RFK RACING
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: July 19, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: North Wilkesboro Speedway (.625 mile ‘Oval ) – North Wilkesboro, NC
Format: 281 miles / 450 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 80, Stage 2: Ends at lap 265, Stage 3: Ends at lap 450
***NOTES: Qualifying was cancelled due to weather and the starting order was established by the rule book.
RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: The NASCAR Cup Series’ first points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 30 years delivered a memorable night for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. Two of the organization’s teams finished among the top ten and all showed competitive speed. Brad Keselowski turned a 23rd-place starting spot into a strong seventh place finish. Ryan Preece continued to prove he is a force on short tracks, finishing tenth. Chris Buescher ran inside the top ten during much of the race’s first half but an untimely caution during a pit cycle altered the trajectory of his race and he finished 20th.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish:7th
Start: 23rd
Laps Led: 7
Stage Results: S1- 16th, S2 -7th
Headline takeaway: Perfectly timed and executed pitstops along with a fast car proved to be the combination Brad Keselowski needed to charge from 23rd to seventh place finish. Keselowski captured stage points and led laps in what was one of his best races of 2026.
Keselowski Quote: “It was a good day for us with the Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang. We got a top 10, seventh here, some stage points. We just executed really well. The car was not the fastest, but we didn’t beat ourselves. We had good strategy by Jeremy Bullins and solid stops. We’re missing our jack man, Dustin Lineback. We’re thinking about him, but the guys stepped up and did a good job.” DO PERFORMANCES LIKE TONIGHT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE YOU CAN MAKE THE CHASE? “We’re gonna have to earn it. We had a really difficult two month stretch, where we dropped from in the top 10 in points to 19th, and we need to rebound from that. Days like today give us hope that we can do that.”
Ryan Preece – No. 60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 10th
Start: 21st
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1- 22nd, S2-13th
Headline takeaway: Another short track, another solid run for Ryan Preece, who put the SimpleTire Ford in the top 10. From the drop of the green he consistently pick off positions, gaining 11 spots from where he started the night.
Preece Quote: “It was a long night. We had a caution go our way, so that was nice. I’m just proud of Derrick’s (Finley) calls and we had a good day.
Chris Buescher – No. 17 Kroger / Coca-Cola Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 20th
Start: 9th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1- 19th, S2-27th
Headline takeaway: Chris Buescher looked poised for a top 10 finish until an untimely caution during a green flag pit cycle in Stage Two trapped him a lap down. While Buescher pitted under green, much of the field benefited from the caution, allowing them to pit under yellow. Despite the bad break, he battled back to finish 20th.
Buescher Quote: “We started strong but we struggle a bit on the long runs and it was challenging trying to get around this place toward the end there. Kind of just the battle of this place.”
Point Standings:
Buescher: 9th
Preece: 18th
Keselowski: 19th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5 Mile Speedway – Speedway, IN). The race begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.
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.
