Buescher 6th; Preece 14th; Keselowski 18th
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (August 23, 2025) – All three Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing cars entered Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in a must-win scenario, with the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on the line. In a high-stakes, high-intensity race, the RFK Racing team showed speed, smart strategy, and resilience, though ultimately came up just short of securing a postseason berth.
17 Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher led the charge for RFK Racing, battling his way to a hard-earned sixth-place finish in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. While the result ultimately fell short of a playoff-clinching victory, Buescher and the No. 17 team delivered a resilient and strategic performance in one of the most intense races of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The night got off to a challenging start as Buescher encountered a brake issue during the pace laps. A timely caution on lap 11 gave the team an opportunity to address the problem, allowing Buescher to settle in and navigate a chaotic opening stage. With multiple cautions and tight pack racing, he focused on fuel strategy and played it smart, coming home 24th at the conclusion of Stage One.
Thanks to a quick pit stop by the No. 17 team, Buescher restarted inside the top 10 to begin Stage Two. He wasted no time moving forward, drafting with a strong group of Fords and maintaining solid track position. After another well-timed caution, crew chief Scott Graves called for fuel-only service, positioning the team for a longer run. Buescher executed the plan to perfection, finishing 14th in the stage while continuing to save fuel.
The final stage saw Buescher restart from second and link up with Joey Logano, running in the lead pack for much of the closing laps. A late-race caution with 12 laps to go set the stage for a dramatic finish. On the restart, Buescher powered the inside line and challenged for the lead, controlling the draft with just a handful of laps remaining. A bold four-wide move disrupted his momentum in the final laps, but he held strong to bring home a sixth-place finish—RFK’s best result of the night.
“Our Fifth Third Mustang was so good. It handled great and pushed so well. We certainly had a shot and had the speed again, so want to be excited about that, and I am, but man, it’s just another one of those we had the ability to win this race, had the speed, had the handling, and no champagne to celebrate.”
60 Ryan Preece
Ryan Preece delivered a strong and disciplined performance in his No. 60 Kroger/Little Bites/Capri Sun Ford, steadily advancing from his 31st-place starting position to secure top-10 finishes in the first two stages. He made swift progress early in Stage One by utilizing the high line and drafting effectively, reaching the top 15 within five laps. Following a caution-filled segment — including a red flag incident he narrowly avoided — Preece maintained composure, pitted strategically, and restarted in a favorable position. He closed out the stage in eighth, reporting the car felt “a little loose” but overall was handling well.
Stage Two saw Preece continue to execute a smart race strategy. After topping off on fuel during the stage break, he initially fell back but quickly surged forward, aided by a strong push from teammate Chris Buescher. He climbed as high as second before a caution shuffled the field once again. Despite restarting outside the top 10, he worked his way forward and finished the stage in eighth for the second time, showing consistency and strong positioning throughout.
In the final stage, Preece remained a fixture in the lead pack, again working closely with Buescher and executing a fuel-saving strategy following a late caution. Running as high as fourth with 12 laps to go, he positioned himself to contend for the win, battling Justin Haley at the front. However, without drafting help in the closing laps, he was shuffled out of line and fell back, resulting in a 14th-place finish.
6 Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski started strong from 10th in his Consumer Cellular Ford, quickly moving up to fourth in the opening laps by drafting off Denny Hamlin. He switched drafting partners to run the bottom line with Daniel Suarez, consistently restarting near the front after several cautions. Although he avoided a multi-car accident and a red flag, a pit stop on lap 32 dropped him to 22nd late in the stage, and he finished Stage One in 11th.
In Stage Two, Keselowski’s team executed avoided a critical pit-road penalty thanks to the crew working together to prevent a fuel can from leaving the pit box. Restarting second, he ran the bottom line behind leader Cody Ware but was told to focus on fuel conservation for their strategy. After a caution and another pit stop, Keselowski restarted 18th but struggled to maintain the lead draft, falling back to finish 23rd in the stage.
In the final stage, Keselowski continued prioritizing fuel saving after topping off on lap 111, restarting 10th and running mid-pack. Although his team gave him the green light to push with 34 laps remaining, he was forced to the bottom lane with limited drafting partners, causing him to lose positions. A late caution brought him back to pit road for fresh tires and fuel, restarting 19th. He then worked the inside line and used a determined performance late to work his way up to an 18th-place finish.
Up Next:
Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC) – Sunday, August 31, 2025, on USA at 6 p.m. ET
About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 38th season in 2025, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988, and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass 300 wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content, and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
