RFK RACING
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: September 19, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (1/2 mile high-banked concrete oval) – Bristol, TN
Format: 266.5 miles / 500 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 125, Stage 2: Ends at lap 250, Stage 3: Ends at lap 500
RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: As the NASCAR Cup Series raced in Thunder Valley Saturday night, it was ‘Preece Lightning’ that led the way for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. Ryan Preece continues proving he is more than a Cinderella Chase driver, putting together another strong top ten finish. Following Preece’s 10th place finish, Chris Buescher fought hard, charging from the 23rd starting position, to finish 13th, collecting stage points (Stage Two) along the way. Brad Keselowski scored stage points in Stage One, as he clawed his way to a 15th place finish.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan Preece – No. 60 Body Guard by Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 10th
Start: 16th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-16th, S2-13th
Headline takeaway: Preece capitalized on perseverance and opportunity. Despite catcthing a bad break that put him a lap down, Preece continued to fight. Once back on the lead lap, via the ‘Lucky Dog’ free pass, he pounced and gained enough spots to secure a tenth place finish.
Preece Quote: “We didn’t have quite he speed to win but I thought we had a solid race car. The untimely caution kind of caught us off guard and we fought all the way to the very end and we finally got back on the lead lap. So thanks to Derrick (Finley). Thanks to everybody at RFK, Ford, Fastenal, Kroger and all of our partners.”
Chris Buescher – No. 17 Kroger / Kool-Aid / Little Bites Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish:13th
Start: 23rd
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-12th, S2-10th
Headline takeaway: Highlighted by a 10th place finish in Stage Two, Chris Buescher recorded a solid night in Bristol. He overcame an untimely caution that set him back a lap, to finish 13th.
Buescher Quote: “The day was a little up and down but I would say better than we’ve been here last race. I thought we had a better racecar. That pit cycle trapped us and we just fought that the last 200 laps I felt like so we never quite got it back. If we could have, I think we had a top ten car but we just never got there.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish:15th
Start: 11th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-9th, S2-17th
Headline takeaway: The BuildSubmarines.com Ford was on the move early, claiming stage points in the opening segment. As the race wore on a torrid pace was set by the leaders and Keselowski battled to finish 15th.
Keselowski Quote: “We just weren’t fast enough tonight. We need to be better.”
Point Standings:
Preece: 14th
Buescher:15th
Keselowski:18th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is September 27 at Kansas Speedway (1.5 Mile D-shaped oval – Kansas City, KS). The race begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA Sports and the Motor Racing 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.
