Atlanta’s “Ramp Up in Intensity” Set to Dictate Brad Keselowski’s Participation in Upcoming NASCAR Cup Races

Neha Dwivedi | 22/02/2026
Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski is on the mend from a right femur break and was spotted leaning on a cane around the garage and pit road at Daytona International Speedway. But despite that, he had skin in the game until chaos on the last lap and last corner wiped out his shot. He rolls into the Atlanta weekend ready to go, but the next stop at Circuit of the Americas will ask more from him.

That track demands more legwork with its left and right turns and constant throttle changes. With that in mind, Keselowski has lined up a relief option in Joey Hand, a road course ace who already earned trust within RFK Racing. Hand showed his chops in 2024 by bringing home a P4 at the Chicago Street Race in the No. 60 Ford.

Speaking on how Atlanta could shape his call for COTA, Keselowski said, “Atlanta’s going to ramp up the intensity. It’s not necessarily a faster racetrack, but since it’s smaller, you carry a log more G-forces here. So, it’s a little bit more of a physical workload. COTA next weekend will be a big challenge.”

“I’m going to see how I feel. I’ve got more tests next week to get through – a medical test and a physical test. I’ll probably see how those go and make a decision on what’s best for the team,” he continued.

The RFK Racing co-owner plans to get through Atlanta and then read the room before calling it for COTA. For now, he feels game for Atlanta. After sitting out the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, he went through a medical check at Charlotte Motor Speedway, got cleared, and climbed back into the car for the Daytona slate, coming out the other side in one piece.

Burt Sunday at EchoPark will be another pack race, which Keselowski will have to get through. He has logged plenty of laps on ovals, but road courses still sit on the to-do list. His road course average finish sits at 18.2, so it won’t hamper much of his chances even if he decides to sit on the sidelines for the race. For now, he has floated a split-duty play where he could start at COTA and then hand the wheel to Hand if his leg starts talking.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Atlanta Motor Speedway Brad Keselowski COTA EchoPark Speedway NASCAR Cup Series

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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