the car in a timely manner if it’s needed. Keselowski hopes to get behind the wheel on February 5 for a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’m not great, but I’m good,” Keselowski said. “I’m recovering really well. I had a major injury. I’m on a significant rehab plan to be back for the Daytona 500. … I’m now made of titanium in my leg. It’s a really painful thing to break. It’s the biggest bone in your body, which is kind of the bad part about it. The good thing is it’s also one of the fastest healing parts of your body, so I’m just really dealing with the pain and trying to recover as fast as I can.”

Keselowski, who began his full-time Cup Series career in 2010, has never missed a points-paying event. That streak would continue if Keselowski is ready to compete in the Daytona 500, as the Clash is a non-points exhibition race.