“I Went from Eating at the Restaurant to Making the Food”: Brad Keselowski Has the Perfect Analogy for Making the Transition as a Team Owner

Brad Keselowski strides into his fourth year as a co-owner of RFK Racing in 2025. His progress since taking the reigns in 2022 has been huge, with the team transitioning to be a three-car operation in 2025. He spoke on the experience of being a team owner on an episode of The Extra Point podcast last year.

The #6 Ford Mustang driver noted that his workload has increased significantly and that he enjoys the autonomy courtesy of the job. He also doesn’t mind the higher level of accountability. Keselowski summed up with a perfect analogy that went, “I feel like I went from eating at the restaurant to making the food and eating.”

“The food always tastes a little better when you know you made it. There’s some pride that comes from that,” he added. RFK Racing failed to put a car in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in 2024. However, the team showed immense promise throughout the season and hasn’t lost any momentum that it has built over the last few years, especially with its prowess on superspeedway-style tracks.

When the field rolls out to Daytona on February 16, a third car will race under the team’s. It will be piloted by the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Preece. The move is viewed as a giant step for the team towards regaining its lost status as a powerhouse in stock car racing. Chris Buescher and Keselowski will continue to drive the other two entries.

Keselowski details the higher workload that he now has

Being a team owner is no menial task for a driver. It means getting far outside the comfort zone and dealing with business-related matters, an aspect of the sport that drivers usually overlook. The former champion explained, “Whether it’s partners, employees, new processes, resources… There’s always something to be worked on.”

“Of course, all the other non-fun stuff, like budget meetings and marketing meetings… But, like I said, you just feel more involved.” Being a team owner and driver simultaneously has been something that Keselowski has wanted for a long time. Now that he is in the role, he doesn’t have any complaints about its demands.

2024 was the first year in which both he and Buescher reached victory lane. They will hope to build on the optimism and carry forward the success into this season. Keselowski hopes to add more wins to his resume while fulfilling his duties in the business meetings.