Brad Keselowski to miss Clash due to recovery; Corey LaJoie to sub

Brad Keselowski is set to miss the preseason Clash due to a broken right femur sustained from a fall while exiting his vehicle on December 18 during a ski trip. However, he is determined to be ready for the Daytona 500.

Corey LaJoie, the reserve driver for RFK Racing, will step in for Keselowski at the Clash on February 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium, and will also serve as Keselowski’s standby driver at the beginning of the season.

"I wasn't eager to hurry back," Keselowski mentioned to me on Thursday afternoon. "The team and I collectively decided that even if the rehab went perfectly, we would only be ready precisely on the day of the Clash.

"That seemed incredibly unwise and left us with no time to conduct any testing on myself or anything similar."