Brad Keselowski’s pursuit of his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Phoenix took a major hit on Saturday when he crashed during the practice session, forcing him to start Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 500 from the last position. The driver of the No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford experienced a right front tire failure entering turn three, which caused his car to slam into the outside retaining wall, resulting in extensive damage.
The severity of the crash meant Keselowski and his RFK Racing team had to switch to a backup car, eliminating him from Saturday’s qualifying session. Among the 37 vehicles set to race, Keselowski will therefore begin the event in 37th place.
Crash Details and Keselowski’s Response to Practice Setback
Keselowski was candid with FOX motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass about the practice crash, explaining the situation and the plan moving forward. The damage to his primary vehicle was too significant to repair before the race, so he is relying on a backup car.
Just blew a tire entering turn three and destroyed the car. We’ll bring out the backup and be ready for Sunday,
Keselowski said.
Still recovering from a broken femur sustained during a ski trip in December 2025, Keselowski reassured fans that the crash did not worsen his injury.
Obviously, not what you would want to do, but the way we have the car set up, it’s prepared very well for that type of incident,
Keselowski added.
Tire issues were a major theme throughout Saturday’s practice, with multiple drivers including Tyler Reddick, Riley Herbst, and Keselowski’s teammate Chris Buescher also experiencing blowouts. These tire concerns follow a pattern seen during last year’s championship race at Phoenix.
Keselowski, balancing his dual roles as a driver and co-owner of RFK Racing, expressed anxiety about the ongoing tire troubles heading into the race.
I’d be a fool to not say we’re really concerned after just blowing a tire out. I can tell you we saw my teammate, Chris Buescher, blow a tire out. We went super conservative with everything and still blew out. So, I don’t know,
Keselowski said.
Managing Recovery While Facing Challenging Racing Conditions
Despite the major leg injury he suffered before the start of the 2026 season, Keselowski has maintained a strong presence on the track. He skipped only the Cook Out Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium but has competed in every official points race so far.
At Phoenix, Keselowski opened up about the physical toll of racing while still healing, noting both the difficulties and his determination to improve after every event.
There are little setbacks that come from driving the car of dehydration or just the workload in general. With a day or two of recovery, I’ve been able to come back even stronger [for] each of the three races we’ve had so far,
Keselowski explained.
Now in his fifth full season as both driver and co-owner of RFK Racing, Keselowski’s win tally for the organization sits at one, a victory at Darlington in May 2024. As he faces the challenge of starting last in Phoenix, his focus is on overcoming the obstacles and making the most of the backup car to improve his standing in the race.
Brad Keselowski says he is fine, no aggravation to his leg injury. Will need to go to a backup and does have a concern about tires. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/R4ZnqSWGF3
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 7, 2026
