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Brad Keselowski leg injury: Will the No. 6 Ford need a relief driver at Daytona 500?
Brad Keselowski may need a relief driver in the Daytona 500; David Ragan is on standby if his leg injury flares up, per reports.
Brad Keselowski will take the wheel on RFK Racing's No. 6 Ford at the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday despite a leg injury. Keselowski will be driving for the NASCAR Cup event at the Daytona International Speedway despite the broken leg he suffered while skiing with his family this December.
He was recently cleared to participate at Daytona 500 after he passed a driving test on Monday, February 9, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since the injury in mid-December, he has undergone surgery and spent weeks in rehab.
However, there is still a risk that Keselowski may not be able to drive all 200 laps of the Daytona 500 event in Florida, requiring a relief driver to step in for him mid-race.
Will No. 6 Ford Require A Relief Driver?
NASCAR reporter Steven Taranto, who formerly worked with CBS, reported that he saw David Ragan in the RFK Racing's garage area who confirmed that he will be on stand-by to step in as a relief driver for Brad Keselowski in case he can't continue due to the injury.
"Saw David Ragan in the garage area and spoke to him real quick," Taranto reported. “He's on standby in the event Brad Keselowski (leg) needs a relief driver He hasn't left Daytona yet - just in case - but he says Brad woke up this morning feeling good.”
Latest On Brad Keselowski's Broken Femur
Brad Keselowski broke the femur in his right leg in a non-racing accident during a family ski trip in mid-December 2025. After dropping his daughter off for ski lessons, he parked his car, slipped and fell on ice, and sheared the bone without breaking the skin.
Also read: Daytona 500: What time will the race start on Sunday? What time does it end? Details
He revealed during the media day that he is "eight weeks in" his recovery period, and the full recovery will take about six months. “It’s hard to explain to people that have never broken their femur before what it’s like,” he said.
“It’s not the same as breaking your leg below your knee. Your femur is the biggest bone in your body. It’s got a lot of things running through it, and it has to heal. You can’t really cast it. You can’t do any of those things. You just kind of have to tough it out.”
