While Brad Keselowski continues his recovery, he will opt out of the pre-season exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Keselowski suffered a broken leg while skiing with his family on December 18th, and underwent successful surgery soon after. The 68th running of the Daytona 500 follows takes place on February 15th, but The Clash is a full two weeks earlier.
While the 41-year-old driver/owner sits out the event, RFK Racing has selected Corey LaJoie to pilot the No. 6 Ford Mustang at Bowman Gray.
Last year, Keselowski started fifth and finished 21st in the exhibition race at the historic short track.
LaJoie is an experienced driver with almost 300 starts at the Cup level. In 2025, he competed part-time, making four Cup starts and nine Truck Series starts. He also took on the role of analyst for NASCAR on Prime Video.
"Happy to be of service," said LaJoie on social media. "Wishing BK w speedy recovery. Let’s go get another trophy at The Madhouse."
LaJoie is also a proven winner at Bowman Gray, taking the checkered flag in the 2012 ARCA East (then known as the K&N East) Series race there. It was a dominant showing with LaJoie leading 118 of 153 laps, beating several drivers he will compete against later this month, including Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Elliott.
LaJoie, who is now 34 years old, last took part in The Clash during the 2024 season when it was held at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Driving for Spire Motorsports, he finished 17th.
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