Brad Keselowski cleared to participate in the Daytona 500 by doctors

The RFK Racing owner-driver had to miss the Clash, held on the Bowman Gray Stadium oval. Keselowski has been recovering since December 18th from a fractured femur, which he sustained during a ski trip. He was evaluated by the team doctors. NASCAR, then moved on to the track at the Charlotte oval, the Rochester Hills (Michigan) native will be able to hold his own in the No. 6 Ford, as he still seeks his first Daytona 500 victory, after winning the Cup Series championship in 2012.

"Getting permission to run was a very important moment for me."Keselowski explained. “You do the work, you trust the process, but until you hear the final ‘yes,’ nothing is guaranteed. Knowing what Daytona represents and how difficult it would have been to miss this race, this moment was even more intense. I’m grateful to the medical team and NASCAR for being thorough, and I can’t wait to get back in the car.”

Having undergone surgery for his fracture immediately afterward, Keselowski faced another significant hurdle at the end of January. Among numerous checks on the healing of his fracture, an X-ray taken on January 30th gave doctors enough confidence to allow him to continue his rehabilitation, still aiming for a Daytona appearance. Having injured his foot in 2011, Keselowski returned to competition with a victory at Pocono four days later. Can he repeat that feat this Sunday at Daytona? He certainly hopes so…

“This process required discipline and patience. There were no shortcuts. I had a poster in my training room that said, ‘Daytona. Earned, not given,’ and that became my daily mindset. I focused on getting stronger, improving my mobility, and making sure I was truly ready to race. The Daytona 500 is the most coveted race there is. Its history, the names on that trophy—it speaks for itself. I’ve won at Daytona before, but I’ve never won the 500 Miles, and that’s always been my goal. After everything it took to get back to this level, having another shot at it means everything to me.”

Joining the ownership of what was then known as Roush Fenway Racing in 2022, Brad Keselowski played a key role in the resurgence of RFK Racing, winning at Darlington in 2023 alongside his teammate Chris Buescher, a multiple-time winner in recent seasons. The team's third member, Ryan Preece, earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory last week, taking the non-championship race, The Clash.

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