RFK Racing announced on Saturday that Brad Keselowski will remain a passive investor in the team, while stepping away to drive elsewhere. This will leave Keselowski’s team ownership stake intact for the time being, while removing him from “governance, competition oversight, and board participation” roles.
Keselowski himself also gave a press conference from Martinsville Speedway providing details on his future in NASCAR. Though no team 2027 destination was provided, a clearer picture was painted of the nature of Keselowski’s split from his home since 2022.
“We thank Brad for his many contributions to RFK Racing and wish him the best of luck with the remainder of his racing career,” the team said in a statement. They described the arrangement as a mutual agreement.
Moving On From RFK Racing
Keselowski confirmed Saturday that he intends to begin working to sell his 20% ownership stake in RFK Racing. As of now, he’s moving forward as a part-owner without oversight roles and as a free agent driver. Keselowski did confirm he’ll be unable to take sponsors with him as he departs from RFK.
During his press conference, Keselowski said he secured his release from RFK Racing to pursue other opportunities only about an hour prior on Saturday morning. The agreement is presently verbal and not yet formalized in writing. Keselowski now has the ability to drive for any team with any manufacturer, he said. More importantly he can now engage meaningfully with potential offers from other teams, which he said he’s previously been unable to do.
Also of note, Keselowski confirmed he does have the ability to restart a Craftsman Truck Series team if circumstances allow. From 2008 to 2017, he owned and operated Brad Keselowski Racing as a full-time Truck Series team. The organization was a stepping stone for drivers such as Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, and Austin Cindric among others.
Background
Brad Keselowski joined what was then Roush Fenway Racing in 2022, purchasing a minority stake and rebranding it to RFK Racing. He became the full-time driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series. Keselowski won one time in the next five seasons.
On September 29, RFK Racing shocked the NASCAR world by announcing Keselowski would no longer drive for their organization after the 2026 season. Both parties consistently framed the ownership arrangement as a separate negotiation.
It was reported by Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern last week that Brad Keselowski made an unsuccessful bid to purchase RFK Racing in its entirety. Keselowski himself confirmed that the bid occurred, calling it “unsolicited”. The size of the offer and the extent of involvement from co-investors remains unknown.
Keselowski has repeatedly said he feels he has several years left of being a competitive NASCAR driver. Team leadership, including RFK Racing President Chip Bowers, have said they wanted him to take up an administrative role sooner rather than later. Keselowski mentioned last weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway as evidence his days of contending for wins are far from over.
