RFK Racing Shines at Daytona 500 with Keselowski's Comeback

Keselowski, Buescher, and Preece all contend for victory in the Great American Race

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing had a strong showing at the 2026 Daytona 500, with Brad Keselowski making an impressive comeback from injury, Chris Buescher charging from the rear of the field to lead laps, and Ryan Preece running up front with strategic fuel play. Despite late-race chaos, all three RFK entries were in contention for the win.

Why it matters

RFK Racing's performance at Daytona demonstrates the team's resiliency and competitiveness as they look to return to the front of the NASCAR Cup Series. Keselowski's comeback from a broken femur suffered in the offseason highlights his determination, while Buescher and Preece's ability to contend for the win shows the strength of the entire RFK organization.

The details

Brad Keselowski overcame early adversity, including a close call with Kyle Busch, to surge into contention, leading laps and nearly capturing his first Daytona 500 victory before late-race chaos. Chris Buescher charged from the rear of the field to lead laps and finish seventh, while Ryan Preece ran up front with strategic fuel play before also getting caught up in the final-lap crash.

  • Keselowski surged to second by Lap 18 and looked poised to control the early draft.
  • During stage two, Keselowski narrowly avoided a Lap 85 multi-car crash.
  • Keselowski restarted 10th in the final stage and powered toward the front, nearly winning the race.
  • Buescher restarted third in Stage 2 and battled intense three-wide racing to climb back to third.
  • Preece opted for a fuel strategy play, cycling forward to fifth and closing the opening stage eighth.

The players

Brad Keselowski

A veteran NASCAR driver who was making a comeback after suffering a broken femur in an offseason accident. Keselowski was determined to capture his first Daytona 500 victory.

Chris Buescher

A Roush Fenway Keselowski driver who started at the rear of the field due to a crash in his Duel qualifying race, but charged through the field to lead laps and finish seventh.

Ryan Preece

The Roush Fenway Keselowski driver who utilized strategic fuel play to run up front, but was caught up in late-race chaos and finished 25th.

Corey LaJoie

The Roush Fenway Keselowski driver who was trying to race his way into the Daytona 500 through the Duel qualifying race, but was caught up in a crash on the final lap, ending his bid.

Scott Graves

The crew chief for Chris Buescher, who provided sage advice to his driver before the race to "be smart, get to the front, and get a win in Daytona."

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What they’re saying

“A lot of chaos. The last restart I gave William Byron a great push, and just wasn't enough to move our lane. I was giving him all I had, and then right here at the end I had this huge run and the 35 wrecked us. Really disappointed.”

— Brad Keselowski (Speedway Digest)

“Great. Great. Once you're in the race car, I've got a fast Mustang and you're just digging.”

— Brad Keselowski (Speedway Digest)

“Be smart. Get to the front, and get a win in Daytona.”

— Scott Graves, Crew Chief (Speedway Digest)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

RFK Racing's strong performance at the Daytona 500, with all three of its entries contending for the win, demonstrates the team's resurgence and the potential for the organization to return to the front of the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026.