RFK Racing Puts Two Cars in Top 10 During Rain-Filled Dover Weekend
RFK Racing Puts Two Cars in Top 10 During Rain-Filled Dover Weekend
Buescher 9th; Keselowski 10th; Preece 19th
Dover, DE (July 20, 2025) – After a rain-soaked weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing made a strong late-race push following a 90-minute rain delay with just 14 laps to go. Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski drove their way into the top 10, capitalizing on restarts and strategy in the closing laps. Despite being involved in a late incident, Ryan Preece rebounded to finish 19th, capping off a gritty effort by the RFK Racing team.
17 Chris Buescher
Buescher entered Sunday’s race looking to build on past success at the track where he earned his only career Cup Series pole in 2022. Starting in 12th, he slipped to 16th early after reporting cool-suit issues in the pace laps of the 400-mile race. Despite the setback, Buescher stayed focused. After a pit stop during the lap 35 competition caution to address tight handling, he held steady and finished Stage One in 18th.
He gained two spots on pit road but lost four shortly after, stuck on the bottom groove early in Stage Two. Dirty air continued to be a factor, and the cool-suit issue persisted, but still Buescher pressed on. A routine stop and chassis adjustment on lap 184 benefited the No. 17 team some, and he ended the stage in 17th with the hopes of a strong final stage.
In the final segment, Buescher adjusted his line in his Trimble Ford, running a groove higher in the corners to find cleaner air. A caution for rain followed his lap 329 stop while he ran 20th, but he fired off strong on the restart, climbing to 18th. After a red flag due to rain with 14 laps to go Buescher charged forward, taking advantage of multiple race restarts to earn a ninth-place finish, his 11th top-10 this season.
“We got a decent finish out here today with this No. 17 Trimble Ford Mustang and I’m proud of everyone for that,” Buescher said. “We stayed with it all the way until the end. We were really great at the end of the day, and we definitely have a lot to look at and try to get better for next time here.”
6 Brad Keselowski
Keselowski rolled off 15th on Sunday after rain canceled both practice and qualifying, setting the starting lineup by the adjusted metric. He quickly showed speed early in the race, gaining a couple of spots and running inside the top 15 by the competition caution on lap 35. The No. 6 team made adjustments for better front turn on exit, but a pit road shuffle cost him track position, and he restarted 17th, where he finished Stage One.
Stage Two went caution-free, putting an emphasis on long-run speed and pit strategy. Keselowski restarted 21st and fought a loose-handling car throughout the run. However, the team made a wedge adjustment during green-flag stops to help stabilize the balance. Though still battling grip issues, Keselowski stayed consistent and finished the stage in 20th.
In the final stage, he restarted 18th with just over 100 laps to go. As the run progressed, the No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford came to life. Keselowski committed to the bottom lane and steadily worked forward, climbing up to 16th while posting some of the best lap times on track. With 14 laps remaining the race, Keselowski picked up six positions following the red flag and earned his fifth top-10 result of the season.
60 Ryan Preece
Preece started strongest among the RFK trio, rolling off 11th in his No. 60 Castrol Ford. He held steady throughout the opening run but reported to crew chief Derrick Finley that the car needed better front turn through the center of the corners. As dirty air became a factor during the long green-flag stretch, Preece gradually slipped back, losing two positions over the final 70 laps of the stage to finish 14th.
Struggling with grip, the team added four tires and fuel during the stage break, restarting 15th. Preece dropped to 19th on the restart and maintained that position through a pit cycle on lap 184, eventually ending the segment in 18th. However, a longer stop at the stage break allowed the team to make additional adjustments to improve the car’s handling up front.
Restarting as the last car on the lead lap after a longer stop, Preece quickly worked his way forward, climbing to 17th by lap 305 and briefly passing his teammate Buescher. A scheduled stop on lap 326 brought four tires and fuel, but a brief caution for rain just 10 laps later trapped the No. 60 team a lap down. After taking the wave around, Preece fought through a late-race incident and salvaged a hard-earned 19th-place finish.
“We had a solid No. 60 Castrol Ford today, but unfortunately the end didn’t really reflect the speed we had in the car all day,” Preece said. “I’m proud of my guys for continuing to put in the work to make us better, and next weekend should be fun in Indianapolis.”