Brad Keselowski, the Michigan native who made headlines as a NASCAR Cup Series champion, now finds himself at the center of a turbulent struggle as he attempts to balance the demanding roles of team co-owner and full-time driver for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Since joining the ownership ranks of RFK Racing in 2022, Keselowski’s performance on track has taken a sharp downturn, raising concerns that the pressure of wearing too many hats may be derailing his once-prominent driving career.
Approaching the eleventh race of the 2025 season at Texas, Brad Keselowski’s current standing in the Cup Series paints a concerning picture. Sitting 32nd in the rankings, his best finishes this season—a modest 11th and 15th place—contrast starkly with the standards he set in the earlier years of his career. Seven times he has finished 20th or worse, and four of those outings ended in the low thirties, including three races cut short by crashes. Numbers like these rarely followed Keselowski before team ownership became part of his weekly reality; the parallel track records of his teammates only underline how much he’s fallen behind.
Chris Buescher, who shares the RFK stable with Keselowski, has fared significantly better. Buescher’s single top-five and five top-ten finishes have landed him at 13th in the standings, a position that highlights the comparative struggles of the team co-owner. Meanwhile, newcomer Ryan Preece has managed to claim a top-five and three top-ten results, and if not for a technical disqualification at Talladega due to a missing spoiler bolt, Preece could have left the race weekend with both a career-best finish and an even stronger championship position.
For those familiar with Brad Keselowski’s reputation as a racer—especially before he signed on as a co-owner—the drop-off is jarring. Not long ago, Keselowski was a formidable presence in the Cup Series. He captured high-profile wins, such as his victory at the notoriously challenging Darlington Raceway last year, showcasing that his innate driving skill hasn’t vanished. Yet the evidence suggests something deeper: Brad Keselowski the driver is in conflict with Brad Keselowski the owner, and the burden of carrying both identities may be proving too much.
Turning back the clock, Keselowski’s plate has been full before. Owning his own Truck Series team from 2011 to 2017, alongside running multiple businesses, did little to diminish his impact behind the wheel for Team Penske. His current turbulence, in contrast, seems tied to the all-consuming nature of being both a NASCAR Cup Series driver and a co-owner at RFK—a situation few have managed to handle successfully.
Opportunities to straddle ownership and driving at NASCAR’s top level are exceedingly rare. Brad Keselowski followed in the footsteps of a select group: Tony Stewart, who remarkably won his third Cup title while part owner of Stewart-Haas Racing; Kyle Busch, who notched championships while simultaneously running Kyle Busch Motorsports; and the late Dale Earnhardt, who though he drove triumphantly for Richard Childress, never drove for his own team. Even Denny Hamlin only co-owns 23XI Racing while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, often reiterating he’ll likely never take the wheel for his own team before retirement.
That Brad Keselowski was handed the opportunity to co-own RFK Racing while still an active Cup driver is extraordinary. But the weight of that responsibility, combined with unrelenting expectations from sponsors, fans, and partners, brings with it immense pressure that can test even the most resilient of champions. The question now is whether this risk is yielding any meaningful reward—or whether it’s eroding the legacy he spent so many years building.
The numbers so far this season tell a somber story. Averaging a starting position of 23.3 and finishing on average 26.1, Brad Keselowski hasn’t led a single lap throughout the campaign—an astonishing statistic for a driver of his caliber. Each race that passes without a turnaround adds to the scrutiny. Watching a champion like Keselowski languish deep in the field is both surprising and, for many fans, deeply disappointing.
With 26 races left in the season, Brad Keselowski faces mounting urgency. Missing the playoffs would be a significant blow for both his personal ambitions and the reputation of RFK Racing. Observers are already questioning whether the dual demands are sustainable. A particularly candid take reflects the growing unease: “He owes it to himself, his organization, his co-owners, and his and RFK’s fans to face reality and realize he just can’t do both jobs at the same time anymore.”
Complicating matters further, RFK’s other partners, Jack Roush—now 83—and John Henry—age 75—may soon step away from the sport. Their eventual departure could thrust even more operational strain onto Brad Keselowski, intensifying pressure on him to prioritize leadership over driving. While the thought of stepping back from the driver’s seat is undoubtedly painful for a competitor of Keselowski’s temperament, continued mediocrity benefits no one associated with the organization.
As the season races forward, the consequences of Brad Keselowski’s ongoing struggle will ripple through the team, its fans, and the entire Cup Series. If he can’t turn his fortunes around soon, a major decision looms: does he double down on trying the impossible, or does he accept that he must trade the adrenaline of competition for the complexities of ownership? The weeks ahead will determine whether Brad Keselowski’s legacy is defined by brave ambition, or by the turmoil that comes when one man attempts too much.
