Sunday at Kansas was another tough break for Brad Keselowski and the #6 team. The weekend had already started on the wrong foot with a rear tire issue during Saturday’s practice. Matters only went downhill when unapproved adjustments forced Keselowski to start at the back for the AdventHealth 400 race.
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Despite clawing his way through the field and putting himself in contention, a late-race setback cut his run short. Still, the RFK Racing co-owner held firm in his belief that his team is on the right track.
Starting from P36, Keselowski wasted no time making up ground, reaching P14 by the end of Stage 1 — proof that the #6 Ford had pace. He continued the charge forward and wrapped up Stage 2 in P6, securing stage points and placing himself in the mix for a strong finish.
Then came the turning point. On Lap 195 of the scheduled 267, while running second, Keselowski’s car suffered a sudden loss of rear tire pressure and came to a stop on the apron exiting Turn 2. He had to be towed to the garage and ultimately classified 37th out of 38. Despite the frustration, Keselowski remained upbeat in his post-race comments, drawing encouragement from the performance up until the incident.
He said, “We put ourselves in position like that, you win races, and I felt like this is a pretty significant overhaul of the #6 team from where we were last year.
“There are some pieces that are starting to click, and maybe not getting the result, but showing the potential to get the result. Today was a step forward for us, even though the running order, the finishing order, is not going to show it.”
His sights are now set firmly on the Coca-Cola 600. “Bring cars and speed like this to the Coke 600 and let’s go win it,” Keselowski asserted, turning the page to the next major event after the upcoming All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Though he’s already locked into the exhibition event thanks to last season’s Darlington win, the non-points race won’t provide a chance to halt the downward trend. He’ll have to wait until Charlotte to break the streak.
Through the first 12 races of 2025, Keselowski is still searching for his first top-10 finish, while Kansas marked his third straight DNF — and his fifth of the season.
