RFK RACING
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: May 10, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile 10-turn road course) – Watkins Glen, NY
Format: 245 miles, broken into three stages (completed at lap 20 / lap 50 / lap 100)
RFK RACING RACE SUMMARY: Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing’s Day was one of perseverance throughout the race. Chris Buescher consistently posted top five lap times and earn inside the top 10 for much of the day, ultimately finishing 12th. Brad Keselwoski fought persistent rear brake issues from the first stage, with the No.6 team making multiple adjustments to keep from going behind the wall and despite the challenges Keselowski brought it home on the lead lap. Ryan Preece worked through the field after starting 30th, relying on strong and fast pit stops and determination to secure a 14th place finish for the No. 60 team.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Chris Buescher – No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 12th
Start: 14th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1: 19th S2: 6th
Headline takeaway: Chris Buescher showed impressive speed throughout the race, consistently running some of the fastest lap times of the field and spending much of the field and spending most of his day in the top 10. Despite strong pace, track position proved difficult to maintain after pit cycles. The No. 17 team managed a solid 12th place finish with the performance showing much more speed than the result reflected.
Buescher Quote: “Watkins Glen is a track I really look forward to coming to, I’ve been good here, I’ve won here, and I thought we had a good car today thought we executed solid. Was trying my best to charge to the front but just didn’t get the chance to make it there.”
Ryan Preece – No. 60 Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 14th
Start: 30th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1: 33rd S2: 13th
Headline takeaway: Ryan Preece battled through the field all day after starting deep in traffic, showing solid pace with top five lap times early while fighting for track position. Handling issues in the carousel slowed progress as the race went on, but the No. 60 team stayed resilient thanks to consistently fast pit stops and strong execution on pit road. To close out the race Preece needed brake cooling and more balance but still wheeled the No. 60 Ford Mustang to a top 15 finish!
Preece Quote: “I felt like we had a good car and just ultimately never had a cycle go our way but ultimately we had a really fast Mohawk Northeast Ford Mustang Dark Horse, one of these days we’ll break out of this 10th to 14th range.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Modelo Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 31st
Start: 26th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1: 35th S2: 32nd
Headline takeaway: Brad Keselowski battled persist4nt brake issues from the opening stage on, especially struggling with rear brake performance and overall balance in the carousel. The No 6 crew made multiple adjustments throughout the race, including bleeding the brakes during stage brakes and additional work on pit road to keep the car strong and on the lead lap. Even with the ongoing problems, Brad and the team avoided major setbacks and finished on the lead lap,
Keselowski Quote: “Bad finish, we had a lot of speed, had some brake problems, and well we just have some stuff to figure out, onto the All-Star and Charlotte next!”
Point Standings:
Buescher: 5th
Keselowski: 9th
Preece: 13th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the 2026 All-Star Race, Sunday, May 17 at Dover Motor Speedway (Dover, DE). The race begins at 1:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and the Motor Racing Network.
