RFK Racing has announced the signing of Ryan Preece to operate the #60 Ford in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, expanding their fleet to three full-time vehicles. Kroger has also joined in as the sponsor, and things look bright for the Brad Keselowski-owned team next year. However, Preece’s recent performance decline has raised questions on the rationale behind his recruitment.
Advertisement
Keselowski drew comparisons to former teammate Joey Logano’s circumstances in 2012 while explaining that RFK Racing is keen to unearth Preece’s untapped potential.
“Joey Logano’s career in 2012 and some pundits maybe saying that they didn’t think he deserved a Cup ride and now to see that it seems a little bit laughable now that he’s won his third championship,” said Keselowski.
“I think it’s a testament to not being in the right situation,” he added. “I don’t care who you are as a driver if you’re not in the right situation – you take the best driver in Cup and put him in a situation that’s not right, it’s not gonna work.”
Kaselowski praised Preece’s work ethic, adding that the 34-year-old will do wonders with the right kind of support.
“I see Ryan, I see someone who has talent. He has work ethic and probably hasn’t been in the opportunities he needs to be in to be successful. So my commitment is to taking someone like Ryan and putting him in that spot where he can win and with the right resources, with the right team around him and the right support structure and that’s what I see out of Ryan. He’s got the talent.”
Preece will be driving in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Brad’s team. He is coming from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, who shut shop at the end of the 2024 Cup campaign.
His high-water mark in the final playoff standings was in 2023, when he finished at P23. In 2024, he slid further to P26. During his five-year stint as a full-timer, with JTG Daugherty Racing first and then SHR, Preece recorded just four top-5 finishes.
While Keselowski is optimistic about Preece’s potential, he would have to drive drastically better than his past stints to meet Brad’s expectations next season.
Keselowski calls for a revision of NASCAR’s playoff format
While acknowledging Logano’s skill and recent championship victory, Keselowski also expressed concern about how the current playoff system suits certain drivers at the expense of those who perform consistently well throughout the season.
The RFK Racing executive had shared his thoughts on social media after the 2024 season finale. He stated: “2 things can be true at the same time — Joey Logano deserved to win the championship; This format doesn’t feel ideal for rewarding the NASCAR Cup championship.”
Although the statement appears ambivalent, given Keselowski’s previous criticisms of the format, it is evident that he is not entirely satisfied with the current system. The #6 driver’s previous opinion was:
“I have a hard time as a competitor and a fan of the sport understanding how drivers with the most wins routinely don’t win championships. And I don’t think that feels right to me. So I would like to see if there was any format changes, more value on race wins as a whole throughout the duration of the season.”
According to Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is planning to evaluate the playoff format, with potential modifications possibly being implemented as early as 2025.
However, due to time constraints before the commencement of the next season, a significant restructuring, if deemed necessary, will likely happen only in 2026. In the interim, they may consider making minor tweaks.
