RFK Racing Ends Season Strong with Runner-Up Finish at Phoenix
RFK Racing Ends Season Strong with Runner-Up Finish at Phoenix
Keselowski 2nd; Preece 9th; Buescher 12th
PHOENIX, AZ (November 2, 2025) – RFK Racing closed out the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a strong showing at Phoenix Raceway, highlighted by a runner-up finish from Brad Keselowski, a top-10 effort from Ryan Preece, and a solid performance from Chris Buescher. Across the 312-lap season finale, the three Ford Mustangs battled through handling challenges, strategic pit stops, and late-race restarts to showcase the team’s speed, resilience, and execution as the season came to a close.
6 Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski capped the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a thrilling runner-up finish Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, leading the field on the final lap of overtime before being passed in the closing corner. Starting 19th, Keselowski and the No. 6 Castrol Ford team methodically worked forward throughout the 312-lap event, showing steady pace and strong execution all day.
Keselowski settled into the top 20 early, reporting a good ride overall but some difficulty on corner exit. The opening 60 laps ran caution-free, and he finished Stage One in 19th. After a solid pit stop, he restarted 17th to begin Stage Two and quickly climbed to 14th before handling changes and strategy shuffles dropped him back outside the top 20. A mid-stage caution allowed the No. 6 team to reset, and Keselowski regained ground to finish 18th in Stage Two.
The No. 6 came alive in the final stage. Keselowski advanced into the top 15 shortly after the restart, cracking the top 10 by lap 258. A quick pit stop under caution gained two more spots, putting him seventh for the restart. From there, he held steady inside the top 10 before a late caution brought the field to overtime.
Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins made the bold call to stay out, placing Keselowski on the front row for the final restart. He surged to the lead on the white-flag lap and appeared headed for victory before Ryan Blaney slipped by in the final turn, leaving Keselowski to finish second.
60 Ryan Preece
Ryan Preece closed out the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a strong ninth-place finish Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, capping a steady day of progress for the No. 60 Fry’s / CELSIUS Ford team. After starting 21st, Preece and crew battled handling challenges through the first half of the race before coming alive late to earn a hard-fought top-10 finish.
Preece opened the race just outside the top 20, settling into 24th by lap 20 before moving past Austin Dillon to take 23rd near the midway point of Stage One. As multiple lanes began to develop, Preece reported the high line worked better through Turns 1 and 2 but continued to fight tightness through the center of the corners. He finished Stage One in 23rd and pitted for tires and fuel under the stage caution.
Stage Two brought a mix of adjustments and challenges as the team worked to improve the No. 60 Ford’s balance. Preece pitted early in the stage for four fresh tires but said the changes “weren’t good enough” to help the tight-handling condition. A caution at lap 107 allowed for another round of service and a front-end adjustment, though track position was difficult to regain. He finished the stage 28th under caution as the team prepared to regroup for the final segment.
Restarting 26th, Preece initially slipped back before the car began to respond on the long run. He climbed into the top 25 by lap 220 and continued advancing, cracking the top 20 with under 40 laps remaining. A series of late cautions played to the team’s advantage, and sharp execution on restarts helped Preece surge from 17th to 11th with under 30 laps to go. When a final caution set up overtime, Crew Chief Derrick Finley made the call to stay out, placing Preece on the front row for the restart. He held strong through the final dash to the checkered flag, crossing the line ninth for his first career top-10 finish at Phoenix.
17 Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher closed out the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a 12th-place finish Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, rounding out a solid year for the No. 17 Body Guard Ford team. Starting ninth, Buescher battled through a combination of tight-handling conditions and challenging restarts but remained competitive throughout the 312-lap event.
Buescher slipped to 12th early in Stage One before battling back into the top 10, passing Daniel Suarez, Josh Berry, and Chase Briscoe to finish the stage ninth. He noted that the car improved on longer runs, but reported a lack of rear grip midway through the stage. Following a pit stop for tires and fuel under caution, Buescher restarted eighth for Stage Two but quickly slipped outside the top 10 during hectic restarts. Despite multiple adjustments, he struggled to maintain track position and finished Stage Two in 14th.
The No. 17 Ford continued to face long-run challenges in Stage Three, though Buescher steadily worked his way forward. He ran as high as 10th during a caution-filled segment and battled for position inside the top 15, exchanging spots with drivers including Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Strategic pit stops late in the stage helped him maintain position, and he ultimately finished 12th at the checkered flag.
Buescher’s 12th-place finish at Phoenix capped a consistent 2025 campaign for the No. 17 team, marking another step in RFK Racing’s continued growth and competitiveness.