RFK Racing’s 2025 NASCAR season saw the team compete near the front but end the year without any victories, despite notable efforts from Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Preece. The team, aiming to extend their winning tradition in the NASCAR Cup Series, faced a year of intense battles and near-misses, highlighting the unpredictability and competitiveness of the RFK Racing 2025 NASCAR season.
Season Finale Leaves RFK Without a Win
Brad Keselowski’s performance at the Phoenix Raceway’s season finale embodied the team’s year: running up front but just missing out on victory. Choosing to stay out on worn tires, Keselowski entered the final turns of the race as the leader in overtime, with Ryan Blaney and others behind him on similarly old tires. Struggling for grip on the aging rubber, Keselowski was overtaken by Blaney, who captured the win by 0.097 seconds. This narrow loss cemented a winless campaign for Keselowski, marking only the fourth time in his sixteen-year Cup career that he finished a season without a win.
For RFK Racing, this result meant their first winless season since Brad Keselowski helped form the team in 2022. The entire squad experienced a year of promise without seeing anyone reach victory lane, further intensifying their commitment and motivation for the future.
Building Momentum: RFK Racing’s Foundation Before 2025
Before this challenging season, Chris Buescher secured RFK Racing’s inaugural win at Bristol in September 2022, launching a run that brought three more victories and a trip to the Round of 8 in 2023. In 2024, Keselowski added a Darlington win to his resume and made the playoffs, while Buescher played the role of playoff spoiler with a win at Watkins Glen.
The 2025 expansion to three cars, triggered by adding Ryan Preece to the new No. 60 team, sparked both optimism and uncertainty. The organization hoped the extra entry would enhance their performance and data collection, but the season’s outcome revealed the challenges that came with increased competition.
The Three-Car Lineup: Missed Playoffs and Narrow Margins
The season began with Keselowski struggling to break into the top 10 or lead any laps in the opening dozen races. Yet, a late surge involving Keselowski, Buescher, and Preece saw all three threaten for playoff berths in the next fourteen events. Keselowski came agonizingly close to victory at Pocono, Atlanta, and Iowa, while Preece showed speed at Richmond, and Buescher was competitive at tracks like Michigan, Pocono, Atlanta, and Watkins Glen.
Despite their efforts, none of the RFK drivers could claim a win, and all ultimately fell short of the playoffs. Still, the team’s performance improved as the season progressed. Buescher’s steady results underscored his consistency, Preece demonstrated an ability to compete with championship contenders at Martinsville, and Keselowski notched impressive finishes at both Bristol and Phoenix. Nevertheless, the lack of a breakthrough victory shadowed their year.
Chris Buescher’s Consistency Shines Amid Disappointment
Chris Buescher, reflecting on the season, candidly shared,
“I can sum our year up as it was a good year but it wasn’t a great year,”
Chris Buescher, Driver. His steady hand placed him sixth-best for average finish among all Cup drivers at 14.3, ahead of Championship 4 competitor William Byron, and tied Byron’s 16 top-10 finishes for the season. Notably, Buescher matched his 2024 average finish, sustaining an impressive level of performance across back-to-back campaigns.
Despite these strong statistics, Buescher found himself winless and ultimately classified as “best of the rest” by season’s end, finishing 17th in the final points standings. His ability to remain a consistent presence near the front solidifies his role within the organization and keeps expectations high for future seasons.
Ryan Preece’s Breakout Year with RFK Racing
In his first full season driving for RFK Racing, Ryan Preece made meaningful progress, showing marked improvement over previous years. Preece posted the 11th-best average finish in the Cup Series at 15.7, with 14 top-10 finishes, both personal bests by a significant margin. A late-season push saw him string together finishes of sixth, ninth, fifteenth, sixth, and ninth, propelling him further up the standings.
Other season highlights included a career-high three top-five finishes compared to just one in any prior year, and a sharp jump in top-10 results from a prior high of five in 2024 to fourteen in 2025. Preece’s transformation stood out as a sign of the evolving strength within the RFK Racing camp.
Reflecting on the changes that fueled this leap, Preece shared,
“Coming into the 2025 season, I said, ‘OK, I’m gonna focus on the things I need to focus on as a race car driver and trust that the people around me… and I’ll be able to go show what I’m capable of.’ So, a change in mindset was probably a big piece of that as well as coming over to RFK and seeing what Brad’s been able to help build and continue to build back up of what we can be,”
Ryan Preece, Driver. His words emphasized a renewed focus and the value of RFK Racing’s collaborative culture.
Despite missing the playoffs and his first Cup win, Preece’s upward trend leaves both driver and team optimistic. As he noted,
“We’re all frustrated we didn’t make the playoffs, but there’s a ton of potential between all three of us and I’m excited for that.”
Ryan Preece, Driver.
By season’s end, Buescher and Preece closed the year as the top finishers for RFK Racing, securing 17th and 18th in the championship chase, respectively.
Brad Keselowski’s Rollercoaster 2025 Campaign
Team co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski rebounded from a sluggish start to finish 20th in points. Despite a 59-race winless streak, Keselowski remained competitive late in the year, picking up all 13 of his top-10s—including six top-five finishes and leading 222 laps—in the final 24 events. Down the stretch, Keselowski managed five top-10 finishes in the closing eight races, highlighting the team’s growing speed and resilience.
Keselowski credited the team’s 2025 expansion for improvements across the garage, stating,
“I think a third team has helped us in a lot of ways. In hardly any area, I would say, has it hurt us at all, so it’s been terrific. Three cars, among other things, give us more data and more things to learn,”
Brad Keselowski, Co-owner/Driver.
Buescher’s last win came at Watkins Glen in September 2024, extending his winless streak to 44 races. Preece, meanwhile, continues to chase his first Cup Series victory, with his best result being third, recorded at both Las Vegas earlier this year and previously at Talladega in April 2019.
The collective effort of Keselowski, Buescher, and Preece overcame significant odds, but each driver’s solid average finish and increased competitiveness were not enough to claim the elusive checkered flag in 2025.
Significance and Future Outlook for RFK Racing
The 2025 NASCAR season underscored the fine margins separating victory from disappointment for RFK Racing. Despite missing out on wins and playoff spots, the team made strides in consistency, teamwork, and development, with each driver showing evidence of progress and collaboration. The addition of the third car with Ryan Preece contributed valuable data, spurring improvements for all involved.
Moving forward, RFK Racing’s strong foundation, highlighted by the resilience of Keselowski, the steady hand of Buescher, and the breakout potential of Preece, positions the team well for coming seasons. The hunger to end winless streaks and return to victory lane promises a passionate, competitive approach into the next chapter of the NASCAR Cup Series.
