Brad Keselowski does not plan to race in the season-opening Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium next month and will have Corey LaJoie as a substitute, according to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass.
Pockrass revealed the change in a larger interview with Keselowski concerning the recovery from the broken femur he sustained in December.
Keselowski said he plans to be ready to race in time for the Daytona 500.
LaJoie’s substitution is his first announced seat time in NASCAR’s national series for 2026. He made four NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2025 for Rick Ware Racing, plus nine races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports.
Keselowski earned six top fives and 13 top 10s in the No. 6 in 2025.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.