RFK Racing aims for playoff breakthrough in NASCAR as the team heads to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City for Sunday’s Cup race, looking to convert recent top-10 finishes into long-awaited victories. After a notable performance in Michigan, where all three RFK Racing cars secured top-10 spots for the first time since Daytona in 2016, the focus now shifts to making the most of opportunities before the playoffs begin.
Pushing Beyond Recent Successes
Although the RFK Racing crew achieved a milestone by placing three cars in the top 10 last week at Michigan, team owner Brad Keselowski expressed a desire for more consistent high finishes and ultimately victories.
“It was certainly not anything to be embarrassed by,”
said Brad Keselowski.
“We just want to do it more often. We want to win.”
Despite the team‘s progress, Keselowski remains intent on raising the bar for the organization.
Keselowski acknowledged the team’s ongoing effort to become a championship contender, highlighting moments of strong performance that the team hopes to build upon.
“We’re, as a company, just fighting really hard to break through to the next level and we have these intermittent flashes and sparks. We want to turn it into a roaring fire.”
The driver’s comments reflect both pride in the team’s recent displays and frustration at not yet reaching ultimate goals.
Strong Positions Entering the Mexico City Road Course
This weekend presents another challenge and opportunity on the 15-turn, 2.42-mile road course in Mexico City. Ryan Preece starts in the front row, marking his first top-five road course start, while Chris Buescher, who holds an average finish of 8.7 on road courses with the Next Gen car, will start in 16th. Brad Keselowski, meanwhile, is looking to work his way up from 30th on the grid.
In the last four races, RFK Racing has achieved at least two top-10 finishes in three events, equalling the performance of Hendrick Motorsports during that period, though Hendrick boasts a win and more top-five finishes. The comparison underscores how much ground RFK still has to cover before matching established leaders.
Playoff Picture and Urgency for Victories
As Sunday’s race approaches, just ten events will remain in the regular season. Chris Buescher finds himself 20 points above the playoff cutline and Ryan Preece occupies the final playoff position. Keselowski, however, needs a victory to secure his place in the postseason.
“This is a big stretch for us,”
Keselowski said.
“We want to get all three of our cars in the playoffs. It appears that it’s going to take wins for all three cars to do that, maybe we’ll get one car in on points. We’ve had a couple of really strong races but haven’t broke through to Victory Lane and I’m disappointed by that.”
This statement highlights both the competitive tension and the pressure that RFK Racing faces as the playoff race intensifies.
Approaching the Final Regular Season Races
Brad Keselowski also pointed to the team’s recent efforts and determination as they move through a crucial part of the NASCAR season.
“I feel that we’re bringing efforts that are close to being able to do that, but we haven’t gotten there. You can’t do anything about the races behind us, but the races in front of us you’re just trying to be laser-focused to achieve results.”
With four of the final eleven regular season races set on road courses, there is increased optimism for improvement.
Referring to the earlier race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Keselowski remarked,
“All three of our cars at COTA were a factor at one point,”
and added,
“Didn’t necessarily get the win but showed some strength.”
These experiences reinforce the sense that the team is on the cusp of a major achievement if they can capitalize on these remaining opportunities.
Drivers Set Their Sights on Mexico
Ryan Preece comes into the Mexico event after earning three top-10 results in the past four races, building confidence for himself and the team.
“I’ve been really trying to focus on this racetrack because I feel like from a team aspect there was a lot of unknowns for everybody. … The playing field is pretty level. I just put a lot of effort into it.”
—Ryan Preece, Driver
With renewed determination and momentum from recent races, RFK Racing enters Sunday’s event with hopes of turning consistent finishes into their first Cup victory of the season. The outcome in Mexico could determine whether the team’s playoff ambitions become reality or remain just out of reach.
