Ryan Preece appears to be a good omen for RFK Racing. While Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski were already holding their own, Preece’s addition seems to have sparked a resurgence reminiscent of the team’s former glory. Sunday’s Michigan results offered a clear glimpse of that momentum.
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All three RFK Racing entries landed in the top 10 — Buescher crossed the line in second behind Denny Hamlin, Preece followed in ninth, and co-owner-driver Keselowski wrapped up the day in tenth. That trio of finishes marked the team’s first three-car top-10 result since the 2016 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, when Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Greg Biffle came home third, fifth, and eighth, respectively.
Still, despite the milestone, satisfaction was in short supply. In his post-race remarks, Buescher acknowledged the strength of his No. 17 Ford Mustang and credited his team for putting him in a position to challenge for the win. Yet, trailing Hamlin by 1.099 seconds left a bitter taste.
“It’s on me,” Buescher admitted. “I had a couple of different decisions I would love to go back and make, and ultimately, should have had us ahead of the 11. We were faster on the day, and I didn’t do a good enough job.”
Keselowski echoed the frustration, noting his No. 6 Ford had the pace to contend but never capitalized. “I’m really disappointed,” he said. Pit road miscues proved costly, including a speeding penalty and traffic complications with the No. 45 and No. 71. “Every time we pitted, we would lose a lot of spots. It wasn’t the pit crew’s fault, we just needed a better pit stall,” Keselowski added.
RFK Racing placed 3 cars in the Top 10 today at Michigan:
Chris Buescher – 2nd
Ryan Preece – 9th
Brad Keselowski – 10thThis is the first time they’ve had 3 cars finish in the Top 10 since Daytona in July of 2016. pic.twitter.com/uViCBc9Hy7
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) June 8, 2025
Preece, RFK’s newest addition, praised the strength of his Castrol Ford Mustang and acknowledged that he could have gained a few more spots, saying, “If I felt more confident in where we were on fuel, but a top 10 was better than a 28th.” He now shifts focus toward consistency and putting himself in contention for a win.
Through 15 starts this season, RFK Racing has racked up four top-five finishes and 15 top-10 finishes — a stat line that suggests they’re no longer just showing up, but starting to show out.
