Keselowski keeping post-RFK options open, but ‘I’m not saying I’m not sweating it’

Brad Keselowski doesn't have a deal for 2027 as he prepares to depart from RFK Racing, but he’s confident his NASCAR driving career will continue.

“When I’m in a vehicle in Daytona, I’ll be confident of that, but right now I think there’s enough interest,” Keselowski said Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I’m not saying I’m not sweating it; that’s not true. There are things to work through. But there’s enough interest to where I’m confident that I’ll be somewhere next year.”

Keselowski is open to everything and did not rule out any one of the NASCAR national series. He has spent time in all three series, including being full-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he won the 2010 championship, and in the Cup Series, where he claimed the 2012 title. In the latter, Keselowski has competed full-time since 2010.

As for the Craftsman Truck Series, where he has won and owned a team, a championship there would make him the first driver in history to have all three. Keselowski acknowledged that it interests him, but it’s not his only interest.

“I don’t know,” admitted Keselowski about whether he would be full-time next season in NASCAR. “The next month or two things will become a lot clearer, and then I’ll cover it from there.”

The Sept. 29 announcement that Keselowski and RFK Racing are parting ways will end his tenure as the driver of the No. 6 Ford and his ownership role. It was unexpected for outsiders, but Keselowski said it ends his five-year contract with the company and that it became clear over the last 30 days that this is where things would end up.

“I was really pleasantly surprised by the fan and media reaction,” Keselowski said. “I didn’t expect that, particularly with everything going on related to the Chase and so forth. Probably my biggest emotion, just being at the racetrack, is being humbled to have that level of support. That doesn’t mean that’s the only emotion through the whole process; there have probably been a few moments of anger over the last few weeks as the realities of this have become clear, but I’m in a good spot now.”

But getting to this point did not surprise Keselowski.

“No,” he said. “No. No. Gosh, there are a lot of things that surprise me, but this was not one of them.”

Keselowski turned the page “pretty quick” to what is next for him rather than where things stand, and he said he's not that sentimental. There were a few things that he said he could not discuss about RFK Racing, such as how things got to this point; if there was any avenue for him staying in the No. 6 car next year; whether the ownership opportunity was everything he was promised when it started; and how it would become clear in time if the decision was his or made for him.

But he will leave his tenure as an owner proud of what was done and the people he worked with. Keselowski feels the company grew and turned things around, including seven wins by Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece since 2022.

“That’s been the thrill of a lifetime to be a part of,” said Keselowski. “You always hate to leave that, lose that, whatever it might be, but it is a part of life. It’s kind of like leaving high school, but that’s where we are.”