Brad Keselowski leaving RFK in shocking split after 5 years
Brad Keselowski leaving RFK Racing after the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season became official Tuesday, Sept. 29, when the team announced the split, ending a five-year run in which the 2012 Cup champion drove the No. 6 Ford, held an ownership stake and ran the competition department. He will finish the season in the car.
The news of Brad Keselowski leaving RFK came with a clear message from the 42-year-old: he is not retiring. “I’m nowhere near ready to be done as a driver,” Keselowski said in the team’s announcement. “I still have a lot more I want to accomplish in this sport, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
Why is Brad Keselowski leaving RFK?
Neither side gave a reason. FOX Sports’ analysis pointed to an ownership group with no single majority faction and leadership changes in recent years, including Steve Newmark’s departure to become North Carolina’s athletic director and Chip Bowers’ arrival as team president. FOX also noted that Keselowski wanted control of the competition department, which had been a sticking point for him at Team Penske, too.
RFK president Chip Bowers praised him in the release. “We are big fans of Brad as a person, driver, and colleague,” Bowers said. “The impact Brad has made on our organization has been felt by everyone associated with RFK Racing.”
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished at RFK over the past five years and grateful for the people I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside,” Keselowski said.
What happens to his ownership stake?
That is the messiest part of Brad Keselowski leaving RFK, and it is unresolved. RFK said it will “collaboratively and mutually work through the appropriate next steps” on Keselowski’s ownership interest, NASCAR.com reported. Roush Enterprises and Fenway Sports Group remain the team’s owners, and RFK has started a search for a new head of competition to replace him in that role.
Where can he race in 2027?
Options are thin. Few Cup seats remain open for 2027, NASCAR.com’s free-agency analysis noted, which could leave a driver with 36 Cup wins (25th all-time) and 39 Truck Series wins without a full-time ride. Keselowski’s lone RFK victory came at Darlington in May 2024.
Who could drive the No. 6?
Even with Brad Keselowski leaving RFK, the team said it will stay a three-car Cup operation in 2027, alongside Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, and will keep pursuing a third charter. NASCAR.com floated John Hunter Nemechek as a possible fit, with Josh Berry headed to Legacy Motor Club. Motorsport.com described the move as a shock exit. Total Apex Sports recently looked at Buescher’s playoff push at Loudon and Preece’s championship pressure. More is on the site’s NASCAR page.