Brad Keselowski to Miss Clash; Corey LaJoie Driving RFK No. 6

Ayrton Breckenridge/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski will NOT be competing in The Clash at Bowman-Gray Stadium - NASCAR's annual pre-season exhibition event - RFK Racing confirmed officially on Thursday.

Keselowski, who suffered a broken right femur while on a ski trip with his family in mid-December, will instead focus all of his energy on being ready to tackle the season-opening DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway (February 15).

Brad’s full-time job right now?

To be ready for DAYTONA. 🙏🏻

Welcome to the No. 6, @CoreyLaJoie. pic.twitter.com/J4ogHxpeUn

— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) January 8, 2026

Corey LaJoie, a reserve driver for RFK Racing, will be piloting the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the February 1 event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. LaJoie, who no longer competes full-time in the Cup Series, has a victory at the half-mile racetrack in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East back in 2012.

In an exclusive interview with Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Keselowski says that he didn't want to rush back into the racecar after the injury, and that while his team figured he'd likely be just ready at the time of the Clash, he figured that probably wasn't a good idea.

"I'm really proud of the team of people I have doing the rehab and the race team is working hard," Keselowski told FOX Sports. "I'm happy for Corey to get this opportunity. I can't wait to see what he does with it."

Keselowski, of course, is notably in search of collecting his first victory in the DAYTONA 500, and the Rochester Hills, Michigan-native says that this is only a minor setback.

Ahead of being approved to compete at Daytona International Speedway, Keselowski will be having a medical evaluation test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on February 5, where his return will be conditional on three different elements: not needing pain medication, being able to walk at a reasonable level and get in and our of the car, and having some sign of bone regeneration.

Per Keselowski, the injury didn't happen while on the slopes, but instead was a result of slipping on the ice while getting out of the vehicle, shearing his femur, and needing emergency surgery. However, when the injury first happened, the 41-year-old says he suffered some nerve damage

"When I first had the injury, I had no feeling in my right leg from my knee up to my hip," Keselowski said. "My foot and ankle and all that was good. My calf was good, but I couldn't feel any of my quad or any of that stuff.

The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium will take place on Sunday, February 1 at 8:00 PM ET on FOX. Corey LaJoie will be behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, with Keselowski slated to return for the DAYTONA 500.