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\u2019s backup driver, Corey Lajoie, will take Keselowski\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Keselowski told me on Thursday afternoon that he didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of the effort my rehab and race teams are putting in, and I\u2019m happy Corey has this chance,\u201d Keselowski said. \u201cI\u2019m eager to see how he performs. I\u2019m ready to race at Daytona. This is only a minor setback.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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. \u201cI\u2019m not at 100%, but I\u2019m in good shape,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was a serious injury, and I\u2019m 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\u2019m managing the pain and focusing on quick recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
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, \u201cNothing has been as painful as breaking a femur. It\u2019s a tough injury, but the recovery timeline is similar to others, so you have to be resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also mentioned some nerve damage, initially losing sensation in the area from his knee to his hip. \u201cThe nerves are reconnecting slowly; now I\u2019m close to walking and can almost lift my legs independently. All the muscles are fine; I just need to reconnect everything.\u201d The fall occurred on the first day of his trip. \u201cIt was a freak accident. I wish it had been something more dramatic like jumping on a hill, but it was just a slip.\u201d<\/p>\n
While being transported by ambulance, Keselowski received news about the Greg Biffle plane crash that happened the same day, putting his injury in perspective. \u201cI thought I was having the worst day of my life, but seeing that tragedy reminded me that things could be worse,\u201d he said. At 41, Keselowski is determined to keep racing as long as he wishes. \u201cI want to compete into my late 40s. There are some positives to this downtime\u2014I\u2019m home with my kids more and enjoying that. It also motivates me; being away makes me eager to race again.\u201d<\/p>\n