Home / NASCAR / Brad Keselowski Back Home After Breaking Leg, But What About Daytona 500?

Brad Keselowski Back Home After Breaking Leg, But What About Daytona 500?

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
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Brad Keselowski

A disappointing all-around 2025 for RFK Racing and team co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski is ending in most appropriate fashion: with a thud.

Both literally and figuratively.

After Keselowski and teammates Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece all failed to win a race and make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Keselowski is now recovering from a leg injury suffered on December 18.

How Did Brad Keselowski Get Hurt And How Actually Banged Up Is He?

No doubt trying to make the most of the short NASCAR offseason, Brad Keselowski was on a trip with his wife, Paige, and their children when he broke his right leg in a skiing accident.

In revealing the news the day after the injury happened, RFK Racing said Keselowski underwent successful surgery to help repair the damage. The organization expects its co-owner/driver of the No. 6 car to make a “quick and full” recovery.

“I’m grateful for the medical team who took great care of me, and for the support system around me,” Keselowski said in a statement RFK Racing released after his accident.

“My attention is now fully on recovery.”

The 2012 Cup Series champion clearly still has a way to go, though.

See in the video that’s part of the post below how gingerly he’s moving. Keselowski also appears to be in some pain. It’s worth noting, too, that he’s using a walker to get around.

The good news? After staying in the hospital for a few days post-surgery, Keselowski returned home — just in time for Christmas.

How Long Will Brad Keselowski Be Out And Will He Miss The Daytona 500?

Although there’s never a good time to break a leg, the timing of Brad Keselowski’s injury could have been far worse.

With the Daytona 500 and the official start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season still over a month-and-a-half away, Keselowski may be able to heal up in time to compete in The Great American Race.

RFK Racing has given no exact timetable for his return, however.

“I’m motivated to get back to full strength as quickly as possible and will work relentlessly to be ready for Daytona,” Keselowski said, concluding the earlier statement RFK Racing shared.

Naturally, Keselowski would hate to miss the Daytona 500 for numerous reasons. One is that he’s never prevailed on the sport’s biggest stage, only coming painfully close.

How close?

Keselowski finished third in the 2014 running of NASCAR’s most prestigious event. In 2021, he and then-Team Penske teammate Joey Logano crashed while battling for the lead on the last lap, handing the win to Michael McDowell.

Keselowski, who turns 42 in February, has been to Victory Lane just twice over the last five seasons and is in the twilight of his career. That means he’s running out of chances to capture the coveted Harley J. Earl Trophy awarded to Daytona 500 winners.

And, who knows? This year might even be Keselowski’s last chance to win the 500 (he hasn’t stated his plans beyond 2026). Given all of this, Keselowski undoubtedly has no lack of desire to be in the lineup when the field takes the green flag for the Daytona 500. The race is on tap for Sunday, February 15.

However, it seems fairly safe to assume that Keselowski will miss the preseason exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1.

Stay tuned.

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
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