Brad Keselowski’s disappointing 2025 season has drawn scrutiny as the NASCAR Cup Series enters its final stretch, with the co-owner and driver of RFK Racing’s No. 6 Ford languishing in 28th place, 122 points outside the playoff cutoff. Concerns are mounting from observers like NASCAR on FOX reporter Bob Pockrass, who highlighted Keselowski’s unexpected struggle to remain competitive this year.
Keselowski’s Struggles Exposed as Playoff Gap Widens
As the Cup Series passes the midway point of the season, Brad Keselowski has failed to secure a win and sits far behind his playoff rivals, with only 306 points. During a recent Beating and Banging podcast, racing expert Bob Pockrass singled out Keselowski as the year’s surprise underperformer, citing his significant points deficit and lack of wins as stark reminders of his underwhelming performance so far.
“When you look at Brad Keselowski, over 100 points behind the cutoff and without a win, you just would not have said that’s where his season was going to be,”
—Bob Pockrass, NASCAR on FOX reporter
Pockrass pointed out that while drivers like Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece have faced their own challenges, Keselowski’s results are especially disappointing when considering his expectations heading into 2025. The team’s mixed fortunes have included both outright bad luck and times where outright speed was lacking, despite recent marginal improvements.
“Especially with the way Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece have been running. Now, certainly they’ve had some bad luck, but there have been some weeks where they just have not had the speed. They’ve been getting better as of late, but when you look at the totality of the first half of the year, I would say that Brad Keselowski’s results are disappointing”
—Bob Pockrass, NASCAR on FOX reporter
To date, Keselowski has managed just four top‑10 finishes, including two top‑five runs, leaving him with only eight more races to reverse course before the playoffs begin. Over the last five races, he has taken three top‑10 spots, highlighted by a strong second-place at Atlanta and a fifth at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, but those successes have not closed the gap significantly. His races in Nashville and Mexico City, by contrast, brought less favorable results, placing 23rd and 25th respectively.
Despite hardships, Keselowski remains determined to fight on. After coming in second at Atlanta, he stated,
“Good effort, led a lot of laps. We put ourselves in a position. Every loss hurts. I don’t dwell on them. We’ll go on to next week and try to win,”
—Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing driver and co-owner
RFK Racing Teammates Deliver Stronger Results
While Keselowski has struggled, his teammates have outperformed expectations. Chris Buescher, driving the No. 17 Ford, has displayed consistent competitiveness and secured ten top‑10 finishes, including a podium in Michigan. Solid performances at key tracks, including Mexico City, Pocono Raceway, and EcoPark Speedway, have kept Buescher above the playoff cutline and solidified his role as a team standout.
Meanwhile, Ryan Preece in the No. 60 Ford has also shown impressive form. Achieving a career-best third-place finish in Las Vegas and adding six top‑10 results since then, Preece stands 14th in Cup Series points, putting himself ahead of the weekend’s Chicago street race. Even though he is currently the first driver below the playoff cutline and sits just 23 points adrift of Bubba Wallace, Preece’s overall progress contrasts his co-owner’s struggles.
What Keselowski’s Downturn Means for RFK Racing
Brad Keselowski, who bought into Jack Roush’s team in 2022 and now co-owns RFK Racing, faces mounting questions over whether he can rebound in time to salvage his playoff hopes. The gap to the cutoff and the improved form of his teammates highlight the challenging path ahead. As NASCAR heads to pivotal races across major venues like Charlotte, Pocono Raceway, and Chicago, the team’s overall playoff ambitions hang in the balance, with Keselowski’s future performance carrying particular weight for RFK Racing’s season outcome.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Brad Keselowski Polish?
A. The Keselowski family comes from Polish roots. Keselowski spent a lot of his teenage years at his dad’s race shop, where he cleaned floors and cut grass. In 2000, he started competing in stock car races in the Factory Stock division.
