Keselowski to miss Clash, LaJoie to fill in
CONCORD, N.C. — Brad Keselowski will miss the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and Corey LaJoie will fill in for him, RFK Racing confirmed to TRE.
Keselowski will miss the Feb. 1 preseason exhibition race due to a leg injury sustained while skiing with his family in December. LaJoie will drive his No. 6 Ford in his absence.
LaJoie recently raced for Rick Ware Racing — a team closely aligned with RFK — in 2025. He previously filled in for a NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2023 when he drove Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 Chevrolet at World Wide Technology Raceway Gateway after NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott.
Keselowski is likely to be ready in time for the season-opening Daytona 500, set for Feb. 15. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion is set to make his 17th start in the race. While he has won the Daytona summer race, he has never won the Daytona 500 before.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com