RFK Racing Seeks Elusive Race-Winning Speed

Co-owner Brad Keselowski says team has consistency but lacks top-end pace to challenge for wins

Mar. 18, 2026 at 4:04am

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RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski acknowledged that his team has been consistent this season, with all three cars making the playoffs, but is missing the race-winning speed needed to challenge for victories. Keselowski said the team has finished every lap so far and has all three cars in playoff position, but they are lacking the outright pace to lead laps and win races compared to top competitors like Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin.

Why it matters

RFK Racing is looking to take the next step and become a regular contender for wins after years of rebuilding under Keselowski's ownership. Finding that extra speed could be the key to the team challenging the top teams in the Cup Series on a weekly basis.

The details

Keselowski revealed the team's missing element while discussing RFK's strong performances with former crew chief Steve Letarte. He noted that the team's cars are always close to each other at the finish, showing their consistency, but they lack the outright pace to lead laps and win races. Keselowski is particular about making all three RFK cars identical in performance, but they still trail leaders like Bell and Hamlin in laps led so far this season.

  • After the first five races of the 2026 season

The players

Brad Keselowski

The co-owner and driver of RFK Racing, in his fifth season leading the organization after taking over in 2022.

Chris Buescher

The leading driver for RFK Racing, currently ninth in the points standings with two top-10 finishes.

Ryan Preece

The newest addition to the RFK Racing driver lineup, currently 13th in points with a top-10 finish at Atlanta.

Christopher Bell

A top competitor in the Cup Series, leading the most laps (225) so far this season.

Denny Hamlin

Another top driver in the Cup Series, leading 152 laps so far this season.

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What they’re saying

“We are one of the two teams that have finished every lap through every race this year. We have all three cars in the playoffs, so that's great. The one thing we are missing is race-winning speed.”

— Brad Keselowski, Co-owner, RFK Racing

What’s next

Keselowski and the RFK Racing team will continue searching for ways to unlock more speed in their cars to challenge for wins, with the goal of being regular contenders by the end of the 2026 season.

The takeaway

RFK Racing has made significant strides in consistency and competitiveness under Brad Keselowski's leadership, but the team still lacks the outright speed to regularly compete for victories against the top teams in the Cup Series. Finding that extra performance could be the key to RFK taking the next step and becoming a championship-caliber organization.