Brad Keselowski will be absent from the preseason Crash event due to a broken right femur he sustained after slipping and falling from his car during a ski trip on December 18. Despite this setback, he is determined to be ready for the Daytona 500. RFK Racing’s backup driver, Corey Lajoie, will take Keselowski’s place at the Crash on February 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium and will also serve as his substitute driver at the start of the season.
Keselowski told me on Thursday afternoon that he didn’t want to rush his recovery. He and his team agreed that if his rehabilitation went perfectly, he would be ready in time for the Crash, but attempting a premature return without proper testing would be reckless. Keselowski undergoes six to eight hours of rehab daily, involving demanding workouts, ice therapies, and machines that provide shocks, compression, or cold treatment. The usual recovery period for a femur fracture ranges from eight to twelve weeks, and his rehab is overseen by specialists at Atrium Health.
“I’m proud of the effort my rehab and race teams are putting in, and I’m happy Corey has this chance,” Keselowski said. “I’m eager to see how he performs. I’m ready to race at Daytona. This is only a minor setback.” He aims to undergo a medical assessment on February 5 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where NASCAR allows drivers and doctors to privately test their readiness with a limited number of tires.
Keselowski outlined three criteria for his comeback: no requirement for prescription painkillers, the ability to walk moderately and enter and exit the car comfortably, and evidence of bone healing. “I’m not at 100%, but I’m in good shape,” he said. “This was a serious injury, and I’m following an intense rehab plan to get back for the Daytona 500. My leg now contains titanium, and although breaking the biggest bone in your body really hurts, it is also one of the fastest to heal. I’m managing the pain and focusing on quick recovery.”
The injury happened shortly after Keselowski dropped off his daughter for ski lessons. He parked and slipped on ice, causing the accident, and required emergency surgery in Boone, North Carolina. Despite experiencing many fractures in the past throughout his racing career, Keselowski said, “Nothing has been as painful as breaking a femur. It’s a tough injury, but the recovery timeline is similar to others, so you have to be resilient.”
He also mentioned some nerve damage, initially losing sensation in the area from his knee to his hip. “The nerves are reconnecting slowly; now I’m close to walking and can almost lift my legs independently. All the muscles are fine; I just need to reconnect everything.” The fall occurred on the first day of his trip. “It was a freak accident. I wish it had been something more dramatic like jumping on a hill, but it was just a slip.”
While being transported by ambulance, Keselowski received news about the Greg Biffle plane crash that happened the same day, putting his injury in perspective. “I thought I was having the worst day of my life, but seeing that tragedy reminded me that things could be worse,” he said. At 41, Keselowski is determined to keep racing as long as he wishes. “I want to compete into my late 40s. There are some positives to this downtime—I’m home with my kids more and enjoying that. It also motivates me; being away makes me eager to race again.”
Bob Pockrass
We report on NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. With decades of motorsports coverage and over 30 Daytona 500s under his belt for outlets like ESPN and Sporting News, follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fan Take: Keselowski’s injury and determined comeback highlight both the risks drivers face off the track and their incredible resilience. His absence opens the door for Corey Lajoie to showcase his talent, potentially shaking up the competition early in the NASCAR season.
