Preece Leads RFK Racing Effort in the Valley of the Sun
Buescher Powers to 14th, Keselowski Climbs Through the Field to Finish 15th
AVONDALE, AZ (March 8, 2026) – Desert determination, Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing brought perseverance to Phoenix this weekend. Ryan Preece led the way rallying to a 13th-place finish, Chris Buescher ran among the leaders before battling back from a late setback, and Brad Keselowski charged through the field in a backup car after Saturday’s practice crash. Each drive unfolded differently, but together they told the story of a team that kept fighting until the final lap.
Ryan Preece #60 Body Guard Ford Mustang
Climbing from the Body Guard Ford after Saturday’s practice, Ryan Preece was confident. He had speed and balance. The competitive combination every driver seeks at Phoenix Raceway. With that, the Berlin, CT driver delivered another solid performance Sunday. Starting 13th, he settled into a consistent rhythm during the opening stage. As the run progressed, he quietly moved forward, running 12th late in the stage before closing it out with an 11th-place finish, positioning the team well for the middle portion of the race.
“We’ve got a good car,” said Preece before stage two began. “We just need a little extra push.” Working toward giving Preece that little extra he was seeking, crew chief Derrick Finley went to work, adjusting between stages. Working the bottom groove and being aggressive on restarts Preece took advantage of the changes, continuously moving forward. A caution though brought about decision, and some strategy. Instead of pitting the team opted to stay out to ensure more sets of tires were available for the closing stage. The upside was that he inherited the lead, although he knew his older tires would make it difficult to hold the spot. Although Preece did drop positions, he preserved an extra set of tires for the final stage.
Eyeing an opportunity in the last segment Preece was on the move, when suddenly there was an unexpected challenge. As Connor Zilisch got loose, he collided with the Body Guard Ford, sending Preece spinning. Undeterred, he worked his way forward as a rash of cautions created opportunities to regain track position. Completing a resilient drive, Preece charged through the closing laps to score a respectable 13th place finish.
“I felt like we had a really solid race car today,” said Preece. “The Body Guard Ford Mustang Dark Horse had good balance, and we were able to move forward through the field. The strategy call helped us for the final stage, and even after the spin we kept digging and made the most of the restarts. I’m proud of the effort from this team.”
Chris Buescher #17 Fry’s/Artesano/Kraft Ford Mustang
Over time Phoenix raceway has become one of Chis Buescher’s most competitive tracks. He entered Sunday having scored four top-10 finishes there in his last five visits. For much of the day Sunday it appeared that trend would continue. Starting 17th in the Fry’s/Artesano/Kraft Ford, Buescher focused on pace, maintaining track position and holding his ground through the opening stage. Although he finished where he started, he gained a feel for his race car and communicated adjustments to crew chief Scott Graves.
Dialing in the 17-car Graves aimed to help Buescher, focusing on the cars turning ability through the corners. With the changes taking effect, Buescher said the car was turning much better and began moving forward through the field. Taking advantage of a series of cautions Buescher was picking up positions on the congested restarts, especially with his ability to dive into the corner through the dog leg. With the car showing its best speed of the afternoon, Buescher charged to a fourth-place Stage Two finish.
Running inside the top-5 entering the race’s final segment, optimism was building. Buescher’s Fry’s/Artesano/Kraft Ford was among the best cars on the track. However, a miscue late in the stage created a setback. NASCAR deemed that Buescher was too fast on pit road during a late race pit stop. Buescher was shuffled back to 30th but was determined to overcome the penalty. Charging hard, and keeping the big picture in mind, Buescher worked for every position he could gain. As the race wound down, and late race restarts delivered opportunity, Grave urged his driver to give it everything he had. Buescher did and came home with a 14th place finish.
“An up and down day, but I’d say over all the team did a really nice job. We had great pit stops from this team all day long. Great strategy,” said Buescher. “I made a mistake on pit road and it cost us all of that track position there at the end. Ultimately we shouldn’t have been in that position.”
Brad Keselowski #6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang
Brad Keselowski’s season has been defined by adversity, or more accurately, his ability to overcome it. This weekend was no different. After a practice crash relegated him to a backup car and a 37th starting position, he was once again determined to push through obstacles. From the drop of the green flag, the Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang was on the move. Validating the tireless work the 6 team had done to prepare the backup, Keselowski radioed that the car drove almost identical to the primary. He finished Stage Two with modest gains but with obvious potential.
With adjustments made between stages, the bright orange Ford showed noticeable improvement. Keselowski reported better entry and took advantage of several restarts, making aggressive moves to pick up positions. Strategy became a factor late in the stage when the team elected to stay out under caution. It was a calculated move, understanding Keselowski would lose ground on worn tires but with the upside of having an extra set of sticker tires for the final segment. The risk reward strategy would hinge on Keselowski’s ability to remain on the lead lap for the remainder of the segment. Mission accomplished.
As Stage Three began, the tire strategy put the 6 team in a good position. But there would be a wrinkle. Not long after the stage began, a caution period would create a chaotic restart that would alter the course of Keselowski’s day. Taking evasive action to avoid a multi car crash, the 2012 champ’s car sustained nose damage. Although it was minor it did impede the car’s ability to turn. Keselowski though fought through it, like he has so many other challenges this year, to surge forward. When the checkers waived, he was more than 20 positions higher than where he started, finishing 15th.
“It was a really hard-fought weekend,” said Keselowski. I don’t think we had the weekend we wanted to have but we fought through it and got the best we could get out of it. Just want to be a little faster. I thought the pit crew did the best they could. There were tough circumstances with the pit stall, and they did a really good job managing that. We did a good job of managing starting last and having to go to a back up car and getting something out of this weekend.”
Up Next:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)
The NASCAR Cup Series – Sunday, March 15 at 4:00pm EST on FS1
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.
