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When Brad Keselowski arrived at Daytona to begin the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, simply being on the grid felt like an accomplishment.
Just weeks earlier, the RFK Racing co-owner had suffered a broken femur after slipping on ice while dropping his daughter off for a ski lesson. The injury required surgery and cast doubt on whether he would be ready for the Daytona 500.
Instead, Keselowski fought his way back.
He missed the preseason Clash but returned for NASCAR’s biggest race, turning what could have been a lost offseason into one of the sport’s most impressive comeback stories. And he didn’t just race, but he earned his team a fifth-place finish at “The Great American Race.”
For much of the first half of the season, that story only got better.
Then everything changed.
Just a few weeks ago, Keselowski sat ninth in the standings and appeared comfortably on his way toward a Chase berth.
Now he’s fighting just to stay above the postseason cut line.
The change has been sudden and dramatic.
Chris Knight noted Sunday that Keselowski is set to finish 30th or worse in five of his last seven NASCAR Cup Series races. For a driver who spent much of the season building momentum, it represents one of the sharpest downward trends in the garage.
Four races can change everything in NASCAR.
A month ago, Keselowski looked like one of the sport’s best comeback stories. Today, he’s fighting simply to keep a promising season from slipping away.
What makes the slide particularly frustrating is that it hasn’t been driven by a lack of speed.
Instead, the No. 6 team has repeatedly found itself caught up in accidents, damaged race cars, and disappointing finishes at the worst possible time of the year.
Bob Pockrass pointed out Sunday that Keselowski did not record a DNF in his first 13 races of the season. Over the last three weeks, however, his races have ended early because of accidents.
The recent stretch has wiped away much of the cushion he spent months building.
Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway only added to Keselowski’s growing concerns.
An accident ended his day early and sent him tumbling further down the standings during a critical point in the regular season.
By the end of the race, Keselowski had fallen to the postseason cut line in the live standings, a stunning position for a driver who looked secure only a few weeks ago.
The downturn has also changed the outlook for RFK Racing.
Not long ago, the organization appeared to have all three of its drivers comfortably positioned to reach the Chase. Now, every point matters as the regular season continues to wind down.
The difficult part for Keselowski is that the season was supposed to be a story about perseverance.
After recovering from a broken femur and making it back for Daytona, he spent months proving he could still compete at a high level despite the setback.
For much of the spring, he did exactly that.
Now, the challenge isn’t recovering from injury.
It’s stopping a late-season spiral before it turns a remarkable comeback season into one of NASCAR’s biggest missed opportunities.
Continue reading...
Just weeks earlier, the RFK Racing co-owner had suffered a broken femur after slipping on ice while dropping his daughter off for a ski lesson. The injury required surgery and cast doubt on whether he would be ready for the Daytona 500.
Instead, Keselowski fought his way back.
He missed the preseason Clash but returned for NASCAR’s biggest race, turning what could have been a lost offseason into one of the sport’s most impressive comeback stories. And he didn’t just race, but he earned his team a fifth-place finish at “The Great American Race.”
For much of the first half of the season, that story only got better.
Then everything changed.
Brad Keselowski’s season has unraveled in a matter of weeks
Just a few weeks ago, Keselowski sat ninth in the standings and appeared comfortably on his way toward a Chase berth.
Now he’s fighting just to stay above the postseason cut line.
The change has been sudden and dramatic.
Chris Knight noted Sunday that Keselowski is set to finish 30th or worse in five of his last seven NASCAR Cup Series races. For a driver who spent much of the season building momentum, it represents one of the sharpest downward trends in the garage.
Four races can change everything in NASCAR.
A month ago, Keselowski looked like one of the sport’s best comeback stories. Today, he’s fighting simply to keep a promising season from slipping away.
What makes the slide particularly frustrating is that it hasn’t been driven by a lack of speed.
Instead, the No. 6 team has repeatedly found itself caught up in accidents, damaged race cars, and disappointing finishes at the worst possible time of the year.
Bob Pockrass pointed out Sunday that Keselowski did not record a DNF in his first 13 races of the season. Over the last three weeks, however, his races have ended early because of accidents.
The recent stretch has wiped away much of the cushion he spent months building.
Pocono delivered another setback
Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway only added to Keselowski’s growing concerns.
An accident ended his day early and sent him tumbling further down the standings during a critical point in the regular season.
By the end of the race, Keselowski had fallen to the postseason cut line in the live standings, a stunning position for a driver who looked secure only a few weeks ago.
The downturn has also changed the outlook for RFK Racing.
Not long ago, the organization appeared to have all three of its drivers comfortably positioned to reach the Chase. Now, every point matters as the regular season continues to wind down.
The difficult part for Keselowski is that the season was supposed to be a story about perseverance.
After recovering from a broken femur and making it back for Daytona, he spent months proving he could still compete at a high level despite the setback.
For much of the spring, he did exactly that.
Now, the challenge isn’t recovering from injury.
It’s stopping a late-season spiral before it turns a remarkable comeback season into one of NASCAR’s biggest missed opportunities.
Continue reading...
