Brad Keselowski cleared to race in NASCAR's season-opening Daytona 500 after breaking his right leg

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Brad Keselowski has been cleared to race in the Daytona 500, nearly two months after breaking his right leg.

Keselowski, who suffered the injury when he slipped on ice during a family ski vacation, passed a driving test Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway and was officially given the green light to get behind the wheel in the No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing.

“So much work to get here!" Keselowski wrote in a post on X. "Special thanks to my family, the 6 crew, all the medical professionals and my fans for all your help and support.”

Keselowski had surgery in mid-December and always believed he would be ready for the season-opening Daytona 500. Corey Lajoie filled in during the exhibition Clash last week at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion, is winless in 16 starts in the Daytona 500. He turns 42 days before “The Great American Race” and is entering his 17th full season of racing at NASCAR's top level. He spent the bulk of his career at Team Penske but purchased a stake in Roush Fenway Racing in 2022 and became an owner/driver of the rebranded team.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing