05/12/2025
RFK Racing Continues Upward Trajectory with Strong Kansas Performance
Kansas City, KS (May 11, 2025) – Heading into NASCAR’s All-Star Race next weekend, RFK Racing appears poised for a strong run in the second half of the season. For the third straight week, the organization showcased impressive speed – this time at Kansas Speedway. All three drivers delivered strong performances. Ryan Preece charged from deep in the field to finish seventh, Chris Buescher continued his consistent run with a determined eighth-place result, while Brad Keselowski rocketed from 36th to the front before a late-race tire failure dashed his hopes of a win. RFK’s performance continues to trend upward.
No. 60 – Ryan Preece
Ryan Preece delivered another strong performance Sunday, earning a hard-fought seventh-place finish at Kansas Speedway in the No. 60 Body Guard Ford Mustang. The result marked his fourth top-10 of the season reflecting both the team’s strategic execution and the car’s race pace.
After starting 30th, Preece’s climb began early when crew chief Derrick Finley made a key strategy call under a caution on lap six. Opting for four fresh tires while much of the field stayed out, the move paid immediate dividends. On the ensuing restart, Preece surged through traffic, breaking into the top 10 within just 15 laps. He completed Stage One in seventh, collecting three valuable stage points.
Preece restarted seventh to begin Stage Two and didn’t waste time making moves. An aggressive three-wide pass gained him two positions, briefly placing him inside the top five. As tire wear increased, he adjusted his line to the top groove, using it effectively to hold track position. He wrapped up the stage in 10th, earning another stage point and positioning himself for a strong final run.
The No. 60 team came through on pit road during the stage break, gaining Preece four spots to restart sixth. He took advantage of multiple cautions, and a perfectly executed restart on lap 230 enabled him to jump to fourth. On the final green-flag run, Preece managed tire wear and maintained rhythm, holding his position in the top 10 through the checkered flag. He scored a seventh-place finish, matching his second-best result of the season and continuing his upward momentum.
“I thought we did a really good job in the first stage, and we had a really good car that was able to stay up front for most of the day,” Preece said. “Once we put everything together, we’re going to be really good.”
No. 17 – Chris Buescher
A blistering fast qualifying run on Saturday – just shy of the pole – had Chris Buescher starting on the front row for Sunday’s race in Kansas. That qualifying speed carried over into the race’s first stage, as the Kroger/Kleenex Ford battled closely with the leaders. As the laps clicked off, Buescher attacked the corners aggressively. Progressively, though, the car became loose, forcing him to temporarily adopt a more conservative approach. He finished Stage One in 11th.
Crew chief Scott Graves called the No. 17 to pit road for adjustments between stages. While the stop cost some track position, the changes paid off, giving Buescher a better feel for the car. Restarting 17th, he soon radioed in that the adjustments gave him more security in the corners. He reclaimed several spots during the stage and climbed back to 13th.
Beginning Stage Three, Buescher felt confident with the car’s speed and balance. However, midway through the final segment, the car began to shake. During the next round of pit stops, Graves called for a shock adjustment. Although the repair cost time on pit road, it resolved the issue. Buescher was once again able to attack and steadily worked his way forward, ultimately finishing eighth – his sixth top-10 finish of the season.
“We had a pretty solid day. Definitely had some speed, and I’m pretty proud of that,” said Buescher. “Especially coming off of Texas. That’s two weeks in a row where we’ve had a lot of potential in the car. It was a fun day for us overall.”
No. 6 – Brad Keselowski
Sometimes, results don’t tell the whole story – and that was definitely the case for Brad Keselowski on Sunday. Keselowski came to the heartland looking for his third career Kansas Speedway win, and for much of the race, that goal looked achievable.
Due to a flat left-rear tire during practice that caused unrepairable damage before qualifying, Keselowski was forced to start 36th. But starting position proved to be deceptive. From the drop of the green flag, the Kroger/Alegra Ford showed speed, charging through the field. Keselowski picked up a remarkable 22 positions to finish Stage One in 14th.
More of the same followed in Stage Two. Speed was not an issue – practice times on Saturday (prior to the tire issue) had shown him with the fastest average speed. Drawing on that pace, plus the experience that helped him earn two previous Kansas wins, Keselowski continued climbing and finished Stage Two in sixth, 30 positions better than where he began.
Expectations rose entering the final stage, as Keselowski found his way to the front. With fewer than 100 laps to go, he had completely overcome his starting position and was running second, challenging for the lead. Unfortunately, another tire issue – a right-front failure – sent him hard into the wall, ending what had been a remarkably promising day.
“We blew a tire, and the next thing you know, we were in the fence. The good thing is we had speed and contended for the win. We’re doing all the right things; it just didn’t come together,” said Keselowski, who was scored 37th. “Today was a step forward for us even though the finishing order didn’t show it.”
