Brad Keselowski seemingly is not having the best time since the 2026 NASCAR season started.

And again at the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series that took place at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the experience was not full of pleasure for veteran Brad Keselowski. 

In a post-race interview with Frontstretch, Brad Keselowski described his experience: “It was a day,” Brad said. “We wanted to be faster, but we weren’t as fast as we wanted to be. It turned into a "don't beat ourselves" day.

In December 2025, Keselowski broke his right femur after he slipped on ice while skiing. At COTA, the 2012 Cup Series champion arrived in Austin while managing an existing injury, making the race even more difficult.

The trouble began when the car locked up and slid wide, costing him several positions on the track.

Keselowski mentioned times he didn’t feel good during the race. “But we get that adrenaline pumping, got rabbits to chase,” he added. He also spoke about how the adrenaline made him forget the pain quite quickly.

“You just turn it off,”  Brad replied when asked about describing his pain levels due to the injury back in December. “That’s all you can do, right, when you’re in the moment?” Brad continued. “And I’m sure it’ll catch up to me tonight.”

However, previously, Brad Keselowski had stated that Joey Hand could replace him at COTA in the No. 6 car.

"Atlanta’s gonna ramp up the intensity. It’s not necessarily a faster race track, but since it’s smaller, you carry a lot more G-forces here. So it’s a little bit more physical workload.” He continued.

“We’re glad to have him ( Joey). He’s the Ford reserve driver for all the road courses, and he’s just won all the big races that you can win across the globe. So a great guy, too.”

Medical Emergencies Shift Focus Beyond the Track

As the race continued, the emergencies took the focus away from the track. When the medical teams stepped in, the mood around the garage changed.

During the event, one driver began feeling ill inside his car and had to exit before he could finish the race, while a replacement driver took over the wheel.

After the race ended, another driver was taken for medical treatment for heat-related issues as his car’s cooling system failed.

Though the cars continued the laps, the mood shifted from excitement to concern. COTA tested endurance, but the severe Texas heat amplified the physical strain on the racers as the temperature rose.

By the end of the afternoon, it was less about who gained more positions but about who made it through to the end.

Written by

Pulkit Prabhav

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi