While on a skiing holiday with his family, Keselowski broke his right femur when he slipped on ice.

Initial reports were that Keselowski had suffered the injury while skiing, but the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series winner said that wasn’t the case.

“I think everybody thinks I did it on the slopes, which sounds a lot cooler than the actual story I have, but it just was a freak accident,” Keselowski told Fox Sports.

Keselowski’s absence has opened the door for Corey LaJoie to take the reins of the #6 RFK Racing Ford Mustang on February 2 (AEDT).

The Clash at Bowman Gray is a non-championship, exhibition event.

“I didn’t want to rush back,” said Keselowski

“The team and I made the decision together that if all the rehab went absolutely perfect, we’d be ready like, literally, the day of the Clash.

“And that seemed super foolish and didn’t give us any time to do any testing on myself or anything like that.”

The typical recovery time from a broken femur is two to three months. Keselowski’s rehabilitation currently includes upwards of eight hours of various exercises and tests.

The Daytona 500 takes place on February 13 (AEDT) but he is expected to drive a NASCAR Cup Series car a week prior to test his fitness.

Keselowski labelled the injury a “minor setback” in his preparation for the new season but said he needed to be able to race without pain medication and walk freely.

“I’m not great, but I’m good,” said Keselowski.

“I’m recovering really well. I had a major injury. I’m on a significant rehab plan to be back for the Daytona 500. … I’m now made of titanium in my leg.

“It’s a really painful thing to break. It’s the biggest bone in your body, which is kind of the bad part about it.

“The good thing is it’s also one of the fastest healing parts of your body, so I’m just really dealing with the pain and trying to recover as fast as I can.”

The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium acts as the precursor to the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race of the year at Daytona International Speedway.

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