Exam to determine if stitches can be removed from Brad Keselowski's injured right hand prior to racing at Daytona - MotorSportsTalk

Brad Keselowski is due to be reexamined to determine if the stitches on his injured right hand can be removed sometime before Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, according to a Team Penske statement.

Keselowski’s hand was injured on a broken champagne bottle during the post-Kentucky win celebration in victory lane. He went to the infield care center and received four stitches to close the wound.

The team statement did not indicate when Keselowski will be examined, but it will likely be while he is in Daytona Beach for this weekend’s race action.

If it’s determined that the stitches cannot be removed, Keselowski will likely compete in Saturday’s race with some type of protective covering or wrap over the stitches.

According to Team Penske, Keselowski has not been hampered by the injury, having taken part in a team test earlier this week.

Keselowski told NASCAR.com on Monday, “Do I anticipate (any problems holding the steering wheel)? No, last time I had stitches, it was just seven days or so and we’re going to Daytona, which is probably the easiest track you could ask for. I didn’t break any bones or any of that stuff. I just put a big gash, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”

If Keselowski were to double up and win a second straight race Saturday, it’s likely the champagne will remain on ice.

As he said after Saturday night’s incident, “We should have stuck with beer.”

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In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

Exam to determine if stitches can be removed from Brad Keselowski’s injured right hand prior to racing at Daytona

SuperMotocross set to introduce Leader Lights beginning with the World Championship finals

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