10/05/2025
Buescher, Preece Lead the Way with Top-10 Finishes at the ROVAL
Buescher, Preece Lead the Way with Top-10 Finishes at the ROVAL
Buescher 4th; Preece 6th; Keselowski 35th
CONCORD, NC (October 5, 2025) – RFK Racing put together a solid showing at the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday, led by Chris Buescher’s fourth-place finish and Ryan Preece scoring a career-best sixth at the road course. Both drivers ran inside the top five during the final stage, using smart strategy and consistent pace to climb through the field. Brad Keselowski also showed strong speed, racing into the top 10 before a mechanical issue cut his day short and left him 35th.
17 Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team delivered another strong performance Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, securing a fourth-place finish in the 109-lap road course event. After starting fifth, Buescher ran solidly in the top five early, even assuming the race lead on lap 15 during green-flag pit stops. He paced the field for five laps before yielding the lead back to Shane van Gisbergen on fresher tires. The team chose to short-pit Stage One, sacrificing stage points in favor of long-run strategy, and Buescher wrapped the stage in 18th.
Buescher stayed out under the stage break and restarted Stage Two from the front row in his Fifth Third Ford. He maintained a top-three position for much of the segment, briefly advancing to second before tire wear began to affect lap times. Despite finishing Stage Two in 12th, a strategic stop on lap 47 set the team up for a stronger position in the final stage.
The No. 17 team executed a clean final stage, balancing pit strategy with competitive pace. Buescher restarted fifth and cycled out fourth after a round of green-flag stops. A final stop for fresh tires on lap 96 gave him an edge for the closing push, and he quickly worked back into fourth with strong lap times. He held that position through the checkered flag, notching his fifth top-five finish of the 2025 season and continuing his impressive run on road courses.
“That’s where we ran all day right there, sitting around fourth. I’m proud of this team for bringing up a Ford Mustang that was this good. Today’s race was a big step in the right direction at the ROVAL,” Buescher said. “It was a lot more fun to drive this go-around, and I’m sure we want more and have a bit more to go, but it was much better than last week. We’re proud to take a top five.”
60 Ryan Preece
Ryan Preece turned in one of his strongest performances of the season at the ROVAL, driving the No. 60 Kroger / Totino’s Ford to a sixth-place finish — his career-best result at the road course. Starting deep in the field in 29th, Preece immediately went to work, gaining three spots on the opening lap and methodically advancing through the pack. After a pit stop on lap 13 for four tires and fuel, he found speed, climbing to 13th by the end of Stage One and showing strong pace on clean tires.
Preece restarted Stage Two in 21st but quickly moved back into the top 15 with a fast car and calculated moves in traffic. Staying out while others pitted, he briefly ran as high as seventh, showcasing tire management and consistent lap times. A strategic pit stop on lap 47 set him up for a solid final stage, where he continued to match the pace of the frontrunners and ended Stage Two in 16th.
Preece restarted eighth in the final stage and stayed inside the top 10 through the early laps. He moved up to fourth by lap 69 as others began to pit, then came in for tires on lap 71. After cycling back to seventh, he passed Brad Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger to reach fifth by lap 80. A final stop on lap 85 dropped him to sixth, where he settled in for the closing laps on older tires. Despite pressure and tire wear, Preece held strong and finished sixth — his best career result at the ROVAL.
“I feel like at many of these road courses, Mexico, Watkins Glen, COTA and here, we’ve had strong days for it being my first time at these tracks with RFK Racing,” Preece said. “This result with our Ford Mustang is definitely something to build on and keep progressing from. It also felt good to get out of that ten-week slump and get back to where I feel like we can be on the racetrack.”
6 Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski showed solid pace and forward progress in Sunday’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL before a mechanical failure ended his day early. Starting 22nd, Keselowski moved into the top 20 within the opening laps and noted the car was handling better than it had in practice. He stayed out during Stage One to conserve a set of tires for later, finishing 30th as part of a long-run strategy.
After restarting 32nd in Stage Two, Keselowski steadily climbed through the field in his Castrol Ford, reaching 18th by lap 44 as one of the biggest movers in the stage. A scheduled stop on lap 47 helped set the No. 6 team up for the final segment, and he ended Stage Two in 23rd while preserving fresher tires for the closing laps.
Keselowski restarted 11th in the final stage and quickly broke into the top 10. He cycled as high as sixth following green flag stops, but a pit stop on lap 82 went wrong when the jack fell mid-stop. Shortly after, on lap 90, Keselowski reported a broken transaxle — believed to have occurred during that final stop — which ended his race. He was credited with a 35th-place finish despite showing strong potential throughout the day.
Up Next:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV), Sunday, October 12, 2025, on USA Network 5:30 p.m. ET
