Brad Keselowski will miss the season-opening Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, RFK Racing has already named his replacement, and NASCAR is finally set to reveal its long-awaited new championship format. It was a busy news day with major implications for 2026, especially for RFK and the broader Cup Series landscape.
Keselowski will sit out the non-points Clash as he continues to recover from a broken leg suffered earlier this offseason. RFK quickly announced Corey LaJoie as his replacement, opting for experience in a rough, high contact exhibition race. LaJoie gets a rare opportunity in top-tier equipment, while RFK avoids rushing its star driver before the season truly begins. The team and Keselowski remain optimistic that Daytona will not be impacted, but the physical grind of a full season raises real questions.
At the same time, NASCAR confirmed that the new championship format will be unveiled on Monday afternoon. Notably, the announcement avoids mentioning the playoffs at all, fueling speculation about a potential overhaul. Whatever the format ends up being, expectations are high that it delivers a more satisfying, earned championship payoff than the current system.
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