Brad Keselowski has been officially cleared to return from injury at this weekend's Daytona 500.
The former NASCAR Cup Series champion broke his femur in a freak accident on a family ski trip in December, and has been in a race against time to recover for this week's race – starting with qualifying on Wednesday.
Keselowski was originally intended to have his medical evaluation and on-track session at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, but it was delayed until Monday due to inclement weather.
The veteran racer told FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass last month that his return was contingent upon three medical checkpoints: Not needing any prescribed pain medication, being able to walk at a reasonable level and be able to get in and out of the car, and having some sign of bone regeneration.
Keselowski: Daytona, earned not given
In a statement provided by his RFK Racing team on Monday, Keselowski said of his clearance: “Getting cleared was a huge moment for me. You put in the work, you trust the process, but until you hear that final ‘yes', nothing is guaranteed.
"Knowing what Daytona means, and how hard it would have been to miss it, made this moment even bigger. I’m grateful to the medical team and to NASCAR for being thorough, and I’m excited to get back in the car.
“This process was about discipline and patience. There were no shortcuts. I had a poster in my workout area that said, ‘Daytona. Earned not given', and that became my mindset every day. The focus was on getting stronger, improving mobility, and making sure I was truly ready to race.
“The Daytona 500 is the most coveted race we have. The history, the names on that trophy, it speaks for itself. I’ve won at Daytona, but I haven’t won the 500, and that’s always been one I want. After everything it took to get back to this point, having another chance at it means everything.”
