Motorsports can be tough. Finding a spot in a premier series like NASCAR, especially, can be difficult and requires some racing background. Brad Keselowski is one of the drivers who came from a family racing background and managed to crush the competition with his 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship win. He remained one of the top drivers to compete against in the series and is still behind the wheel in 2026. However, the same cannot be said for his brother.

Being older than him, Brian Keselowski also attempted to make a name for himself in motorsports. In fact, he got quite popular with his team ownership. Even though he was a decent driver, he did not make it to the top. And even in 2026, after three decades spent involved in racing, Brian seeks optimism to find a racing role.

Brian Keselowski’s emotional social media post ahead of the 2026 season

The field is packed for 2026. With the Tulsa Shootout taking place, motorsports have already kicked off, and it is only a matter of weeks before top series like NASCAR and Formula 1 get back into action. Hidden behind the action and the success stories of drivers, however, are the hopes and aspirations of those who couldn’t quite make it into the top-tier world.

Brian Keselowski, who had some opportunities to run in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and the Cup Series and also the Cup Series, finds himself in a similar spot. As mentioned, he has been involved in racing for the past thirty years, but hasn’t been officially behind the wheel for the past decade. 

Although he got some chances serving as a crew chief in NASCAR, he doesn’t have a role in 2026. As he looks forward to his 31st year in racing, Brian shared an emotional post on X.

“That time of year again. Race season going to start ramping up,” he wrote. “Meanwhile still out there looking for what’s next. Would love to find a full time spotting gig, but they aren’t just falling out of trees either. Either way, I’m sure something will come up soon. Year 31 loading up.”

Keselowski seems positive about finding a role as a crew chief in racing; however, nothing can be guaranteed right now. Although he did showcase positive output in his years, he doesn’t seem to have consistency with the role. Yet, something might pop up for him, considering his three decades of experience.

Unlike his brother Brad, Brian had quite a lot on his plate to begin with. He had been working with his family racing team ever since his schooling days, attending night classes to work as a jackman. When he eventually got the chance to get behind the wheel, he did showcase some impressive results.

In fact, Brian Keselowski has collected a few wins, but they were limited to the ARCA Series in the mid 2000s. Although he was a good driver, he could never prove to be amongst the top 1% that make the cut in stock car racing. Moreover, there was the timing.

When he joined NASCAR, the sport had evolved. The racing was largely controlled by the manufacturers, and around 50% of the performance was expected from the cars the drivers had. This means that no matter how good a driver was, if their car underperformed, they had no chance of winning.

Brian mostly raced in the second division for his team, BK Motorsports, which remained largely underfunded. This proved to be a major disadvantage for him, and he couldn’t showcase the best of his skills.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Brian Keselowski was not a top driver. As mentioned, he was decent behind the wheel. But even when he did race and actually finished it, he wasn’t amongst the top finishers; instead, he found himself at the back of the field. His best result in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (then called the Nationwide Series) was a 10th-place finish in Memphis back in 2007. He drove the race for Whitney Motorsports.

This was the same race where his brother, Brad, drove for JR Motorsports and finished 9th. Unlike Brian, Brad’s career took off after that.

However, with Brad still healing post his skiing accident injury, his return date is still a question mark.

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Brad Keselowski’s 2026 Daytona 500 status remains uncertain

Brad Keselowski has had quite a polar career path compared to his brother. While Brian was juggling too many things, managing his team and his racing career at the same time, Brad focused more on himself as a driver. While his brother struggled to get races, Brad was already winning in both the Cup Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He won the Sprint Cup Series championship with Team Penske in 2012 and continued to remain a top-performing driver.

Currently signed with RFK Racing, a team he co-owns, Keselowski will return to racing shortly. However, his entry in the 2026 Daytona 500 is uncertain. In the middle of December, Brad faced an incident while skiing and broke his leg. In a social media post, he was seen using crutches to walk. While the fans sent in their prayers and wishes for a quick recovery, they also questioned his participation in the Great American Race.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled in mid February, which will roughly be two months after Keselowski’s surgery. He could be on the edge of recovery and get back to the car. But it is uncertain if he will be able to deliver a strong performance. Moreover, it is quite apparent that he might not run the #6 Ford at this year’s Clash, yet his participation in Daytona is of more significance.

Brad’s career path seemed to make more sense. He only got into the team ownership game after having accomplished most of the things in racing. As for his brother, although he was good, he never found a permanent place in the top tier of stock car racing.