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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 11: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Nexlizet Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Brad Keselowski will miss the rescheduled Cook Out Clas<\/a>h due to ongoing recovery from a broken femur and the absence of a valid NASCAR driver\u2019s license. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion addressed his licensing status on social media after being suggested as a replacement for Corey LaJoie<\/a> in the No. 6 Ford.<\/p>\n His absence coincides with NASCAR\u2019s efforts to adapt to weather delays at Bowman Gray Stadium, where heavy snowfall prompted further rescheduling. While teams have gained additional preparation time, Brad Keselowski\u2019s health and licensing hurdles keep him sidelined.<\/p>\n This situation highlights NASCAR\u2019s strict commitment to safety, physical fitness, and up-to-date credentials, even for accomplished drivers.<\/p>\n Brad Keselowski remains sidelined because of his injury<\/p>\n Brad Keselowski<\/a> suffered a broken femur<\/a> last month in a fall, which immediately ruled him out and led RFK Racing to select Corey LaJoie as his replacement. A femur fracture is a serious injury that requires a long recovery period and significantly limits mobility, factors especially important given NASCAR\u2019s demanding physical requirements.<\/p>\n Since his injury, Brad Keselowski has not participated in any exhibition events. He has talked about preparing for the 2026 season, but recovery is ongoing. NASCAR drivers face high g-forces, must react quickly, and endure lengthy races, making medical clearance mandatory before returning to competition.<\/p>\n The Clash is a non-points event, but teams take it seriously. With his recovery ongoing, Keselowski remains out, with no announced change.<\/p>\n NASCAR\u2019s License renewal adds another hurdle<\/p>\n In addition to his injury, Keselowski\u2019s NASCAR driver\u2019s license<\/a> has lapsed. Drivers who have been inactive must pass medical, physical, and knowledge tests before their licenses can be renewed. Keselowski detailed this process in a social media post<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cShort answer- NO. Long answer- I don\u2019t currently have a valid NASCAR driver\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n NASCAR requires drivers with a lapse in their licensing to complete renewal procedures before returning to the track. Even if Brad Keselowski completes the required tests this week, he still needs NASCAR\u2019s approval before racing again. Combined with his ongoing recovery, this makes a return for the Clash unlikely.<\/p>\n Cook Out Clash is delayed due to the snowstorm<\/p>\n The Cook Out Clash<\/a> has experienced major delays. Originally scheduled for February 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium<\/a>, the event was postponed, first to Monday, then to Wednesday, February 4, 2026, after a winter storm dropped 8\u201310 inches of snow.<\/p>\n Ben Kennedy<\/a> explained the decision in an official update.<\/p>\n \u201cMother Nature threw everything at us, but safety always comes first. The Clash will now run on Wednesday, giving the city time to focus on community needs and ensuring a safer trip for fans and teams. Our crews are working nonstop to get Bowman Gray ready. See you at The Madhouse!\u201d<\/p>\n The new schedule features practice at 1:30 p.m. ET, the Last Chance Qualifier at 4:30 p.m., and the main event at 6 p.m. ET, all airing on FOX.<\/p>\n While the delay provides teams with additional preparation time, Brad Keselowski\u2019s injury and licensing status remain the primary obstacles. With the Daytona 500<\/a> approaching on February 15, his focus is on passing the necessary tests and continuing his rehabilitation rather than competing in the Clash.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Image LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 11: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Nexlizet Ford, looks on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":397377,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-449332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=449332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/449332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/397377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=449332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=449332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=449332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}