Gifts for NASCAR Fans
Brad Keselowski is set to miss the 2026 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, following an injury suffered during the offseason, per a new report.
On December 19, Keselowski announced that he had broken his femur during a family ski trip and had undergone surgery. Per RFK, Keselowski claimed he would be ready for the February 15 Daytona 500, suggesting that the timetable would not hurt any efforts to race in 2026.
However, Keselowski is going to miss the season-opening Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
In place of the 2012 Cup Series Championship, former Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie will take his place in the February 1 exhibition race and will remain as “standby” driver during the early portion of the season.
On social media, LaJoie, a former Bowman Gray Stadium winner in the NASCAR K&N Series, said about his temporary ride, “Happy to be of service. Wishing BK a speedy recovery. Let’s go get another trophy at The Madhouse.
There is a quick turnaround time for Keselowski to race in the 68th Daytona 500, but the driver/owner seems persistent in making the race, telling Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports his “significant rehab plan” is setting him up to be ready in time for the season opener.
Despite a flurry of safety improvements in the sport over the past two decades, it is a smart move for the team to keep LaJoie on standby should Keselowski feel unready to race, as injuries are common at Superspeedway races.
Last season, Connor Zilisch and William Sawalich both missed races due to injuries suffered in separate crashes at different Talladega NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
In 2024, once again at Talladega, Erik Jones became the most recent NASCAR Cup Series driver to miss a race due to injury after a violent crash in turns three and four.
Should he be ready to compete at Daytona, this year will mark Keselowski’s 16th attempt to win the Great American Race. If Brad can finally win the biggest race on the NASCAR calendar, his perseverance through this injury may rank it as one of the most impressive Daytona 500 wins in the race’s lengthy history.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
