Brad Keselowski appeared at the Daytona 500 Media Day interviews using a cane to support his right leg, which is recovering from a broken femur. The injury had forced him to skip the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium but did not stop him from being cleared to race in the Daytona 500 on February 9. Notably, Keselowski’s cane was covered with sponsorship decals linked to his No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford team.
The Injury and Its Severity Compared to Past Incidents
Keselowski’s broken femur resulted from slipping on ice during a family ski trip in mid-December. He emphasized that this injury was considerably more serious than the broken ankle he sustained during a crash at Road Atlanta in 2011. The severity of the break caused intense pain and immobility immediately after the accident.
Reflecting on the Pain and Historical Perspectives
While lying injured on the ice, Keselowski recounted having dark thoughts about the severity of his situation.
“When I was laying on the ground and I was completely immobile immediately after I broke my leg, what was going through my mind was like, ‘Oh my God.’ Like, think about the soldiers in the Civil War,”
he said. Keselowski further explained,
“And I understood why they would do it, because it hurt so bad. It was by far the worst pain I’ve ever went through. I get why they would bring out the hacksaw. There was a part of me that was like, that might actually feel better.”
Plans for Racing and Backup Support
Keselowski plans to compete at Daytona despite his injury, although David Ragan will be ready to serve as a relief driver if necessary. Uncertainty remains around his ability to manage the physical demands of the Circuit of The Americas road course race on March 1. To prepare for this, sports car veteran Joey Hand has been designated as a backup driver for that event.
