Preece 18th, Keselowski 20th & Buescher 24th
AUSTIN, TX (March 1, 2026) – Everything is bigger in Texas, even modest days. Roush Fenway Keseleowski (RFK) Racing didn’t score the Circuit of the America’s (COTA) win, but there was victory in the way its three teams raced. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece overcame significant physical challenges, displaying toughness and determination. While Chris Buescher fought to the end, collecting every point he could in a late race comeback flurry.
Ryan Preece #60 Castrol Ford Mustang
On a sweltering day in Texas, Ryan Preece was cool behind the wheel of the Castrol Ford Mustang. Even though he had reason not to be. His cool suit, a vital component on a day like Sunday, was not working properly during the opening stage. But Preece showed toughness. A characteristic he has shown time and time again. Preece’s overcame that and persevered though the 20-lap segment, gaining 6 spots before the stage break.
Between stages crew chief Derrick Finley, brought Preece to pit road for a significant adjustment. Remedying the cool suit issue and other challenges, an electrical reboot was made. It corrected the situation but the lengthy stop forced Preece deep in the field for the beginning of stage two. Undaunted, Preece started making gains once again. As the stage wound down, Finley made a strategic pit call bringing the 60 in for service. The immediate track position sacrifice was made to set up a bigger gain to begin stage three.
Beginning the final stage Preece restarted 14th and quickly moved to 13th by Lap 56. This, the longest stage of the race (50 laps), was a challenge. Preece was working hard behind the wheel, slinging through the hard lefts and rights of COTA, while making up ground. He was 12th when a caution slowed the field on lap 74. Pit stops ensued and Preece was shuffled back another time. With the laps dwindling and restarting 21st, Preece charged, When the checkers flew he was 18th on the scoreboard.
“Just a tough up and down day,” said Preece. “We had some challenges but we fought through them as a team and recorded a respectable finish. We’re not satisfied by any means but we did beat more than half the field today so we’ll take that and head to Phoenix.”
Brad Keselowski #6 Graza Ford Mustang
Brad Keselowski emerged from his Graza Ford Mustang Sunday, drenched in sweat. Evidence of a determined effort on the 17-turn Circuit of the Americas road course. Only a week earlier, some questioned if being only a couple months removed from breaking his femur in a non-racing accident would prevent him from going the distance on the physically demanding track. Those questions we put to rest, after a clean 90 lap run in Austin.
Proving the doubters wrong though would not be easy. It was the hottest day of the season, and the car’s handling offered its own set of challenges. Throughout the first two stages the 2012 Cup Series champ found himself searching for grip and often bottoming out. Still, there was no quit. Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins went to work, making significant chassis adjustments. Those changes, combined with pit strategy helped gather track position entering the races’ final stretch.
Capitalizing on a pit-stop just before the completion of stage two, Keselowski was able to flip the stage and start the final segment 20th and back in the mix. Though he briefly lost ground and was initially shuffled back, the effort behind the wheel told the bigger story. During the race’s longest stage, he climbed as high as 17th before securing a hard-earned 20th-place finish.
“We weren’t as fast as we wanted to be so it turned into a don’t beat yourself day,” said Keselowski. “Glad it’s over. Glad we were able to get something decent out of it. Not the day we wanted to have with the Graza Ford Mustang, but we have something we can move forward with, and I’m trying to appreciate that.”
Chris Buescher #17 Trimble Ford Mustang
There were a lot of eyes on Chris Buescher Sunday. The Prosper, TX native was in his home state, looking to extend a streak that included three consecutive top ten finishes at the track. Starting 14th, he began putting on a show for the Lone Star faithful, climbing two spots on the first lap. Displaying the talent that earned him the moniker “Road Course Chris” he had the Trimble Ford on the move. As the first stage came to a close, he was 4th.
Stage Two brought adjustments and a fresh challenge. Looking for more lateral grip, Buescher pitted between stages and restarted 17th. Once again he began climbing through the field while managing more of a tight condition than earlier. There was also contact along the way that created a divot in the car’s nose. A cavity that affected straight away speed as it caught the air rather than slicing through it. In a strategic move to gain track position for the final stage, Buescher pitted just before the stage’s conclusion. He closed the stage where he started, 17th.
Flipping the stage paid dividends as Buescher restarted ninth, for the final stretch. When a caution slowed the field on Lap 74 Buescher was running 10th, before a pit stop shuffled him back to 20th. As he charged through the field, he became victim to a collision between Kyle Busch and Jesse Love. Their contact forced Buescher out of the groove and into a spin. Buescher then found himself 30th. Determined though, knowing every spot matters, Buescher kept digging, and fought back to finish 24th.
“We were ok early and then we got some front end damage that affected our straightway speed,” said Buescher. “Then late in the race we kind of got caught back in the scrum of it and just got dumped.”
Up Next:
Phoenix Raceway (Avondale, AZ)
The NASCAR Cup Series – Sunday, March 8 at 3:30pm EST on FOX Sports
About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 39th season in 2026, 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 three hundred 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 https://www.rfkracing.com/ and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
