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NASCAR Cup driver Brad Keselowski was asked if he remembered when Darrell Waltrip broke his leg in a multi-car crash at Daytona, then had to drive one lap in the following race at Pocono?
Keselowski didn't remember. He was only 6 years old at the time.
Along with breaking his left femur bone, Waltrip fractured his elbow and suffered a concussion in qualifying for the Pepsi 400 in 1990. Two weeks later, wearing a cast on his leg from his ankle to his waist, Waltrip had to be placed by crew members into his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lumina, start the race and run one lap to receive credit for the points before turning the car over to relief driver Jimmy Horton.
"Whooo! That's incredible," Keselowski said. "DW was an amazing racecar driver. He doesn't get enough credit, and he was obviously tough."
KESELOWSKI SKIPS CLASH WITH BROKEN LEG: Brad Keselowski to miss Clash with broken leg, Corey LaJoie replaces him, per report
The same can be said for Keselowski, 42, the RFK Racing owner-driver who is dealing with an injury similar to Waltrip's and, like Waltrip, is still competing relentlessly. Keselowski broke his right leg in mid-December in a skiing accident. Like Waltrip, who was 43 at the time, Keselowski underwent surgery to have a titanium rod inserted in the leg to stabilize the femur bone.
Because of the metal rod, Waltrip had trouble making it past airport security on his way from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, to Pocono in 1990.
Keselowski hasn't had that problem. But he has had to deal with lots of other issues, such as relying on a cane, dealing with severe pain in his leg during races, and an intensive daily rehabilitation program.
"I'm in rehab every day," Keselowski said. "It's every day, probably an hour to three or four hours, depending on the day."
Waltrip's injuries came on June 6, 1990, when he was involved in a seven-car pile-up in qualifying for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Terry Labonte and Dave Marcis were also injured in the crash and, like Waltrip, were transported to Halifax Medical Center.
Labonte and Marcis were treated and released. Waltrip was admitted to the Intensive Surgical Care Unit where he was listed in serious, but stable, condition.
The main concern for Waltrip as he prepared to undergo surgery was how soon he could return to the track. So he understands why Keselowski hasn't allowed his injury to keep him out of his car.
"Brad's a racer; his dad (Bob) was a racer. You just do what you have to do," Waltrip said. "You do your job. You love what you do, so you just do it. Obviously, this comes from the voice of admiration and understanding."
As Waltrip did at the time, Keselowski has described the pain stemming from his broken leg as the worst he's ever experienced.
"Somebody once told me if you're going to be dumb, you better be tough," Keselowski said. "I've had plenty of dumb moments, so I guess I've got to be tough."
In his 18th Cup season, Keselowski finished fifth in the Daytona 500 season opener, just eight weeks after his surgery. He was in contention the entire race. He has been in the top 20 in every race in 2026, including 10th last week at Las Vegas.
Keselowski led four laps at Las Vegas and 10 at Atlanta on Feb. 22.
"Racing under these conditions has been all I could ask for to be honest," Keselowski said. "I want to win races, and we're not there. But we're competitive. We're putting up solid finishes. We need to win more stage points. But we're doing the things we need to do to push our way through the season."
Keselowski took oxycodone to deal with the pain after breaking his leg in December. As the 2025 NASCAR Cup season drew closer, however, Keselowski had to stop relying on the painkiller to comply with the sport's strict substance abuse policy. Oxycodone is categorized as a narcotic analgesic, which is banned by NASCAR.
"I used (oxycodone) for probably the first three to four weeks, and you're not allowed to race on that," Keselowski said. "I had to pass a drug test, so I had to be off of it for at least two weeks to get it out of my system. So I backed up from Daytona (Feb. 15). I was like, 'If I'm going to run Daytona, I've got to quit this stuff.' It was hard. That stuff's very addictive. It works, I'll give it that. But it's very addictive."
Heading into the March 22 race at Darlington, Keselowski is in 12th place in the Cup points standings. His 127 points have him hovering around the 16th-place playoff cutoff line and in a solid position if he is able to fully recover in time for the summer stretch of the season.
"I hope to be full strength in the next 30 to 60 days," Keselowski said. "But the reality is I'm not full strength right now, so we're making the most of what we have."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Like Darrell Waltrip in 1990, Brad Keselowski is racing on a broken leg
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Keselowski didn't remember. He was only 6 years old at the time.
Along with breaking his left femur bone, Waltrip fractured his elbow and suffered a concussion in qualifying for the Pepsi 400 in 1990. Two weeks later, wearing a cast on his leg from his ankle to his waist, Waltrip had to be placed by crew members into his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lumina, start the race and run one lap to receive credit for the points before turning the car over to relief driver Jimmy Horton.
"Whooo! That's incredible," Keselowski said. "DW was an amazing racecar driver. He doesn't get enough credit, and he was obviously tough."
KESELOWSKI SKIPS CLASH WITH BROKEN LEG: Brad Keselowski to miss Clash with broken leg, Corey LaJoie replaces him, per report
The same can be said for Keselowski, 42, the RFK Racing owner-driver who is dealing with an injury similar to Waltrip's and, like Waltrip, is still competing relentlessly. Keselowski broke his right leg in mid-December in a skiing accident. Like Waltrip, who was 43 at the time, Keselowski underwent surgery to have a titanium rod inserted in the leg to stabilize the femur bone.
Because of the metal rod, Waltrip had trouble making it past airport security on his way from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, to Pocono in 1990.
Keselowski hasn't had that problem. But he has had to deal with lots of other issues, such as relying on a cane, dealing with severe pain in his leg during races, and an intensive daily rehabilitation program.
"I'm in rehab every day," Keselowski said. "It's every day, probably an hour to three or four hours, depending on the day."
What Darrell Waltrip said about Brad Keselowski's broken leg
Waltrip's injuries came on June 6, 1990, when he was involved in a seven-car pile-up in qualifying for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Terry Labonte and Dave Marcis were also injured in the crash and, like Waltrip, were transported to Halifax Medical Center.
Labonte and Marcis were treated and released. Waltrip was admitted to the Intensive Surgical Care Unit where he was listed in serious, but stable, condition.
The main concern for Waltrip as he prepared to undergo surgery was how soon he could return to the track. So he understands why Keselowski hasn't allowed his injury to keep him out of his car.
"Brad's a racer; his dad (Bob) was a racer. You just do what you have to do," Waltrip said. "You do your job. You love what you do, so you just do it. Obviously, this comes from the voice of admiration and understanding."
Brad Keselowski's toughness helping with broken leg
As Waltrip did at the time, Keselowski has described the pain stemming from his broken leg as the worst he's ever experienced.
"Somebody once told me if you're going to be dumb, you better be tough," Keselowski said. "I've had plenty of dumb moments, so I guess I've got to be tough."
In his 18th Cup season, Keselowski finished fifth in the Daytona 500 season opener, just eight weeks after his surgery. He was in contention the entire race. He has been in the top 20 in every race in 2026, including 10th last week at Las Vegas.
Keselowski led four laps at Las Vegas and 10 at Atlanta on Feb. 22.
"Racing under these conditions has been all I could ask for to be honest," Keselowski said. "I want to win races, and we're not there. But we're competitive. We're putting up solid finishes. We need to win more stage points. But we're doing the things we need to do to push our way through the season."
Why Brad Keselowski is not using painkillers for broken leg
Keselowski took oxycodone to deal with the pain after breaking his leg in December. As the 2025 NASCAR Cup season drew closer, however, Keselowski had to stop relying on the painkiller to comply with the sport's strict substance abuse policy. Oxycodone is categorized as a narcotic analgesic, which is banned by NASCAR.
"I used (oxycodone) for probably the first three to four weeks, and you're not allowed to race on that," Keselowski said. "I had to pass a drug test, so I had to be off of it for at least two weeks to get it out of my system. So I backed up from Daytona (Feb. 15). I was like, 'If I'm going to run Daytona, I've got to quit this stuff.' It was hard. That stuff's very addictive. It works, I'll give it that. But it's very addictive."
Brad Keselowski could be at full strength in April
Heading into the March 22 race at Darlington, Keselowski is in 12th place in the Cup points standings. His 127 points have him hovering around the 16th-place playoff cutoff line and in a solid position if he is able to fully recover in time for the summer stretch of the season.
"I hope to be full strength in the next 30 to 60 days," Keselowski said. "But the reality is I'm not full strength right now, so we're making the most of what we have."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Like Darrell Waltrip in 1990, Brad Keselowski is racing on a broken leg
Continue reading...
