06/15/2025
Buescher Leads RFK Racing South of the Border
Chris Buescher 10th, Ryan Preece 15th, Brad Keselowski 25th
MEXICO CITY (June 15, 2025) — It was a historic day at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, as the NASCAR Cup Series made its Mexico City debut. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing secured a place in the history books as well, with Ryan Preece winning the first stage of the event. Chris Buescher led the team with a 10th-place finish, while Preece earned his third career stage win with a strong opening segment. Brad Keselowski showed poise and adaptability in his 50th career road course start.
No. 17 Chris Buescher
After winning at Watkins Glen last season, Chris Buescher entered Sunday’s race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez among the favorites. Throughout Stage 1, he validated those expectations. After rolling off from the 16th starting position, the No. 17 BodyGuard Ford quickly gained ground. When rain began on Lap 1, the team strategically chose to stay out, foregoing rain tires in favor of track position. As others pitted, Buescher moved to the front and briefly led. However, as rain persisted, he slipped back. By Lap 7, he pitted for wet-weather tires and rejoined the field near the rear. When the track dried, the team returned to slicks with a four-tire stop. Buescher ended Stage 1 in 29th.
Using strategy again to begin Stage 2, the No. 17 stayed out while several competitors pitted. The move resulted in a 13-position gain, and Buescher restarted 16th. He advanced further, navigating the corners with precision and making noticeable progress. By the end of the stage, he was running seventh and positioned for another road course top-10.
With track position critical, crew chief Scott Graves opted not to pit between stages. Buescher restarted fifth and stayed in line with the leaders, showing speed and control through the technical layout. On Lap 67, Buescher made his first pit stop since Lap 17, taking on fuel to reach the end. Relegated to 28th, he climbed steadily with a combination of pace, consistency and pit cycle timing. He rose as high as sixth before ultimately finishing 10th, recording his 16th career top-10 on a road course.
“A decent finish overall. We tried something and stayed out on slicks, hoping that rain shower was quick and gone — and that just wasn’t the case. That was my call, and it was the wrong one,” Buescher said. “The team did a good job with strategy, getting us back up front and earning some stage points and a top-10 on the day.”
No. 60 Ryan Preece
Ryan Preece delivered one of his most competitive road course performances to date. After qualifying second, he lined up on the front row Sunday. The No. 60 Kroger/Colgate Ford showed strong early pace, even after switching to rain tires on Lap 2 due to wet conditions. Though he slipped to fourth by Lap 6, Preece maintained strong grip and cornering speed, eventually retaking the lead and winning Stage 1 – a historic first in Mexico City.
Following the stage win, Preece pitted for four tires and fuel, rejoining the field in 20th. Over the next 10 laps, he moved up six spots. A caution on Lap 33 prompted crew chief Derrick Finley to bring him in again, giving up some track position, but Preece steadily climbed back to finish Stage 2 in 12th.
He began the final stage from 10th, but contact with the wall on Lap 55 dropped him 13 positions. A pit road violation, driving through too many pit boxes, during his final stop forced him to restart at the rear. Still, the No. 60 Ford maintained its speed, moving into the top 20 by Lap 75 and gaining five more spots to finish 15th.
“We had a really fast Kroger/Colgate Ford today, so it’s a bit of a bummer to finish 15th,” Preece said. “I’m really proud of our team for bringing a fast race car, and we’ll look forward to doing the same at Pocono next weekend.”
No. 6 Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski marked a personal milestone with his 50th career NASCAR Cup Series road course start, approaching the event with a strategy-first mindset. Starting 30th, he immediately gained a position and stayed composed as weather quickly became a factor. A caution for rain prompted a switch to wet tires, and Keselowski avoided a multi-car incident shortly after. As the track dried, the No. 6 team returned to slicks on Lap 17 and closed Stage 1 in 27th.
Stage 2 highlighted Keselowski’s veteran skill and adaptability. Restarting 14th, he steadily worked his way toward the front, driving the Castrol Ford into the top 10 by Lap 32. The 2012 Cup Series champion remained focused on improving his line and communicated consistently with the team. After getting bumped off track briefly, Keselowski regained control and continued to push. A pit stop three laps before the stage end dropped him to 27th, but set him up with fresher tires for the final run.
With a long-run strategy in place, Keselowski began Stage 3 with a tire advantage over much of the field. However, a stop-and-go penalty mid-stage for shortcutting a corner set him back. Undeterred, he gained ground in the closing laps, ultimately finishing 25th.
