Is this the year Brad Keselowski takes the long-awaited Daytona 500 crown? NASCAR insider explains

Brad Keselowski has built a successful NASCAR career, but the Daytona 500 remains the one major race missing from his résumé. According to NASCAR insider, Bob Pockrass, with RFK Racing in alliance with the Haas Factory team, there is a possibility he might take the 2025 Daytona 500 win. As per this alliance, the Haas Factory team will be able to compete in the Cup series as a "pseudo fourth" for RFK racing.

Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass analyzed Brad Keselowski’s chances and acknowledged both his potential and past misses. Pockrass pointed out that the veteran driver has consistently been strong at Daytona and Talladega, but his aggressive approach may be working against him.

“Keselowski is strong at these tracks and with the addition of a third RFK car and a Haas Factory Team alliance, he potentially has more drivers who will help him,” Pockrass explained. However, he also noted that “the Daytona 500 hasn’t been kind to him, as he has just one top-10 finish in his last 10 Daytona 500s and failed to finish seven of his last 10 races here.”

Pockrass suggested that Keselowski’s aggressive driving style could be a major factor in his struggles. He wrote in his article, on Fox sports,

“His biggest issue could be that he has had a knack of being overly aggressive at these tracks and that likely deters others from working with him,”

This will be Brad Keselowski’s 16th career start in the Daytona 500. His first start came in 2010, but he failed to finish after being involved in an early crash. His best finishes came in 2013 and 2014, where he placed fourth and third, respectively. Since then, however, he has struggled, recording multiple DNFs due to wrecks. One of his most heartbreaking Daytona 500 moments was in 2021, when he was running second on the final lap before crashing with teammate Joey Logano, ending his race in 13th place.

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Brad Keselowski is optimistic about taking the Daytona 500 victory, draws inspiration from Willie Nelson

Heading into the 2025 Daytona 500, Brad Keselowski is embracing a positive mindset. He recently took to social media to share his excitement, posting a message alongside country legend Willie Nelson’s song On The Road Again. Keselowski wrote on his X account:

“Left the house this morning with this song playing hoping to return Monday with a 🏆”

In his most recent Daytona 500 appearances, the 40-year-old driver competed with his co-owned team RFK Racing. In the 2022 Daytona 500, he led a race-high 67 laps but got shuffled back in the closing laps and was caught in a wreck at the finish.

His 2023 and 2024 races also ended in multi-car crashes. He currently has an average Daytona 500 finish of 23.3 and only three career top-10s in the Great American race. The Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, February 16, with Brad Keselowski competing in qualifying and Duel races earlier in the week.