NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brad Keselowski makes major Circuit of the Americas decision

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 1:52 PM ET

Brad Keselowski has made a decision on whether or not he will run the entirety of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.

The 2012 Cup Series champion broke his femur in December but raced in the first two points races of 2026. On Feb. 21, Keselowski said that it was possible that he would start the race in order to earn points, but make a driver swap with road course ace Joey Hand.

Brad Keselowski's COTA decision

Per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, Keselowski will run the full 95-lap race at COTA on Sunday. In a social media post, Keselowski indicated that he would run the race's full distance "after the last few days of simulator, go karting and X-rays."

A road course such as COTA would be much more strenuous for Keselowski, who is still healing, due to the amount of braking and shifting necessary.

Keselowski says he plans on running the full COTA race. https://t.co/u738bMD4P7
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 27, 2026

Keselowski is ninth in the Cup Series standings through two races in 2026, 17 points above the cut line for the 16-driver Chase with 24 races remaining in the regular season. He missed the exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray in order to recover before finishing fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 and 17th at EchoPark Speedway on Feb. 22.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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