Las Vegas, NV (March 16, 2025) – Some things may stay in Vegas, but the momentum Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing captured on Sunday is something they’ll hope to carry with them as the season progresses. Led by Ryan Preece, who matched a career-high 3rd place finish, all three RFK teams finished among the top 15. Brad Keselowski posted a strong 11th-place finish, while Chris Buescher came home 13th.
#6 Brad Keselowski – RECAP
Brad Keselowski came to Las Vegas looking to turn his luck around, and with a determined, focused effort, that’s exactly what he did. Keselowski and crew chief Jeremy Bullins worked throughout the day, adjusting the car and dialing it in for the final run that netted the Castrol Ford an 11th-place finish.
Although the car was difficult to turn early in the race, Keselowski, a three-time Las Vegas winner, overcame the handling issue using experience. Studying the lines of others, Keselowski adjusted, finding more efficient ways to roll the corners. This, combined with Bullins’ careful chassis adjustments, allowed the car to run inside the top 15 consistently during the 267-lap race.
A critical moment came late in the race when several cars in front of Keselowski crashed. It was this type of event that had impacted the #6 car on multiple occasions this year. This time, though, spotter TJ Majors navigated Keselowski through the crash, helping him escape damage. A final pit stop in the closing laps allowed Keselowski and Bullins to top off fuel, make some short-run adjustments, and make an aggressive push toward a very solid finish.
“All in all, not a bad day for us,” said Keselowski. “At times, we had great speed, especially at the end. This is the type of run we need to build off of.”
#17 Chris Buescher – RECAP
After a strong qualifying effort, Chris Buescher rolled off 11th on Sunday in the Smith’s / Dasani Ford. Quickly, though, as the cars fanned out through the sweeping corners of the mile-and-a-half Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Buescher faced a challenge. The swirling ‘dirty’ air churned up, making the car tight and difficult to turn. 
With plenty of racing still ahead, crew chief Scott Graves went to work, finding ways to help Buescher. After several chassis adjustments, the Smith’s / Dasani Ford was able to slice through the air better, helping Buescher navigate the corners. With the car more to his liking, Buescher charged into the top 10. Unfortunately, some track position was later lost when the #17 needed to make an unscheduled pit stop to tighten a loose wheel.
Still, there was a rally, and Buescher fought back to a respectable 13th-place finish.
“We started off really, really tight, and it took us a while to get it underneath us,” said Buescher. “We spent much of the day working on it, and we got a decent finish out of it.”
#60 Ryan Preece – RECAP
There have been glimpses of greatness for Ryan Preece so far in 2025, and those were once again on display Sunday as he brought home the RFK organization’s best finish of the season. Preece’s third-place finish also matched a career-best for the Berlin, CT driver.
Preece started 12th – his best-ever qualifying effort at a mile-and-a-half track. Confidence was high for the driver of the Consumer Cellular Ford, who appears to be in the midst of a breakout season after leading three of the season’s first four races.
Preece began the day hoping for long runs, and eventually, they did come. That strategy proved successful. As the runs wore on, Preece was able to consistently keep speed in the car. He used that to his advantage. Additionally, lightning-fast pit stops – one as fast as 8.7 seconds – helped Preece climb into the top five during the race’s final stage. In the closing laps, crew chief Derrick Finley urged Preece to save fuel, but a late-race caution made fuel conservation a non-issue. Preece was able to top off, hold his track position, and come home with a podium finish.
“Going into the season, our motto was, ‘live by the fire, die by the fire,’ take chances, be aggressive, and be on the offense,” said Preece. “I’m really grateful to come out here and have a great day because, at the beginning of the season, this is really what sets the tone.”
Avondale, AZ (March 9, 2025) – Tire strategy was a game-changer in Phoenix, creating opportunity and excitement for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing on Sunday. Two sets of “option” tires—softer and faster during a 40-50 lap run—were available for teams to use at their discretion. Strategically, teams chose when to use them, and that gamesmanship led to a top-5 finish for Chris Buescher and propelled Ryan Preece to the lead late in the race. Brad Keselowski, though, never had the opportunity to use the option tires, as he was caught up in an unavoidable collision.
#6 Brad Keselowski – RECAP
When the green flag dropped in the Valley of the Sun, there were high hopes surrounding Brad Keselowski. The 2012 champ entered his 32nd career Phoenix start with a strong race car that was able to easily pick off positions early in the race.
The Consumer Cellular Ford quickly moved from 20th to the top 15. Before the conclusion of Stage One, Keselowski had consistently found ways to make his car faster. Throughout the first 60 laps, Keselowski adjusted his line entering the corners, enabling him to carry more speed on exit. At that time, confidence was high as he radioed the team: “We’re going to be fine. The race is going to come to us,” he said.
Unfortunately, that time never came, and Keselowski was caught up in an unavoidable crash when several cars collided in his path. Despite exhaustive efforts to repair the damage, the team was forced to settle for 33rd.
“We were just biding our time to put our soft tires on and put ourselves in a position to use them at the end, and just got caught up in somebody else’s crash,” said Keselowski after being checked and released from the care center.
Afterward, Keselowski’s leadership qualities were on full display as he rallied his team. Climbing from his car, Keselowski called all the over the wall and road crew members into a tight huddle. Looking them in the eye, he provided a motivational speech, coaching them to stay focused and not get discouraged. “I told them I was really encouraged,” Keselowski said. “I love the way our cars are driving right now, and our potential is much higher.”
#17 Chris Buescher – RECAP
Chris Buescher continued his hot 2025 start, recording a 5th-place finish in Phoenix on Sunday. It was a season-best finish for the Fry’s / Thomas’ / Philadelphia Ford, as Buescher has now finished among the top 10 in 3 of the first 4 races. Buescher entered the race as one of just four drivers who finished among the top 10 in both Phoenix races last year. His knowledge of the challenging one-mile track was evident again on Sunday, and he masterfully maneuvered through the traffic, picking his way toward the front after starting 13th.
Tire strategy became key for the #17 team. Crew chief Scott Graves elected to save both sets of “option” tires for the race’s third and final stage. With the new red-lettered tires bolted on, Buescher swiftly picked up positions while also holding off others who had taken a similar approach.
With fewer than 50 laps to go, Buescher made his final stop. Again, the #17 team took the softer, and faster, tires. It worked. Buescher fired off on the restart and gobbled up positions, moving from 9th to record an impressive 5th-place finish.
“I felt like when we were on the (primary tires) we kept getting run all over by the (option tires), and I was just sitting there waiting for our turn,” said Buescher. “We had them on at the end when others ran out. It made it interesting.”
#60 Ryan Preece – RECAP
Ryan Preece turned what were arguably the most exciting laps of the race on Sunday, as the Solomon Plumbing Ford led 34 circuits—all as the race neared the checkers. The #60 team was the first to use the option tires. Crew chief Derrick Finley made the call on the team’s first pit stop at lap 13, and it immediately paid dividends. Within 30 laps, Preece had rocketed his way through the field, gaining 23 positions. Preece finished 3rd in Stage One, earning stage points for the second time this season.
The field took notice as Preece made huge gains in a short amount of time. The improved track position allowed Preece to run closer to the front for the remainder of the day and provided confidence for later.
Down to its final set of red-lettered Goodyears, Finley made the call at lap 217 (of 312) to use them. Once again, Preece flew through the field, moving from 4th into the lead with only 75 laps remaining. Preece stretched his lead and hoped for a green flag run to the finish. Unfortunately, a caution came out 34 laps into that run. With those “option” tires wearing, Preece pitted for a fresh set of primary tires. With many other teams still having a set of optional rubber available, Preece lost some ground in the closing laps, still posting a solid 15th-place finish.
“I really wish that caution didn’t come out, because I felt like we had such a good gap, and the tires were staying under me,” said Preece. “Sometimes when you start 28th, you’ve got to get off sequence, and the way the race was playing out, I thought we were going to sneak in a really good finish.”
Las Vegas, NV (March 16, 2025) – Some things may stay in Vegas, but the momentum Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing captured on Sunday is something they’ll hope to carry with them as the season progresses. Led by Ryan Preece, who matched a career-high 3rd place finish, all three RFK teams finished among the top 15. Brad Keselowski posted a strong 11th-place finish, while Chris Buescher came home 13th.
#6 Brad Keselowski – RECAP
Brad Keselowski came to Las Vegas looking to turn his luck around, and with a determined, focused effort, that’s exactly what he did. Keselowski and crew chief Jeremy Bullins worked throughout the day, adjusting the car and dialing it in for the final run that netted the Castrol Ford an 11th-place finish.
Although the car was difficult to turn early in the race, Keselowski, a three-time Las Vegas winner, overcame the handling issue using experience. Studying the lines of others, Keselowski adjusted, finding more efficient ways to roll the corners. This, combined with Bullins’ careful chassis adjustments, allowed the car to run inside the top 15 consistently during the 267-lap race.
A critical moment came late in the race when several cars in front of Keselowski crashed. It was this type of event that had impacted the #6 car on multiple occasions this year. This time, though, spotter TJ Majors navigated Keselowski through the crash, helping him escape damage. A final pit stop in the closing laps allowed Keselowski and Bullins to top off fuel, make some short-run adjustments, and make an aggressive push toward a very solid finish.
“All in all, not a bad day for us,” said Keselowski. “At times, we had great speed, especially at the end. This is the type of run we need to build off of.”
#17 Chris Buescher – RECAP
After a strong qualifying effort, Chris Buescher rolled off 11th on Sunday in the Smith’s / Dasani Ford. Quickly, though, as the cars fanned out through the sweeping corners of the mile-and-a-half Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Buescher faced a challenge. The swirling ‘dirty’ air churned up, making the car tight and difficult to turn.
With plenty of racing still ahead, crew chief Scott Graves went to work, finding ways to help Buescher. After several chassis adjustments, the Smith’s / Dasani Ford was able to slice through the air better, helping Buescher navigate the corners. With the car more to his liking, Buescher charged into the top 10. Unfortunately, some track position was later lost when the #17 needed to make an unscheduled pit stop to tighten a loose wheel.
Still, there was a rally, and Buescher fought back to a respectable 13th-place finish.
“We started off really, really tight, and it took us a while to get it underneath us,” said Buescher. “We spent much of the day working on it, and we got a decent finish out of it.”
#60 Ryan Preece – RECAP
There have been glimpses of greatness for Ryan Preece so far in 2025, and those were once again on display Sunday as he brought home the RFK organization’s best finish of the season. Preece’s third-place finish also matched a career-best for the Berlin, CT driver.
Preece started 12th – his best-ever qualifying effort at a mile-and-a-half track. Confidence was high for the driver of the Consumer Cellular Ford, who appears to be in the midst of a breakout season after leading three of the season’s first four races.
Preece began the day hoping for long runs, and eventually, they did come. That strategy proved successful. As the runs wore on, Preece was able to consistently keep speed in the car. He used that to his advantage. Additionally, lightning-fast pit stops – one as fast as 8.7 seconds – helped Preece climb into the top five during the race’s final stage. In the closing laps, crew chief Derrick Finley urged Preece to save fuel, but a late-race caution made fuel conservation a non-issue. Preece was able to top off, hold his track position, and come home with a podium finish.
“Going into the season, our motto was, ‘live by the fire, die by the fire,’ take chances, be aggressive, and be on the offense,” said Preece. “I’m really grateful to come out here and have a great day because, at the beginning of the season, this is really what sets the tone.”
Avondale, AZ (March 9, 2025) – Tire strategy was a game-changer in Phoenix, creating opportunity and excitement for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing on Sunday. Two sets of “option” tires—softer and faster during a 40-50 lap run—were available for teams to use at their discretion. Strategically, teams chose when to use them, and that gamesmanship led to a top-5 finish for Chris Buescher and propelled Ryan Preece to the lead late in the race. Brad Keselowski, though, never had the opportunity to use the option tires, as he was caught up in an unavoidable collision.
#6 Brad Keselowski – RECAP
When the green flag dropped in the Valley of the Sun, there were high hopes surrounding Brad Keselowski. The 2012 champ entered his 32nd career Phoenix start with a strong race car that was able to easily pick off positions early in the race.
The Consumer Cellular Ford quickly moved from 20th to the top 15. Before the conclusion of Stage One, Keselowski had consistently found ways to make his car faster. Throughout the first 60 laps, Keselowski adjusted his line entering the corners, enabling him to carry more speed on exit. At that time, confidence was high as he radioed the team: “We’re going to be fine. The race is going to come to us,” he said.
Unfortunately, that time never came, and Keselowski was caught up in an unavoidable crash when several cars collided in his path. Despite exhaustive efforts to repair the damage, the team was forced to settle for 33rd.
“We were just biding our time to put our soft tires on and put ourselves in a position to use them at the end, and just got caught up in somebody else’s crash,” said Keselowski after being checked and released from the care center.
Afterward, Keselowski’s leadership qualities were on full display as he rallied his team. Climbing from his car, Keselowski called all the over the wall and road crew members into a tight huddle. Looking them in the eye, he provided a motivational speech, coaching them to stay focused and not get discouraged. “I told them I was really encouraged,” Keselowski said. “I love the way our cars are driving right now, and our potential is much higher.”
#17 Chris Buescher – RECAP
Chris Buescher continued his hot 2025 start, recording a 5th-place finish in Phoenix on Sunday. It was a season-best finish for the Fry’s / Thomas’ / Philadelphia Ford, as Buescher has now finished among the top 10 in 3 of the first 4 races. Buescher entered the race as one of just four drivers who finished among the top 10 in both Phoenix races last year. His knowledge of the challenging one-mile track was evident again on Sunday, and he masterfully maneuvered through the traffic, picking his way toward the front after starting 13th.
Tire strategy became key for the #17 team. Crew chief Scott Graves elected to save both sets of “option” tires for the race’s third and final stage. With the new red-lettered tires bolted on, Buescher swiftly picked up positions while also holding off others who had taken a similar approach.
With fewer than 50 laps to go, Buescher made his final stop. Again, the #17 team took the softer, and faster, tires. It worked. Buescher fired off on the restart and gobbled up positions, moving from 9th to record an impressive 5th-place finish.
“I felt like when we were on the (primary tires) we kept getting run all over by the (option tires), and I was just sitting there waiting for our turn,” said Buescher. “We had them on at the end when others ran out. It made it interesting.”
#60 Ryan Preece – RECAP
Ryan Preece turned what were arguably the most exciting laps of the race on Sunday, as the Solomon Plumbing Ford led 34 circuits—all as the race neared the checkers. The #60 team was the first to use the option tires. Crew chief Derrick Finley made the call on the team’s first pit stop at lap 13, and it immediately paid dividends. Within 30 laps, Preece had rocketed his way through the field, gaining 23 positions. Preece finished 3rd in Stage One, earning stage points for the second time this season.
The field took notice as Preece made huge gains in a short amount of time. The improved track position allowed Preece to run closer to the front for the remainder of the day and provided confidence for later.
Down to its final set of red-lettered Goodyears, Finley made the call at lap 217 (of 312) to use them. Once again, Preece flew through the field, moving from 4th into the lead with only 75 laps remaining. Preece stretched his lead and hoped for a green flag run to the finish. Unfortunately, a caution came out 34 laps into that run. With those “option” tires wearing, Preece pitted for a fresh set of primary tires. With many other teams still having a set of optional rubber available, Preece lost some ground in the closing laps, still posting a solid 15th-place finish.
“I really wish that caution didn’t come out, because I felt like we had such a good gap, and the tires were staying under me,” said Preece. “Sometimes when you start 28th, you’ve got to get off sequence, and the way the race was playing out, I thought we were going to sneak in a really good finish.”
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