Let's be real: for a few years there, it felt like the lights were slowly dimming at the "Cat in the Hat’s" house. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing—or RFK Racing as most of us just call it now—wasn't just struggling; it was fading into the background of a sport it once dominated. You remember the mid-2000s, right? Jack Roush had five cars in the Chase. Five. It was insane. Then came the long dry spell, the kind where you start wondering if a legacy team is just destined to become a trivia answer.
But then 2022 happened. Brad Keselowski didn't just change teams; he bought in. Literally.
Honestly, people thought Brad was crazy. Why leave Team Penske, a literal championship factory, to go to a team that hadn't won a non-superspeedway race in forever? But if you’ve followed Keselowski, you know he’s a bit of a nerd for the business side. He saw a foundation. He saw Jack Roush’s engineering soul and the Fenway Sports Group’s massive reach, and he figured he could be the spark plug. Now, standing here in early 2026, the vibe is completely different.
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The Three-Car Gamble
Expansion is usually a "proceed with caution" sign in NASCAR. Most teams lose their way when they add a new stall in the shop. Yet, RFK Racing went the other way in 2025 by bringing on Ryan Preece in the No. 60 Ford.
It was a bold move.
Adding Preece wasn't just about putting another car on the grid; it was about data. In the Next Gen era, more cars equals more sensor readings, more tire wear notes, and more chances to find that one "aha!" moment in practice. While the 2025 season ended up being a bit of a "handful of seconds"—as Brad put it—the speed was undeniable. They went winless in '25, which stung, but look at the stats. They were there. Keselowski nearly stole the finale at Phoenix, losing it only in the final turn of overtime to Ryan Blaney.
That hurts. But it also proves the ceiling is high.
The 2026 Roster: Who's in the Seats?
Going into the 2026 season, the lineup feels more settled than it has in a decade. Consistency is the secret sauce in the Cup Series, and RFK is leaning into it hard.
- Brad Keselowski (No. 6): The owner-driver. He’s closing in on his 600th career start this year (watch for that milestone at Martinsville in March). He's currently recovering from a fractured femur after a skiing accident—super weird timing, right?—so Corey LaJoie is actually subbing for him at the Clash.
- Chris Buescher (No. 17): The "quiet assassin." Buescher is arguably one of the top five pure drivers in the garage when the car is right. He’s the guy who finally brought Roush back to victory lane on a consistent basis in 2023.
- Ryan Preece (No. 60): The newcomer who found his footing late last year. Preece stopped trying to be his own crew chief and started just driving, and suddenly he was clicking off top-10 finishes like it was nothing.
Culture Over Parts
You can buy the best shocks and hire the smartest engineers, but you can't buy the "it" factor. That's what changed when Keselowski took over the competition side. He brought a Penske-style discipline to a shop that had grown a bit too comfortable.
It wasn't always pretty.
There were rumors of friction early on. Jack Roush is a legend who does things his way—he’s the guy who used to teach physics, after all. But Brad managed to respect the "Cat in the Hat" legacy while dragging the shop into the modern era. They’re even looking at Ford’s IMSA sports car programs now. That’s a massive nod to Jack’s history in road racing. It shows the team isn't just a NASCAR operation anymore; it's a "racing" company again.
Why They Haven't "Arrived" Just Yet
If you look at the 2025 standings, you'll see all three RFK cars finished in that "next five" group—just outside the playoffs. To the casual observer, that looks like a failure. To someone watching the lap times, it looks like a team on the verge of a breakout.
The struggle is the "final 2%."
In NASCAR today, everyone has the same parts. You can't just build a better mousetrap in your garage anymore because the rulebook is too tight. Success comes from the tiny details: how fast your pit crew is, how your driver manages the aero-wash in traffic, and how your crew chief calls a race when the sun goes down and the track changes.
RFK is currently in that "good but not stellar" phase. They have the speed to run top five, but they haven't quite mastered the art of "sealing the deal" in the final ten laps.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of fans think Jack Roush has retired. He hasn't. He’s still there, still wearing the hat, and still probably the smartest guy in the room when it comes to engine harmonics. The partnership with Doug Yates and Roush-Yates Engines remains the backbone of the Ford program.
Also, don't buy into the "Brad is too old" narrative. He’s 41. In the world of Next Gen racing, experience matters more than raw teenage reflexes. Just look at what Kevin Harvick did in his late 40s. Brad is in his "smart driver" era, where he wins by outthinking the kids who grew up on simulators.
What to Watch for This Season
If you're betting on RFK in 2026, keep your eyes on the short tracks and the road courses. Buescher is a monster at places like Bristol and Watkins Glen. Brad is historically great at Richmond and Martinsville.
- The Return: How quickly Brad gets his "race legs" back after the femur surgery will define the No. 6 team's spring.
- The President Shift: Chip Bowers took over as Team President late last year. This is a business move aimed at bringing in bigger "blue chip" sponsors. Better sponsors mean more money for R&D.
- The "Three-Headed Monster": Watch the communication between the 6, 17, and 60. If they start working together like the Hendrick or Joe Gibbs cars do, they’re going to be a problem for the rest of the field.
The Actionable Takeaway
If you’re a fan or just someone following the business of sports, the lesson from Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing is about patience and pivot. They didn't fix a decade of decline in one offseason. They spent two years tearing it down and another two building it back up.
Watch the early season results for the No. 17 car. If Buescher is running in the top five at Vegas and Phoenix, it means the off-season aero developments at the shop worked. If they’re mired in the mid-pack, they might be in for another year of "almost."
Keep an eye on the Martinsville race in March. It’s Brad’s 600th start and his home-away-from-home. If there was ever a "statement" race for a team owner, that’s the one. RFK isn't back to the "five cars in the Chase" glory days yet, but for the first time in a long time, that doesn't feel like an impossible dream.
Keep tabs on the official RFK website relaunch happening this year too. It’s part of a larger digital push to get fans closer to the data—something Brad has been obsessed with since he walked through the door in Concord.
Next Steps for the 2026 Season:
- Check the entry list for the Daytona 500 to see if Brad Keselowski receives final medical clearance.
- Monitor Ryan Preece’s stage points in the first four races; this is the best indicator of whether the No. 60 team has truly found its "Next Gen" rhythm.