Getty
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – SEPTEMBER 20: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford, walks the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2025 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski will find out if he can compete in this year’s Daytona 500 on Monday, February 9. After suffering a broken femur last December, the driver of the #6 must complete an approval test to run “The Great American Race.”
Due to weather circumstances, the 2012 Cup Series champion’s test was pushed back to Monday. On top of the injury, Keselowski doesn’t have a valid NASCAR driver’s license, and will need to be approved in the test to receive one.
Brad Keselowski’s Approval Test Pushed Back Due to Weather
On Friday, February 6, Keselowski responded to an X user asking whether or not he’ll be competing in this year’s Daytona 500. The co-owner of RFK Racing responded by saying his approval test, which he needs to pass to race, had been pushed to Monday.
Keselowski suffered a broken femur on a ski trip last December, which required surgery and put his status for the 2026 season in question. Since the injury, the 41-year-old has been focused on making his return at Daytona on February 15.
The Michigan native wasn’t able to recover in time for this year’s Cook Out Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium. The 200-lap race was postponed from Sunday, February 1 to Wednesday, February 4.
When asked on X if he would be healthy enough to race on the postponed date, Keselowski made it clear he wouldn’t. The 36-time Cup Series winner added that he doesn’t have a valid NASCAR driver’s license and would need to acquire it through the upcoming test to race.
“Short answer- NO Long answer- I don’t currently have a valid NASCAR driver’s license. Scheduled to take the different tests end of the week. Must pass to drive the car at DAYTONA or anywhere else. Big week ahead,” Keselowski wrote.
This season marks Keselowski’s 17th full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series. It will mark his fifth season behind the wheel of his co-owned #6 RFK Racing Ford.
Since joining the team, Keselowski has made two playoff appearances and picked up a win at Darlington in May of 2024. Keselowski has yet to win the Daytona 500, with his best finish being third in 2014.
Corey LaJoie Replaced Brad Keselowski in Cook Out Clash
As Brad Keselowski entered this season sidelined, he needed a replacement for the Cook Out Clash. That replacement was Corey LaJoie, who filled in as the driver of the #6 on Wednesday, February 4 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
LaJoie finished third in the Last Chance Qualifier race, one spot shy of making the main event later that evening. After falling short of a spot in the big-time race, LaJoie expanded on the competitiveness of the Cup Series.
“I hadn’t been in a Cup car on a short track around the short track tire in almost two years. To jump in the deep end against these guys, these guys again and again show they are the best at driver stock cars, so it was cool to dice it up with them,” LaJoie said.
LaJoie is set to run the Daytona 500 for RFK Racing. The 34-year-old will attempt the race behind the wheel of the #99 Ford.
John Breeden John Breeden is a NASCAR contributor at Heavy Sports. He has five years of sports journalism experience. He graduated from James Madison University in May of 2022 with a degree in media arts and design. John is also a sports reporter for the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Previously, John was a sports writer for JMU’s The Breeze and a NASCAR content writer for Sportskeeda. More about John Breeden
More Heavy on NASCAR
Loading more stories