Brad Keselowski has clarified why RFK Racing will not be participating in this year’s Darlington throwback festivities. Despite Chase Briscoe‘s fandom for throwback schemes and the entire Hendrick Motorsports team donning retro colors, RFK Racing moved away from these plans due to sponsorship constraints. Keselowski explained that while RFK has embraced throwbacks in the past, current commitments have impeded their ability to do so.
During a pre-race media session, Keselowski elaborated, “It’s hard to get all the different people to line up to pull it off.” He mentioned that his number 6 Ford Mustang is sponsored by Castrol for the weekend’s race, which limits the opportunity to create memorable nostalgic designs this year. Although RFK Racing has previously displayed such liveries at Darlington, they lacked the resources to deliver a distinctive scheme for this occasion.
Keselowski continued, “At least for us… we have global brands on our cars and they have global initiatives and things that are going on and they want to make sure they hit those, so with limited windows to do that it doesn’t always work out. I think from a body of work on the throwback stuff we’ve done a lot and I’m really proud of what we’ve done.” Despite this year’s challenges, Keselowski remains optimistic about future opportunities to sport nostalgic liveries, seeing it as a chance to highlight their history.
Reflecting on the throwback event’s significance, Keselowski noted the logistical hurdles involved in orchestrating the concept. Although enthusiasm for throwbacks can vary, the NASCAR team’s goal is to fulfill sponsor priorities. This sentiment echoes Denny Hamlin‘s observation of the reliance on sponsorship dollars, which affects the number of retro paint schemes making their way to Darlington.
While reluctant sponsors have occasionally led to reduced showings of nostalgic liveries, Keselowski remains focused on winning at the track, drawing from his triumph at last year’s race. By balancing sponsorship demands with creative aspirations, Keselowski aims to ensure RFK Racing’s future participation in throwback festivities remains feasible and aligned with partner interests.
