Brad Keselowski has put his acting skills well and truly to the test in a new NASCAR-produced commercial ahead of the 2026 Daytona 500.
The 31-second clip emerged on NASCAR's official social media pages earlier this month, captioned: "Winning the Daytona 500 isn't everything. It's the only thing."
In the commercial, 2012 Cup Series champion Keselowski can be seen lying down on a couch, with a therapist taking notes as he airs his thoughts.
"I've just never won it," Keselowski exclaims. "It haunts me!"
The therapist replies: "Have you ever considered winning the Daytona 500?"
Cue Keselowski acting in numerous different scenes where he is haunted by the fact he has never won the Great American Race, including at a garden birthday party, Christmas Day, and when trying to sleep but is cruelly awoken by his alarm at 05:00.
In the commercial, Keselowski's frustrations reach a boiling point, and as he lets out a frustrated scream, the words 'The race every driver dreams of' pop up, with branding associated with 2026's event.
Winning the #DAYTONA500 isn't everything. It's the only thing. pic.twitter.com/0pW6AfYbUj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) December 13, 2025
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What is Brad Keselowski's Daytona 500 record?
Keselowski was a great choice to act in such an advert, not only because of his popular status as a Cup Series champion, but because of the fact he has never won the iconic race.
Indeed, 2026 will be Keselowski's 18th attempt at the Daytona 500, with some really poor results in the race in recent seasons.
For example, since 2016, the RKF Racing star and co-owner has finished inside the top 10 on just one occasion (9th, 2022), with most of the finishes during that period coming in the high 20s or early 30s.
Frustratingly, Keselowski even led the most laps in the race in 2022 and 2023, but fate intervened, and ultimately, he did not go on to take the black and white checkered flag while in the lead.
Earlier in his career, it was much the same in terms of difficult results, with Keselowski failing to qualify for his first-ever Daytona 500 in 2009, and then finishing 36th, 29th and 32nd in the three years that followed.
2013 and 2014 are about as close as Keselowski has come to glory in the Daytona 500, when he finished fourth and third, respectively, in those years.
You can see a full breakdown of Keselowski's Daytona 500 performances over the years below.
| Year | Team (Manufacturer) | Starting Pos | Finishing Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Phoenix Racing (Chevrolet) | DNQ | N/A |
| 2010 | Penske Championship Racing (Dodge) | 26 | 36 |
| 2011 | Penske Racing (Dodge) | 16 | 29 |
| 2012 | Penske Racing (Dodge) | 23 | 32 |
| 2013 | Penske Racing (Ford) | 15 | 4 |
| 2014 | Team Penske (Ford) | 33 | 3 |
| 2015 | Team Penske (Ford) | 39 | 41 |
| 2016 | Team Penske (Ford) | 25 | 20 |
| 2017 | Team Penske (Ford) | 7 | 27 |
| 2018 | Team Penske (Ford) | 31 | 32 |
| 2019 | Team Penske (Ford) | 35 | 12 |
| 2020 | Team Penske (Ford) | 9 | 36 |
| 2021 | Team Penske (Ford) | 24 | 13 |
| 2022 | RFK Racing (Ford) | 3 | 9 |
| 2023 | RFK Racing (Ford) | 10 | 22 |
| 2024 | RFK Racing (Ford) | 16 | 33 |
| 2025 | RFK Racing (Ford) | 34 | 26 |
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Keselowski's 2026 Daytona 500 run under threat?
Keselowski's long wait for a Daytona 500 victory might have to go on another year beyond 2026, too, after a recent injury.
The 2012 champion fractured his leg and underwent surgery after having an accident while skiing this week, and whilst he is focused on recovering for Daytona, at this stage, there are no guarantees he will be able to compete.
Even if he is cleared, you also wonder what toll the injury might play in his pre-season preparations ahead of the race.
We'll bring you further updates on Keselowski's recovery here on Oval Insider as and when the information is released.
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