Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver and co-owner of RFK Racing, has voiced his frustration over the team’s inability to secure a win during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Despite fielding three full-time drivers, the team has yet to cross the finish line first, emphasizing that victories are essential for RFK Racing to rise above other competitors with similar results.
RFK Racing’s lineup for 2025 includes Brad Keselowski driving the No. 6 Ford, Chris Buescher piloting the No. 17 car, and Ryan Preece, the latest addition, taking the wheel of the No. 60 Ford. Preece transferred to RFK Racing after Stewart-Haas Racing ceased operations, with Kroger stepping in as the primary sponsor for his vehicle. Although the team expanded in size and support, success on the track has been elusive.
Among the trio, Chris Buescher has delivered the most consistent performances this season. After 31 races, Buescher has achieved four top-five finishes and 15 top-10 placements, maintaining an average race finish of 13.84. He has led 38 laps and recorded only one Did Not Finish (DNF), proving to be the steady driver within the RFK squad. Despite this consistency, he remains winless in 2025.
Brad Keselowski’s personal results have fallen short of expectations, as he trails both Buescher and Preece in the points standings. While Keselowski boasts the highest number of top-five finishes among his teammates with five, his average race finish of 19 places him lowest in the group’s overall ranking. Beyond racing, Keselowski continues to take a leading role within RFK Racing’s organizational structure, contributing both on track and behind the scenes.
Keselowski Reflects on RFK Racing’s Need for Race Wins
Keselowski spoke candidly about the team’s stagnant winless streak in an interview with Bob Pockrass, acknowledging that consistent finishes alone are insufficient without victories. He said,
“Yeah, I mean, we’re consistent. We’re just consistently not where we want to be. We said, you know, if we had wins with any of our cars, it’d be a great season. I think, uh, you know, in, in full season points, if you, I know that’s not the format, but if it was, you know, we’d have cars in the top 10 and I think 15th and 16th. So, you know, to put all three cars, uh, in those numbers, I think that’s as good or better than any other organization. Uh, but we don’t have the wins, so we have to find ways to win.”
Despite the strong points performances from his drivers, Keselowski remains focused on securing that elusive victory which he believes is essential to elevate RFK Racing’s status within the NASCAR Cup Series.
Challenges of a Playoff-Free Year for Keselowski
The 2025 season marks a tough period for Keselowski personally, as failing to register a race win has led to the driver missing the playoffs — a rarity in his extensive career. Over 31 events, Keselowski has gathered five top-five finishes and seven top-10s but has struggled to maintain a competitive average finish, surrendering ground to his RFK Racing teammates. This lack of qualifying for the postseason reflects the urgency within the team to address competitive gaps moving forward.
Keselowski Critiques NASCAR’s Playoff Format and Business Model
Keselowski has openly criticized the current NASCAR playoff system, describing it as contradictory to its initial premise. He explained that while the regular season emphasizes the importance of winning races, the playoff phase rewards consistency and points over outright victories. On the Stacking Pennies podcast, he elaborated,
“I’ve had like eight second-place finishes in the last two and a half years. And that, you know, you got to make your seconds, wins in the sport. It’s all the format until you get to the playoffs is about winning.” [36:17 onwards]
“It’s strange to me that it’s all about winning until you get to the playoffs. And it’s not at all about winning once you do get in the playoffs. It’s about consistency….It’s completely inversed of what I think it was represented to be at least on the onset of where winning matters more in the regular season, less in the postseason,” Brad Keselowski added.
These statements underline Keselowski’s conflicted view of NASCAR’s evolving competitive framework, where the value of race victories diminishes at the most critical phase of the championship chase.
Beyond competitive concerns, Keselowski also raised alarms about NASCAR’s financial model, emphasizing the sport’s heavy dependence on television revenue. He pointed out that gate and track-generated income no longer suffices to support NASCAR’s long-term viability, posing risks to its sustained growth and presence.
The Future Outlook for RFK Racing and Keselowski
The 2025 season presents a defining moment for RFK Racing, as the team strives to break through its winless streak and contend for higher standings. Keselowski’s dual role as driver and co-owner intensifies his commitment to improving performance on all fronts. Securing race wins will be crucial for RFK to distinguish itself from other organizations posting comparable results.
With the current NASCAR format drawing criticism even from experienced competitors like Keselowski, future alterations to the playoff system and financial models could impact the sport’s structure and competitiveness. Meanwhile, RFK Racing’s ability to address on-track challenges and capitalize on their driver lineup will determine their trajectory heading into upcoming seasons.
As NASCAR continues to evolve, Brad Keselowski and his RFK Racing team remain under pressure to translate consistency into victories, demonstrating that ambition alone is not enough without results to match.
RFK drivers are 17-18-19 in the driver standings — the top three that are not in the playoffs. What Brad Keselowski says that means: pic.twitter.com/gDI8TPTtPR
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 5, 2025
