2025 season preview: RFK Racing

Editor’s Note: Today’s RFK Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2025 Cup Series season.

RFK RACING

Manufacturer: Ford
Engine: Roush Yates Engines
Driver-crew chief pairings: Brad Keselowski—Jeremy Bullins (No. 6), Chris Buescher-Scott Graves (No. 17), Ryan Preece-Derrick Finley (No. 60)

Team outlook: RFK Racing expands to three teams for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the first time the organization has had three drivers in the series since 2016. The newest addition is Ryan Preece (via a charter acquired from Rick Ware Racing), who joins RFK Racing after spending the last two seasons with the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. The two holdovers, team co-owner Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, struggled in 2024 (Keselowski 13th, Buescher 17th) after finishing 7th (Buescher) and 8th (Keselowski) in 2023. Preece, meanwhile, finished 23rd and 26th in the last two seasons with SHR.

This season will be pivotal for all three RFK drivers: Keselowski turns 41 on Feb. 12, limiting his time to stack more wins or even add another championship. Buescher needs to rebound after missing the playoffs last season, and Preece has yet to qualify for the Cup playoffs. The organization has to pick up its pace and success, particularly since rival and fellow Ford organization Team Penske has won each of the last three Cup championships — while RFK’s last championship was in 2004.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 6 FORD

Experience: 15 full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series
2024 stats: 13th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 9 top fives, 14 top 10s
2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 28-1

Outlook: Keselowski finally earned his 36th career Cup win — his first since 2021. After three seasons with Matt McCall as his crew chief at RFK, Keselowski reunites this season with his former Team Penske crew chief Jeremy Bullins. The pair finished second in 2020 and sixth in 2021, which should inject new energy into the team. Although he’s made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, Keselowski needs to find a new level in 2025. He has everything he needs to advance to the final round of the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and potentially win his second career Cup championship.

RELATED: Keselowski looks to take ‘natural next step’ in RFK expansion

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 17 FORD

Experience: Nine full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series
2024 stats: 17th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 6 top fives, 15 top 10s
2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 40-1

Outlook: After the best Cup season of his career in 2023 (3 wins, 9 top fives and 17 top 10s) Buescher fell backward in 2024, earning just one win and missing the playoffs for the seventh time in his Cup career. As for 2025, Scott Graves returns for his fourth straight season as Buescher’s crew chief. But there must be a return to success this season for the No. 17 team. Last year, expectations were high for Buescher to repeat or even do better than his outstanding campaign in ’23 — only to end up with several close finishes that kept him outside the playoff field.

MORE: 2025 Cup Series championship odds

RYAN PREECE, NO. 60 FORD

Experience: Five full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series
2024 stats: 26th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 1 top five, 5 top 10s
2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 250-1

Outlook: Preece enters the sixth full season of his Cup career and is now with his third team (previously 3 years with JTG-Daugherty Racing before moving to SHR). In 187 Cup starts, the Berlin, Connecticut native has yet to win his first race, has just four top-five finishes, has yet to qualify for the Cup playoffs and his best season finish has only been 23rd in 2023. Perhaps a change in teams will prove beneficial to Preece’s fortunes. Earlier this week, it was announced that Preece will be paired with veteran crew chief Derrick Finley, who has been with RFK since 2022. Possessing a mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico, Finley is versatile, holding several roles in his NASCAR career, including crew chief, operations director, technical director and competition director. “We’re thrilled to have Derrick lead the No. 60 team,” Keselowski said. “His experience and technical knowledge of the sport will play a crucial role in the initial development and growth of the No. 60 team.”

BOLD PREDICTION: RFK Racing is long overdue for success. Since the team’s last championship, the organization has only had four runner-up finishes, the most recent being Carl Edwards in 2011. RFK is in a prime position to be a surprise organization in 2025 and bring a championship fight to powerhouse teams. Significant improvement is on the table for both Keselowski and Buescher to make a playoff run, and Preece has the potential to have the best season yet of his Cup career.