RFK RACING
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: May 3, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) – Fort Worth, TX
Format: 400 miles, broken into three stages (completed at lap 80 / lap 165 / lap 267)
RFK RACING RACE SUMMARY:
Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing showcased a combination of speed and race strategy Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway. Led by native Texan Chris Buescher, who qualified third and backed it up with a determined run that placed him among the top 5 finishers, the RFK Racing trio netted solid finishes across the board. Behind Buescher’s fifth place finish, were Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece, who both rallied late to score finishes inside the top 15. Keselowski rebounded from a challenging opening stage to become a factor up front, using bold strategy calls to lead late in Stage Two before charging to a strong 13th-place finish. Preece showcased steady pace and smart fuel strategy, climbing through the field across each stage and positioning himself for a solid 14th-place finish. With solid finishes, all three teams remain very much in contention for NASCAR’s Chase.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Chris Buescher – No. 17 Fifth Third Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 5th
Start: 3rd
Laps Led: 0
Stage Results: S1 – 11th, S2 – 7th
Headline takeaway: Chris Buescher was a consistent contender throughout the afternoon, overcoming a pit road setback early to run inside the top five late. With a bold strategic call, crew chief, Scott Graves elected to stay out and not pit during a late caution break, taking a shot at contending for the win. While Buescher threatened to win he ultimately came home with a very respectable 5th place finish.
Buescher Quote: “That was another really strong day. Another great mile and a half. We were just outside of being able to compete for the win. We were in a good spot just before the last caution, that caution did give us an outside chance at it. Had a good start and pushed the 11 (Denny Hamlin) out but with old tires and dirty air we washed up in turn one. But it was a good fight. Everybody on this Fifth Third Ford Mustang Dark Horse to come out here and put in that work. Man, it’s killing me to get a win here in Texas but that’s the result of the days that we’ve had here quite a bit over the years so I’m proud of everybody for that.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Body Guard by Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 13th
Start: 25th
Laps Led: 4
Stage Results: S1 – 26th, S2 – 3rd
Headline takeaway: Brad Keselowski and crew chief Jeremy Bullins strategically found ways throughout the day to gain track position, capture stage points and lead laps Sunday. A bold two tire change under caution during the closing laps, allowed Keselowski to rally and pick up several spots in the last 4 laps to finish 13th.
Keselowski Quote: “A good solid day of execution. We made the most of what we had. I would’ve like to have been a little bit faster but I thought our team did a good job of executing with all three cars.”
Ryan Preece – No. 60 Kroger / Ball Park Buns Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 14th
Start: 20th
Laps Led: 0
Stage Results: S1 – 14th, S2 – 5th
Headline takeaway: It was a day filled with strategy for Ryan Preece and crew chief Derrick Finley. On several occasions the team elected for 2-tire pitstops that helped gain track position. That combined with an aggressive charge following a restart with only a handful of laps remaining, earned Preece a hard-fought 14th place finish.
Preece Quote: “I felt like we had a really fast Ford Mustang Dark Horse, but we ultimately never had the track position to show it. It was a good car and a good day.”
Point Standings:
Buescher: 5th
Keselowski: 9th
Preece: 12th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is Sunday, May 10 at Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, NY). The race begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and the Motor Racing Network.
