RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski is all about that work-life balance. Earlier this year, he pitched for an extended midseason break in future Cup Series seasons but did not get to see it through after mediocre feedback from fellow team owners. However, he continues to do what is within his power to make sure that his employees are energized and well-rested.
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NASCAR is currently on a two-week break set off by the 2024 Paris Olympics. Many of those who make things happen on the race track are off vacationing in Europe or spending some quality time with their families. However, there is no pressure to take the time off in the quarters of RFK Racing. Keselowski told the Indianapolis press that he had learned the hard way to not force anyone to take holidays.
“Our strategy so far has been to tell people, ‘Please go home. Please take a vacation,’ but not force it,” he said. “We kind of learned the hard way that forcing people to take vacations is sometimes not always good for them. Sometimes they get more mad at you than if you just told them we have to work.” He believes that it is better to leave everyone to figure things out by themselves.
The outcome that he wants of the break is to have focused people who can give his team the best chances of success. As long as that is achieved he doesn’t mind the path that is taken. With both entries set to make the playoffs, RFK Racing is having its best season in a long time. Keselowski and his team are well aware of how crucial the situation is. Their next race will be at Richmond on August 11.
Why Keselowski wants a long midseason break in NASCAR
The idea for a break stemmed from his opinion that every single member of the garage was an ambassador for NASCAR. He trusts that anyone who works on the car can have a positive impact on the fans. But that’s only possible if they’re in a good mindset and not burned out by work. Keselowski broke this concept down to Kevin Harvick on his podcast last month.
He said, “The biggest reason why I think it is important is our sport really relies on this ambassador-type relationship whether it be with our fans or the junior level. We need the whole garage area to be in a good mindset and not be burned out.” Unfortunately, other team owners weren’t thrilled about shutting shop entirely for a few weeks for this purpose.
