RFK Racing – Talladega II Executive Summary

RFK RACING
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY  – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Date:               October 25, 2026
Series:            NASCAR Cup Series
Location:        Talladega Superspeedway (2.66 mile tri-oval) – Lincoln, AL
Format:          500 miles / 188 laps with three stages. Stage 1: Ends at lap 98, Stage 2: Ends at lap 143, Stage 3: Ends at lap 188

RFK RACING RACE SUMMARY: Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing wasn’t fueling around in Talladega Sunday. Brad Keselowski was the mastermind of a Stage One strategy that became the talk of the race. Taking advantage of many drivers who were saving fuel and not at full throttle, he blasted to the front at full speed. His RFK teammates Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece followed and together they drafted well ahead of the field, putting several drivers a lap down. The three swapped positions at the front and were able to finish 1-2-3 in the opening segment. Combined the RFK trio lead 88 of the race’s 189 circuits. As the laps wound down Keselowski was in the mix for the race win when, with five laps to go, he and Buescher were both swept up in a multi car crash. Keselowski finished 24^th and Buescher 32^nd.  Preece, was able to avoid that incident and was able to overcome damage in a Stage Two crash to finish 13^th.

DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS

Ryan Preece – No. 60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

• Finish: 13th
• Start: 19th
• Laps Led: — 23
• Stage Results: S1-2nd, S2-18th
• Headline takeaway: Picking right up from where he left of at the last superspeedway drafting track, when he won at Daytona in August, Preece led 23 laps on Sunday. Although he sustained damage in a stage two incident, he rallied back, was able to avoid a major multi-car crash in the closing laps, to finish 13^th.

• Preece Quote: (On the Stage One Strategy) “The key to racing is always being the first one. Whether that be in the shop, on the track, strategy, what ever it may be. You find the advantage before everybody else. I’m pumped that we did that because I’m a racer and I want people to push the shit out of things to be the first one because we all benefit from it. Hopefully that sets the tone for the off season and everything we’re going to work on for next year.

Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang Dark Horse

• Finish: 24th
• Start: 22nd
• Laps Led: — 12
• Stage Results: S1-3rd, S2-22nd
• Headline takeaway: Looking for his seventh career Talladega win Brad Keselowski began the charge that led to a RFK breakaway in Stage One. He went on to lead 12 laps and threatened to win when he was collected a late race crash.

• Keselowski Quote: “We nailed the Stage One strategy. I was really proud of the team. The car didn’t drive the best but we kind of fought through it and got caught up in the big one.”

Chris Buescher – No. 17 Kroger/Thomas’ Protein English Muffins/Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang Dark Horse

• Finish: 32nd
• Start: 5th
• Laps Led: — 53
• Stage Results: S1-1st, S2-6th
• Headline takeaway: Chris Buescher collected stage points in each of the race’s first two segments, including winning Stage One. He led a race high 53 laps, and was a race winning contender when, with just five laps to go, he was collected in a multi car crash that robbed him of what would’ve been a much better finish.

• Buescher Quote: “Good day. Good car. Lots of points up on the board. We led a lot of laps and that’s just how these things go. We did out best to check up and got through some of it but just had a car come across the nose and ended our day.” (On the Stage One Strategy) “I’m proud of everybody for doing something. Doing something different and shaking it up because it was not fun at first. Hats off to everybody at RFK that was a good time.

Point Standings:

• Buescher: 16th
• Preece: 15th
• Keselowski: 19th

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is November 1 at Martinsville Speedway (Half-Mile oval – Martinsville, VA). The race begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC 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 and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., 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.