Brad Keselowski might look the part of a daredevil when he walks to his No. 6 car for Sunday’s Daytona 500. But as the veteran driver prepares to race just eight weeks after breaking his femur on Sunday, Keselowski insisted that he isn’t looking to prove anything by driving through a severe injury.
“I want to win the Daytona 500. It’s the biggest win in the championship for me,” Keselowski told FOX Sports’ Chris Myers ahead of Sunday’s Daytona 500. “Winning and the wins I’ve had in the past were awesome, wouldn’t trade them for anything. Winning for your own team and a crown jewel, man, that’s another level.”
Keselowski, who turned 42 on Thursday, has achieved just about everything imaginable in the sport other than winning the Daytona 500. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion has had multiple close calls, though. He had back-to-back top-five finishes in 2013 and 2014. He led the most laps in the 2022 and 2023 races as well before slipping in the final laps in both races.
As he’s set to compete in his 17th Daytona 500, Keselowski is hoping for a change in fortune. But he also recognized that the road to be able to participate in Sunday’s race was challenging enough as is.
“Nothing’s ever guaranteed in life, particularly not in racing,” Keselowski said. “There were a lot of moments in my recovery where I thought I wasn’t going to drive a race car again. I’ve broken ankles, ribs, jaws, noses, fingers and nothing compares to a broken femur. I woke up in the middle of the night, wondering what just happened to my life.”
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Keselowski added that it took him “a solid three or four weeks to be able to stand up and take steps” after he suffered the injury while getting out of his vehicle when he slipped on ice in December.
“Huge recovery. A lot of pain,” Keselowski said.
Keselowski shared that he was told he would need six months to fully heal from the injury. So, he’s been making his way around Daytona this week with a cane in hand. He said he’s received a lot of social media comments about the cane and how he needs different clothes to go with it, like a fur jacket.
And while Keselowski said his main motivation to race on Sunday wasn’t necessarily to prove to people that he can drive with a broken femur, he is getting some fulfillment that he’ll prove some people wrong.
“Definitely pushing the envelope,” Keselowski said. “A couple of the medical professionals told me no way, don’t expect to do anything. That just lit a fire in me. People that know me know that I’m a bit of a contrarian, so you tell me I can’t and I’m going to go do it.”
Still, Keselowski’s ultimate reason for racing on Sunday is to win the one big race that’s eluded him.
“Shots on goal, that’s where I’m at,” Keselowski said. “I’m going to keep running the Daytona 500 and hoping that in those last few laps, instead of falling apart, it comes together for me.”