While Chase Briscoe, a fan of throwback schemes, isn’t sporting one this year, and the entire Hendrick Motorsports team will be decked out in retro colors, RFK Racing will not be participating in the throwback festivities at Darlington this weekend.
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Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing, mentioned that while they’ve embraced throwbacks numerous times before, sponsorship commitments have curtailed their ability to do so this year.
During the pre-race media session, Keselowski elaborated, “It’s hard to get all the different people to line up to pull it off.” He explained that his #6 Ford Mustang car is sponsored by Castrol for this weekend’s race. And while they have done throwbacks at Darlington in the past, this time, it seems they have lacked the spark to create something truly memorable.
Additionally, he explained, “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.”
While Keselowski acknowledged that this year didn’t quite lend itself to a throwback execution, he remains optimistic that opportunities for nostalgic liveries will resurface in future seasons.
He also reflected on the overall value of the throwback weekend despite the logistical challenges, noting that although it’s tough to rally all the stakeholders every time, the enthusiasm for the event tends to wax and wane.
Some years, partners are thrilled about the throwback concept, while other years, the excitement might wane. Ultimately, the NASCAR team’s priority is to satisfy these partners.
Probably it’s the case Denny Hamlin put forward, explaining the sparse showing of throwback liveries this season. The JGR driver pointed out that the sport’s heavy reliance on sponsorship dollars plays a big role, noting that there’s often resistance from sponsors who are hesitant to deviate from their established branding and color themes.
The reluctance has led to a decrease in the number of retro paint schemes gracing the Darlington track. Despite the paint scheme that adorns Keselowski’s car, the RFK Racing co-owner will certainly be looking to repeat his achievement at the track from last year by winning the race, marking his first win of the 2025 season.
