Brad Keselowski entered 2025 riding the highs and lows we’ve come to expect, but his team, RFK racing, has been nothing short of electric. Between his own wins and the breakout season from the under-the-radar drivers, RFK has made its presence felt. But after Keselowski’s own crash in Chicago, it was a fellow RFK driver who stole the spotlight and the fans noticed.
Social media lit up with surprise and praise. Fans who once doubted this driver now admit they got it all wrong. With a mix of speed, grit and a newfound confidence, he has turned skeptics into believers.
Ryan Preece’s redemption arc starts at Chicago
Ryan Preece has been around cup racing since his 2015 debut with Premium Motorsports. Yet before 2025, he had never cracked the top 23 in the standings. Fast forward to this year, and he is locked into 14th place, with one top five and eight top 10 finishes through 19 races.
Preece’s early season form was no fluke. He scored his first top five at Las Vegas and followed with a steady stream of strong runs: ninth at Homestead, seventh at Martinsville and a valiant yet DQ’d runner-up at Talladega. Keselowski has been vocal about Ryan’s potential, calling his addition to the team “ a lot like the Chris Buescher story,” and Preece says those conversations have fueled his confidence.
Chicago, however, felt different. Though Keselowski got caught up in a massive eight-car crash on lap three, Preece, who is piloting The No. 60 Ford, parked his car in seventh place. That run didn’t just add to his tally; it cemented the belief that he and RFK are here to compete.
Ryan Preece set his best Chicago lap time of 90.53 seconds as he qualified seventh. During Stage 1, Ryan fought through the back and gained two positions, placing his car in fifth place, earning him six stage points. However, by Stage 2, Preece found himself at 21st, way off contention points. However, Ryan sliced through the field and was cautions to navigate through the chaos to claim 36 points in the entire race and finish exactly where he started. He was the only RFK driver to finish in the top 10 at Grant Park 165.
Off the track, Ryan’s grounded Connecticut roots and burgeoning family life, and growth under Brad and Chris Buescher read like a redemption arc. The 34 year old driver received some important advice from veteran Brad Keselowski earlier in the season at Nashville. And that gave him a major confidence boost.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 16: Ryan Preece 60 RFK Racing Buildsubmarines.com Ford shakes hands prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 16, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 16 NASCAR Cup Series DAYTONA 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25021616009500
The No. 60 recalls, “ I sat down with Brad a couple of weeks ago, and just, he’s been somebody that’s been really good to talk to about maybe some challenges that I have, or maybe some of the prep work, or how he goes about things. So, that’s been, that’s been really good to be part of and have that. I feel like we’re one thing away from clicking where we can start winning races, start leading laps, start showing what we’re capable of.” And this Chicago run proves it.
Ryan has also gained a lot of help from his teammate Chris Buescher. He credits him saying, ” Chris and I have always had a good relationship when we were at JTG. He’s somebody you know; as far as within this garage, he’s somebody that I’ve always been able to go to and talk to. Or even, my wife and I joked about, even before coming to RFK, I needed to be more like Chris. And I have no problem adjusting who I am or what I need to do to be better.
Ryan Preece outdid his teammate as the No. 17 driver finished 18th after starting right behind Ryan during the qualifying at eighth place. And the fans have not let that slip by.
Fans turn the corner on Preece
All season long, Ryan has quietly flipped the script. And after Chicago, it finally feels like the garage isn’t the only one noticing; the fans are too. Across forums and social platforms, fans who once wrote him off are now doing a double take. One fan admitted with a full-hearted honesty, “I’ll gladly admit that I was wrong about Preece. He’s been the best RFK car this year IMO.” A certain satisfaction in watching a driver many deemed forgettable evolve into one of RFK’s most consistent weapons. It’s not just about stats; it’s also about the way he carries himself now. More focused, more measured and undeniably faster.
There is also a growing appreciation for what he had overcome. Many point to his time at Stewart-Haas as a mismatch. One fan wrote, “He’s been very impressive. He was a major disappointment at SHR, but it seems like RFK really suits his style better and he’s had plenty of speed this year. If he can get a little more consistent and have some luck, I could see him being in that car for a long time and being a contender.”
But now that he has got a team owner like Brad and a teammate like Chris, it’s clear that Ryan has finally found the right environment. As another one chimed in saying, ” Makes a difference when you don’t drive a tractor for a race car and the team owner actually cares about the performance.”
More importantly, the No. 60 fans never lost hope. “I’ve felt so smug this entire damn season. Everyone said he was gonna be trash,” one fan wrote, maybe a diehard Preece fan. As another one agreed, ” Same, it has been so enjoyable watching everyone have to eat their words.” And perhaps that’s what makes this so rewarding for Preece and supporters. This isn’t a flashy redemption story; it’s a slow burn. A grind. And while he hasn’t won a race yet, there is a growing feeling that he’s not far off. For now, the cup series paddock and the fan base are watching with a different lens.
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