Brad Keselowski Pays Surprise Visit to McLeod Children's Hospital

The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion visited several children while dressed in his Castrol firesuit, the same firesuit he’ll wear in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway, where Keselowski will be seeking his first victory in almost one year.

On Thursday, Keselowski went from room-to-room, handing out diecast cars and signing autographs, all while spreading joy to the children receiving treatment at McLeod Children’s Hospital. Among the children Keselowski paid a visit to was five-year-old Ralph Monroe.

The Rochester Hills, Michigan-native spent time sitting on the floor of one of the hospital’s dedicated playrooms building a wall with wooden play blocks, while Ralph happily rolled one of the toy cars directly into the neatly stacked tower, knocking the blocks down while putting on display a huge smile.

“I think this is exciting,” said Britany Jones, Ralph’s mother. “We’ve been here for a couple of days, but as soon as they told us Brad [Keselowski] was coming, it kind of perked up his spirits, and that’s really great for the kids.”

“As a father myself, visiting these brave kids hits home in a powerful way,” said Keselowski. “Spending time with these incredible children, I can see their strength and courage. It’s an honor to share a few smiles with them.”

During his visit, Keselowski also got the opportunity to stop by the room of a young man named Aidan Lyerly, who is at McLeod for surgery – his third since January.

“It’s very touching that somebody of [Keselowski’s] stature would take the time to come see us,” said Aidan’s mother, April Lyerly. “You look at the world and sometimes think it’s full of yucky stuff, but we as a family have been reminded through these past few months that there are good people, and God shows us his blessings through them.”

The visit was a welcomed surprise for the patients and their families, especially those who are dedicated NASCAR fans like the Lyerlys. “I’ve followed Brad Keselowski for 20 years,” added Aidan’s father, Adam. “It was pretty awesome to see him. I didn’t even think this was a possibility today. It has really lifted our spirits, it really has.”

While the children were the focus of Thursday’s surprise visit to McLeod Children’s Hospital, Keselowski also took time out of his day to thank the staff of the healthcare center, who spent their days tirelessly taking care of the children and making sure that they are taken care of, as are their families. Each year, McLeod Children’s Hospital cares for more than 56,000 children.

“To have someone come in from the outside, who is a public figure, and be able to tell us ‘thank you’ – it means the world,” said Leslie Rogers, McLeod Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Director. “These are our good days. We do have bad days, but Brad coming here today has made this a good day.”

Keselowski enters this weekend at Darlington Raceway looking to take control of what has been a very difficult start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, with zero top-10 finishes throughout the opening seven rounds of the season – the longest he’s gone into a season without a top-10 since 2011.

Now, after Thursday’s visit to McLeod Children’s Hospital, Keselowski has a little extra motivation to get it done.

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