06/09/2025

RFK Racing Creates Michigan Magic with Three Top-10 Finishes

Chris Buescher 2nd, Ryan Preece 9th, Brad Keselowski 10th At MIS

Brooklyn, MI (June 8, 2025) – At a place considered a home track for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing founder Jack Roush, his teams continue to feel right at home. Led by Chris Buescher’s second-place finish, all three RFK cars finished in the top 10 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.

17 Chris Buescher – Recap

Chris Buescher kicked off his Michigan race with a commanding performance in Stage One, showcasing the speed and confidence that earned him a win at this track in 2023. Starting sixth, the Kroger / Kraft / Artesano Ford quickly moved into the top five by lap 5 and continued gaining ground, passing Denny Hamlin for third by lap 14. Buescher’s No. 17 Ford showed excellent balance, and by lap 27, he was challenging for the lead. He made a clean, assertive pass on William Byron on lap 35, took over the top spot, and cruised to a Stage One win by three car lengths.

Stage Two presented a tougher challenge as strategy and track position became critical. After restarting third, Buescher slipped back to ninth and navigated a stretch filled with cautions. A mid-stage pit stop for four tires and a full load of fuel shuffled him back to 22nd. Buescher kept his composure, steadily moving up through the field and finishing 14th in Stage Two.

In Stage Three, Buescher returned to form and delivered a thrilling late-race surge. Restarting 10th, he briefly dropped to 14th but soon found his rhythm again, charging up to eighth before a lap-147 caution. By lap 167, Buescher was running seventh and steadily climbing. A relentless push in the closing laps earned him an impressive second-place finish—his best result of the season.

“That was such a fast Kroger/Heinz Ford Mustang. I really appreciate everybody on this team working so hard to put us in this situation and to have a chance to win. I’m disappointed I didn’t get it done,” Buescher said. “We were really fast and worked hard to be there and just didn’t have any bad luck, so that put us with a shot to win. After the last handful of weeks—having speed in the first stage and in qualifying, but not being able to get the race finish—that was certainly big.”

60 Ryan Preece – Recap

Ryan Preece delivered another strong performance, steadily building momentum throughout the race to secure a well-earned top-10 finish. Rolling off 23rd, Preece stayed focused and poised in the early going, keeping the Castrol Ford in contention through Stage One. Despite facing difficult passing conditions due to turbulent “dirty” air, Preece remained upbeat and determined. By the end of the opening stage, he was running 27th and ready to capitalize on adjustments and strategy heading into Stage Two.

Stage Two showcased Preece’s ability to take advantage of opportunities and the team’s strategic decisions. After restarting deep in the field, the team made a bold call to stay out under caution, vaulting him up to seventh for the restart. From there, Preece charged forward, climbing as high as fifth while managing fuel. A final pit stop for fresh tires gave him an extra boost, and he finished Stage Two in sixth.

In the final stage, Preece delivered a poised performance to close out the day. He restarted fifth and stayed in the mix with the leaders. Although fuel strategy became critical, Preece continued to push forward, picking up spots and engaging in tight battles. With just laps remaining, the team made a bold decision to stay aggressive and go for it, with Crew Chief Derrick Finley telling him, “We’re living on the edge here, giving it all we’ve got.” That determination paid off, as Preece crossed the line ninth—earning his seventh top-10 finish of the year.

6 Brad Keselowski – Recap

Brad Keselowski scored a solid top-10 finish in his homecoming race at Michigan International Speedway. The Rochester Hills, MI native started 27th and methodically picked off positions. Early on, he complimented the BuildSubmarines.com Ford’s ride quality. Pacing himself throughout the run, Keselowski radioed, “I’m just trying to maintain right here.” He finished Stage One in 21st.

Stage Two brought a mix of challenges for the No. 6 team. After an early stop and a return trip to pit road to top off fuel, Keselowski restarted 34th but quickly gained ground as cautions shuffled the field. Opting to stay out under one of the many yellows allowed him to restart as high as fifth, and he showed strong speed while holding fourth for several laps. His run up to third while managing fuel was one of the highlights of the segment. However, a late-stage pit stop for fuel and tires, combined with a speeding penalty, dropped him to a 24th-place stage finish—but the segment proved the No. 6 Ford was highly competitive.

In the final stage, Keselowski displayed his veteran poise as he worked his way toward a strong finish. Restarting 15th after staying out during the stage break, he maintained focus through tight racing and changing track conditions. A well-timed caution on lap 147 gave the No. 6 team an opportunity to make a strategic call for right-side tires only, gaining valuable track position. Keselowski made the most of it, steadily climbing through the field and breaking into the top 10 in the closing laps. He finished 10th, securing yet another solid result at his home track—his 16th career top-10 at Michigan.

“We had a really good car. I felt like we had a top-two or top-three car and just didn’t get to see it through. I’m really disappointed. We kind of crushed ourselves on pit road with the speeding penalty,” said Keselowski. “Every time we pitted, we would lose a lot of spots. It wasn’t the pit crew’s fault—we just needed a better pit stall. I’m not really sure on the speeding penalty. I felt I was way slow, so getting called fast didn’t really add up. But we had the speed to do a lot more than we did today, and I’m disappointed not to get that. Still, we’re reasonably happy with a top 10.”