AUSTIN, Texas — The first road course race of the Cup Series season meant that drivers dealing with health concerns would face possibly their toughest test thus far. Yet both Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin battled through to score some much-needed points.
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The two drivers entered the year with significantly different injuries. One underwent surgery while the other had to push it off until the next offseason.
Keselowski broke his femur after a fall on a family trip. He underwent surgery ahead of the season and made enough progress in his recovery to start the Daytona 500 and the 2026 season. Though the 2012 Cup Series champion still walks with the assistance of a cane.
Hamlin tore his shoulder while going through the rubble of a house fire that claimed the life of his father. He revealed the injury ahead of the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and said that he will just race this year while trying to limit further damage.
RFK Racing noted that Keselowski would have reserve driver Joey Hand on standby for the weekend at Circuit of the Americas. If he could not complete the race due to pain, Hand would get into the No. 6 Ford and try to salvage the day.
But Keselowski had no intentions of getting out of the car, which he made clear ahead of practice and qualifying at the road course. He then remained true to his word while Hand spent the day at the track in street clothes.
Keselowski battled through a day in which he struggled mightily with handling in the first two stages and raced outside the top 30. The team made big adjustments and played the strategy game, which set him up to cross the line 20th overall.
He scored 17 points, which kept him in contention for a spot in The Chase. He is now 12th overall after three races.
"We weren't as fast as we wanted to be so it turned into a don't beat yourself day," Keselowski said after the race. "Glad it's over. Glad we were able to get something decent out of it.
"Not the day we wanted to have with the Graza Ford Mustang, but we have something we can move forward with, and I'm trying to appreciate that."
Hamlin, unlike Keselowski, would not have pain in the lower body from the constant shifting, accelerating, and braking. Instead, his pain would stem from wrangling a heavy Cup Series car around a road course.
The constant left and right turns could potentially exacerbate the shoulder issue, as could a particularly hard crash. However, the veteran driver kept his car clean, and he made it through the day with a 10th-place finish. This marked his first top-10 finish at COTA.
"I feel good. It'll definitely be sore tomorrow," Hamlin said in response to FanBuzz. "But first mistake-free road course for me in six years. It's freaking amazing. It's like a win. I'm telling you, this is a win."
Hamlin, who ranks 10th all-time in Cup Series wins with 60, gained four spots in the Cup Series standings.
He is now 23rd as he works his way back from a season-opening crash at Daytona International Speedway. He is only eight points behind Ryan Preece, who holds the final spot in The Chase.
