So far, NASCAR has only one person as the legitimate King, but after this comment, things could change. Mark Martin has been quite active on social media, responding and stirring up discussions; however, this one takes the cake. In conversation with Brad Keselowski’s brother, Brian Keselowski, a lot of old truths about the former NASCAR champ have come up, and neither side has hesitated to describe Brad’s racing style that got banned.

In a recent exchange that stirred up old memories among NASCAR fans, racing legend Mark Martin debated about one of his most controversial tactics.

“Your brother @keselowski was the king of it,” he said.

The back-and-forth began after Brian Keselowski reflected on the difficulty of tandem racing.

“For sure, tandem racing was the hardest I ever drove on a superspeedway. And I only got to do it a couple times,” the NASCAR veteran wrote.

Racing style had been banned from the Truck series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts back on June 11, 2014, underscoring just how continuous and physically demanding they had become in the eyes of drivers and officials.

In the middle of that storm stands 2012 NASCAR Cup champion Brad Keselowski. The now 41-year-old’s name is associated with the tandem drafting era at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega.

Tandem drafting is basically when two cars hook up nose-to-tail and share airflow to turn faster laps. That concept became a defining feature of NASCAR super-speedway racing in the late 2010s.

In fact, Keselowski’s breakthrough came early in his career when he scored his first NASCAR victory at the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega in 2009, using the tandem draft to his advantage on the final lap. He pushed Carl Edwards before splitting toward the finish line and winning the race.

That victory not only marked the start of Keselowski’s success at superspeedways but also helped cement tandem drafting as a legitimate and powerful strategy in NASCAR’s top series.

The RFK driver and co-owner continued to excel at these high-speed tracks, especially at the peak of tandem racing.

For example, in the 2012 Talladega race, Keselowski and Kyle Busch used this concept effectively to build a lead and set up a win, with Keselowski then breaking the draft and pulling ahead on the white flag lap.

However, this was not without criticism and complications. While it produced memorable finishes and unique strategic elements, the technique also posed safety challenges, including engine overheating and blind-spot risks for the pushing car.

NASCAR’s subsequent changes gradually shifted racing back to larger pack racing, and later aerodynamic and restrictor plate adjustments in the Cup Series reduced the viability of sustained tandem drafting.

But Brian Keselowski knows about his brother’s skill all too well. Responding to Martin’s comment, the 44-year-old brought up some memories from the past.

“Oh, trust me, I know. He pushed that old, slow turd of mine into the 500 in 2011. I learned a lot later why that worked so well, and I used that to push other guys to the front in races after that. It was way easier to push a slower car, as I didn’t have to drag the brakes as much,” he said.

But while this was nothing more than brotherly banter, Keselowski’s 2026 NASCAR Cup season has already taken a hit. After an unfortunate skiing incident, the NASCAR veteran has now laid out his plans.

Brad Keselowski prioritizes recovery amid accident

Brad Keselowski has decided to skip the Clash at the Bowman Gray Stadium. With the NASCAR season fast approaching, teams are getting ready to fire up their engines for the Cook Out Clash on February 1, but fans can expect Keselowski to sit this one out.

As he continues to recover from the injury, the team has confirmed that Corey LaJoie will step in as a replacement for the event. Moreover, the 41-year-old driver addressed the situation directly, explaining that the decision was made with recovery in mind.

“I didn’t want to rush back. The team and I kind of decided together that if all the rehab went absolutely perfectly, we’d be ready. Like literally the day of the Clash. And that seemed super foolish and didn’t give us any time to, you know, do any testing on myself or anything like that,” he said.

However, the bigger concern revolves around the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most prestigious race. With little time separating the Clash and the season opener, questions remain about whether the Michigan native will be physically ready to compete at Daytona.

Missing valuable track time adds another layer of uncertainty as he prepares for the Great American Race.

However, given the nature of the fracture, the lengthy recovery was anticipated, and there is optimism that with proper rest, he could return to the No. 6 Ford in time for Daytona later in February.