RFK RACING
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: May 31, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Nashville Superspeedway (1.33 mile concrete oval) – Lebanon, TN
Format: 399 miles / 300 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 90, Stage 2: Ends at lap 185, Stage 3: Ends at lap 300
NOTES Qualifying was canceled because of rain and the starting order was established by the rule book.
RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: RFK Racing faced a challenging night at Nashville Superspeedway, with each team battling through setbacks along the way. Brad Keselowski overcame handling issues and used strategy to earn a Stage Two top-10 finish before contact from behind ended his race in the final stage. Chris Buescher steadily improved throughout the event, climbing into the top 15 and putting himself in position for a stronger finish before a brake issue led to a crash, cutting his night short. Ryan Preece’s race was hampered by radiator damage that required lengthy garage repairs and ultimately ended his evening early.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Trimble Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 34th
Start: 12th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-15TH, S2-10TH
Headline takeaway: Keselowski recovered from early handling challenges and scored stage points in Stage Two points before being collected in a late-race incident.
Keselowski Quote: “We had a car that was capable of running up front at times tonight and the team did a good job making adjustments throughout the race. We were able to gain some track position with strategy and put ourselves in position to fight for stage points in the second stage, which was encouraging. Unfortunately, our night ended before we had a chance to see what we really had in the final stage. It’s frustrating anytime you’re taken out of contention, especially when you’ve worked hard to overcome track position and build momentum.”
Chris Buescher – No. 17 Castrol Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 29th
Start: 22nd
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-25th, S2-16th
Headline takeaway: Buescher steadily worked forward throughout the race before a brake rotor broke resulting in a hard crash in the closing laps of the race, spoiling a potential top-15 finish.
Buescher Quote: “Frustrating end to the day. We finally were starting to figure it out, and were about to make a charge toward the front. Until the brake rotor blew up and ruined the day.”
Ryan Preece – No. 60 Kroger / Celsius Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 36th
Start: 28th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-35th, S2-DNF
Headline takeaway: Radiator damage, caused by a piece of broken brake rotor from another car going through it, forced Preece to the garage and ultimately ended his night before he could return to competition.
Preece Quote: “It was just one of those frustrating nights. We never really got the balance where we needed it, and we were fighting a tight condition from the start. The guys kept making adjustments and working hard to improve it, but unfortunately we had a piece of brake rotor go through the radiator and that ended our night. It’s disappointing because you always want the opportunity to keep working on it and see what you can salvage, but sometimes things happen that are out of your control. We’ll put this one behind us and focus on getting ready for next week.”
Point Standings:
Buescher: 8th
Keselowski: 13th
Preece: 17th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is June 7 at Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, MI). The race begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by Amazon Prime and the Motor Racing Network.
