Did Brad Keselowski ever win the Daytona 500? All you need to know

NASCAR veteran Brad Keselowski is regarded as one of the most accomplished drivers on the grid. In his 17-year-long NASCAR career so far, Keselowski has registered 36 wins in the Cup Series and clinched the 2012 NASCAR Cup championship. Despite having an accomplished NASCAR career, there’s one achievement that has eluded Keselowski: a Daytona 500 victory.

RFK Racing co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski has never won the Daytona 500 in his career. He came close several times, with his best finish being a third place in 2014, and made 15 starts to win NASCAR’s most prestigious event, the Daytona 500. In 15 appearances at the Daytona 500, Keselowski earned two top-5s and three top-10 finishes.

In 2014, driving the #2 Ford for Team Penske, Brad Keselowski led 13 laps despite starting from 33rd and in the closing laps appeared to be on the verge of ending his long-awaited Daytona 500 victory. He fell 0.234 seconds short of eventual winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Keselowski has won a summer race at Daytona International Speedway but is yet to win the season-opening Daytona race. He led 42 laps in 2022 and 67 laps in 2023 events. Known for his superspeedway skills, luck didn’t favor Keselowski as he has experienced a mix of crashes, bad luck and near-misses at “The Great American Race”.

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Brad Keselowski once makes his feelings known on the nature of the Daytona 500

To win NASCAR’s biggest race on the calendar, the Daytona 500, is no easy feat. Ahead of the 2024 Daytona 500, Brad Keselowski reflected on the unpredictable and almost mystical nature of the 500-mile race, where luck and circumstances often overshadow strategy and skill.

“The Daytona 500 just feels like a race you don't win — you get chosen to win. So all you can really do is put yourself in position and hope you're chosen. And you go back and watch the end of the races and people win this race that you just kind of scratch your head and go, ‘How did they win this race?' There wasn't a move that won it for them, it just like fell in their lap. And that part gets super frustrating,” Keselowski said (via FOX Sports).

Even though Keselowski hasn't reached the victory lane of the Daytona 500, he will remain one of the top NASCAR drivers.

As he's active in NASCAR, the 40-year-old Rochester Hills, Michigan, native continues to chase that elusive Daytona 500 win and hopefully end his wait in 2025.