Keselowski committed to going this distance at COTA

Brad Keselowski has no intention of getting out of his RFK Racing Ford Mustang this weekend at Circuit of The Americas.

“I’m not expecting it to be easy, but I’ve put a bunch of work in, and I’m ready for the challenge,” said Keselowski of competing with a still-healing broken right femur. “This is a very physical racetrack, really all the road courses are, but this one in particular, with all the curbs, the curb strikes, and the heavy brake zones. So, a lot of workload, but I’ve put the work in, and it’s time to go race.”

Keselowski broke his femur on Dec. 18, which required surgery. He has been recovering and doing rehabilitation since then and has been using a walking cane.

Sunday is the first road course race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. Or, to better explain, the first big challenge, physically, that will be put on Keselowski’s sore and sensitive body. The last two races were on superspeedways.

Joey Hand, the Ford reserve driver on road courses, is on standby for Keselowski. It won’t be until after Saturday’s qualifying session that Keselowski will know for sure if he’s going to need to turn the car over.

“But it’s going to take a lot for that to happen,” he said.

Such as?

“It’d either be really slow or really in pain, one of those two,” Keselowski said. “I’ve been in simulators and got really comfortable with the pace I had, and went go-karting and got really comfortable with being able to take the pain. So, just go do it.”

One reporter bluntly asked Keselowski why he is doing this to himself. Keselowski laughed and replied, “Well, I’ve got to score a bunch of points and go run. I’m a race car driver, that’s what I do.

“I’ve trained and worked for this my whole life, and short of not being able to drive … I feel like I can drive. I know it’s going to hurt, but I can do it. So, let’s go.”