“It was going to be a great day.” If only a glimmer of hope can arise from these words by Brad Keselowski in Kansas. The RFK Racing owner/driver has been riding a misery wave since the beginning of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. With a best finish of 11th in Las Vegas and four crash DNFs in his first 11 starts of the year, Keselowski’s stars do not seem aligned. Yet they almost did align at the 1.5-mile Kansas track.
The AdventHealth 400 race was flagged off with great zest and enthusiasm in the Hendrick Motorsports fold. Kyle Larson led for 221 of 267 laps from the pole, delivering a sparkling show. Yet Brad Keselowski almost toppled his dominance, leading to the team owner uttering words of optimism.
Brad Keselowski’s belief is strong
Well, standing at this juncture of his 2025 season, that would take guts. The horror story of Brad Keselowski’s poor finishes can go on for hours. The latest chapter of this spine-chilling tragedy unfolded at Kansas Speedway. During Cup Series practice on Saturday, Keselowski fell prey to Goodyear’s tire issues as the No. 6 team apparently went too aggressive on tire pressures. After starting 36th, Keselowski climbed up to 7th by Stage 2, setting the stage for a much-awaited redemption. On lap 180, he passed Kyle Larson for second place, trying to run down Chase Elliott for the lead in the hope of a potential victory. Keselowski narrowed Elliott’s lead from nearly two seconds to 0.913 seconds. However, just 15 laps later, Keselowski blew a right-front tire entering Turn 1 and slapped the outside wall.
Just like that, the No. 6 Ford was relegated to a 37th-place finish, which marked Brad Keselowski‘s 3rd consecutive DNF. This drops the Rochester Hills, Michigan native to 33rd in the standings. Keselowski is 321 points back of the leader, Kyle Larson. Despite this sorrowful position, the RFK leader is optimistic, given the solid effort that his team put forward in Kansas. He told Bob Pockrass in an interview: “We put ourselves in a position like that, you win races. And I felt like this was a pretty significant overhaul of the No. 6 team from where we were last year. There are some pieces that are starting to click. Maybe not getting the result, but showing the potential to get the result. Today was a step forward for us, even though the finishing order is not going to show it.”
Brad Keselowski feels if he brings that speed every week, he will compete for wins. How he reacted to having speed but the disappointment of blowing a tire ended his. day. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/krFwgfXGaM
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 11, 2025
This kind of high-flying approach had once motivated Brad Keselowski to invest in Jack Roush’s team. Back in 2022, people questioned his moves as Roush’s team was in the doldrums. Yet he breathed new life into RFK Racing, as he and Chris Buescher brought back the winning streak. Accordingly, the 2012 Cup Series champion believes it is only a matter of time until the tide turns in his favor. He said, “Lot of things not coming together, and that’s how the sport goes. You ride the wave, and we’re on the bad side of the wave, but we’re going to push hard to get to the right side of it.” Now, Keselowski is setting his sights on the Coca-Cola 600, a crown jewel event which he has won twice in the past. He said, “Go win the Coke 600; that’s where my emotions are. Bring cars and speed like this to the Coke 600. Let’s go win it.”
This optimistic flavor persists despite a wave of tragedy hitting the RFK fold recently. The team suffered a great loss and yet continues to persevere.
Facing a tragedy and overcoming it
The NASCAR world has been rattled by a slew of deaths in recent times. From Hendrick Motorsports executive Jon Edwards to Craftsman Truck Series team owner Shigeaki Hattori, many jewels of the sport have passed into the unknown. The RFK Racing fold also lost somebody special. Daniel Allor II, owner of Solomon Plumbing, one of RFK’s primary sponsors, passed away. It sent ripples of sadness through Brad Keselowski’s team, and the No. 6 driver himself was shaken by the loss. “Heartbreaking,” Keselowski commented on social media and summed up his emotions briefly.
RFK Racing’s official X account also posted a heartfelt message. It displayed the heavy emotions that the team dealt with after the loss: “RFK Racing is heartbroken by the loss of Danny Allor II. Danny was more than just a partner of RFK, he was a close personal friend to so many of our team members. Although we are devastated by his passing, we are blessed to have had Danny as part of our family.”
Despite this tragedy, the team persevered in its primary goal and upheld the late Daniel Allor II’s purpose in NASCAR. Brad Keselowski came close to breaking Kyle Larson’s dominance. Although a slew of tire issues destroyed his chances, Keselowski expressed profound faith in his team in an X post. He wrote, “I’m really proud of this 6 team and the speed we had today, including our pit crew. We’re gaining on it… even though the results aren’t showing. I’m excited for what we’ve got for the 600.”
Who knows, this type of resilience will probably propel Brad Keselowski and his team in upcoming races. Let us wait and watch what magic they conjure on the racetrack.
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