Brad Keselowski has one foot on each boat as a driver and a team owner in the NASCAR Cup Series. History serves as a reminder that this could lead to failure in both roles. But the RFK Racing benefactor has been rewriting the past in 2025. Through sheer willpower, he is carrying the team on his shoulders with impressive results on the race track in recent weeks.
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The former Cup Series champion kicked off the year on a bad note. He struggled to finish races, and when he did, he seldom finished inside the top 20. But then, his form picked up. He has five top-10 finishes in the last seven races alone. Notably, he finished as the runner-up in the event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In Iowa last Sunday, he finished in third place.
All this, while helping his drivers Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, is a spectacular effort, and it has left Kyle Petty astounded. He said about Keselowski recently, “We have seen some phenomenal races out of him as of late. When he went over to RFK Racing, everybody said, ‘Oh, this is the end of his career. He is just taking up seat space.’ He is not taking up seat space!”
He pointed out that Buescher and Preece being able to run up front is a huge sign of RFK Racing’s resurgence. And the only person to thank for that is Keselowski. Petty expressed his disbelief at a driver, at this age, being able to be a successful team owner. Given the complexities of the modern sport, Petty was even more impressed. However, he also made another important point.
The tricky situation that Keselowski finds himself in
Three more races remain to complete the 2025 Cup Series regular season. Keselowski sits 19th on the points table, with Buescher in 11th place and Preece in 13th place. A new winner at this stage could mean that Buescher and Preece miss out on their chance to enter the playoffs. But Keselowski has been showing strong speed in the No. 6 Ford Mustang and has the ability to win a race.
What this effectively means is that his success on the track could mean the downfall of his drivers. Petty said about this, “Now the quandary is and the bad part of his resurgence right now, is he’s got two teams.
“Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece are fighting for that bubble spot. But he’s capable of winning a race. So, if he wins a race, he knocks those two guys out. It’s a double-edged sword.”
Watkins Glen awaits the arrival of the RFK Racing banner this weekend. Regardless of the ultimate result, Keselowski’s feat as a team owner and a driver cannot be ignored or denied at any cost.
