RFK RACING
DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY “ALL STAR RACE” – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Date: May 17, 2026
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Dover Motor Speedway (1-mile high banked oval) – Dover, DE
Format: Segment 1: full field for 75 Laps, Segment 2: Top 26 finishers from Segment 1 inverted for 75 Laps, Final Segment: consist of only 26 drivers that includes 2025 & 2026 race winners, the fan vote winner, past series champions, past All Star winners, and any remaining drivers based on their combined finishing order in Segments 1 & 2 – 200 Laps.
NOTES: (1) This was a non-points race exhibition event with a million dollar prize. (2) qualifying consisted of two laps including a pit-stop.
RFK Racing RACE SUMMARY: Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing had speed but faced adversity Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski led early and established himself as a contender, while Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece endured tough luck in the grueling first segment of the All Star event. Keselowski immediately showcased the strength of the No. 6 Ford Mustang by charging from the outside front row to the lead at the drop of the green flag. The first segment, however, was unkind to Buescher and Preece who were both involved in crashes and unable to advance further in the race. Keselowski sustained damage in Segment 2 but rebounded. After making repairs before the final segment, and with a fresh start due to the All Star format which forgave all lost laps in previous segments, he was able to race to a top10 finish.
DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS
Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: 10th
Start: 2nd
Laps Led: — 16 (Segment 1)
Stage Results: S1-5th, S2-25th
Headline takeaway: From the drop of the green flag, Keselowski was fast. He swiped the lead immediately and led several laps in Segment 1. Segment two brought challenges with a spin and subsequent damage. The damage was repaired, and because he had a guaranteed starting spot in the final segment, by virtue of his 2012 Championship, he was able to start fresh. From the 15th starting position in the final segment he raced to a 10th place All Star finish.
Keselowski Quote: “I made a mistake there in the second segment, had some contact with the 1 car. Crashed myself. Crashed him. Had to dig out of a hole. The car was a little torn up and just fought to a tenth place finish from there.”
Chris Buescher – No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: Did not advance to the Final Segment
Start: 32nd
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-23rd, S2-N/A
Headline takeaway: Buescher showed early progress, charging from the 32nd starting position into the top 25 during the first segment. However, as the laps wound down in the opening stage, a multi-car crash in front of Buescher was unavoidable, The damage sustained was too sever to repair.
Buescher Quote: “Obviously not the day we wanted for this No. 17 team. We fought hard early and were able to make up a lot of track position, but once we got caught up in the crash, it just changed the whole rest of our race. It’s frustrating because I felt like we still had more in it, but that’s part of racing in an event like the All-Star Race where everybody is pushing hard. Proud of the effort from this RFK Racing group, and we’ll move on to the next one.”
Ryan Preece – No. 60 Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Finish: Did not advance to the Final Segment
Start: 26th
Laps Led: —
Stage Results: S1-35th, S2-N/A
Headline takeaway: Ryan Preece’s race was cut short as he was involved a dramatic first lap, crash that abruptly ended his day.
Preece Quote: “I don’t know what happened there. I thought I was going to be able to clear open by the time we got to turn 1, and obviously I didn’t. That’s my fault and I’m sorry for whoever got caught up in that.”
Point Standings:
Buescher: 5th
Keselowski: 9th
Preece: 13th
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coca-Cola 600, Sunday, May 24th at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC). The race begins at 6:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by Amazon Prime and the Motor Racing Network.
