Brad Keselowski discloses the ‘critical’ decision from two years ago that triggered the hiring of Tony Stewart’s former NASCAR driver

Brad Keselowski recently opened up about the behind-the-scenes decisions that led to the hiring of Ryan Preece and RFK Racing's expansion to three full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. In a conversation with CBS Sports, Keselowski explained how an important decision made two years ago set the course for RFK Racing’s next phase—bringing in a third car and new talent.

Keselowski and RFK Racing determined in 2023, that expanding to a three-car team was “critical” to their long-term success. That’s when the planning began. From organizing selective races for a third car in 2024, to building the right infrastructure, and finally locking in a full-season sponsor, every step was intentional. That strategy culminated in 2025 with the hiring of Tony Stewart’s team's former driver, Ryan Preece, to drive RFK's No. 60 Ford full-time.

The decision to expand to three cars goes back to 2023.

“I think about two years ago we looked at this and said this was critical to our future and to our success. And we began the path of saying 'well, how do we get there? We can't just turn on a third team overnight,’” Keselowski told CBS Sports.

The process involved selecting specific races in 2024 and reassigning personnel. Those selective races included a solid top-five finish with Joey Hand at the Chicago Street Course, which gave the team confidence. The performance helped them convince major sponsor Kroger to back their full-season effort in 2025. That support sealed the full-time entry of the No. 60 Ford Mustang and the addition of Ryan Preece.

The No. 60 car debuted dramatically at Daytona, flipping upside down in the final laps but it’s been consistent since then, scoring a third-place finish at Las Vegas and continuing with strong top-ten results. Preece, who previously drove for Stewart-Haas Racing, didn’t find much success there, but Brad Keselowski believed in his potential.

“I’m not surprised by his success,” Keselowski said. “We were able to obviously add a full-time driver in Ryan Preece and some more talent to the company and team over the last four to six months. It’s been quite a journey, but a very intentional one.” (via CBSsports)

Keselowski’s belief in Preece came from observing his skill and work ethic both on and off the track. And now, Preece is delivering. The No. 60 team has been executing well, even if the outright speed is still a work in progress.

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RFK's performance under review as Keselowski calls for qualifying gains

Keselowski has also emphasized a specific area for improvement- qualifying. In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he said,

“We need all three of our cars to qualify better. We're not qualifying well enough, and we're not showing enough speed potential.”

The team’s current lineup—Brad Keselowski in the No. 6, Chris Buescher in the No. 17, and Ryan Preece in the No. 60—is a return to fielding three cars, a move not seen from RFK since 2016. The team is co-owned by Brad Keselowski, Jack Roush, and Fenway Sports Group.

Preece came close to winning at Phoenix, where a late yellow cost him a shot at the win. Keselowski pointed this out while setting clear expectations.

“Ryan has put himself in position here a couple times now to have an opportunity... But we need a little more pace.”

The No. 60 and No. 17 teams have been particularly efficient on race day, but Keselowski stressed that execution alone isn’t enough. Combining smart racecraft with top-level speed is key to getting wins.

“If the 60 and the 17 can take their execution and combine it with the top-level speed, I think they can win a handful of races here this year. So we need to make that happen,” he said.

RFK Racing’s partnership with Kroger is expected to give them the backing needed to reach those goals.