RFK Racing’s empty seat shifts shape after Keselowski split

RFK Racing’s vacant third Cup Series seat could take a different shape after Brad Keselowski’s departure.

That seat was supposed to go to a single full-time driver in 2027.

Now, with the top candidate off the market, the team is considering a rotation of drivers instead.

The news broke Wednesday that Ryan Preece will move from the No. 60 Ford to the No. 6 Ford, the car Keselowski drove for five seasons.

Preece’s move was expected inside the RFK organization.

But the No. 60 — technically the seat Keselowski vacated — remains open.

RFK Racing plans to run that car full-time in 2027 as a non-chartered entry, making it the 37th full-time car in the Cup Series field.

Finding a driver to fill it has become the team’s biggest challenge.

John Hunter Nemechek was the name RFK had been talking to, according to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic.

Bianchi appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday to discuss the situation.

“The one name that they had, the one name they had been talking to was John Hunter Nemechek,” Bianchi said.

“Well, John Hunter Nemechek is now in a full-time ride in the O’Reilly Series with Haas. So he’s off the board.”

Nemechek signed with Haas Factory Team after losing his Cup Series ride at Legacy Motor Club.

Riley Herbst took the third entry at Legacy, and Nemechek landed in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

With Nemechek gone, Bianchi said the available driver pool is thin.

“If you look at the landscape right now, there aren’t a lot of available drivers,” Bianchi said.

“So there really isn’t anybody out there viable, at least where I look at it, that could be in that car full-time next year.”

That assessment has pushed RFK Racing toward a different plan.

Bianchi said the most likely scenario is a driver rotation in the No. 60 car.

“Now, that said, one option, and that I know is being considered, is they could have a rotation of drivers in that car next year, in that 60 car,” Bianchi said.

“It isn’t just one driver in that car running full-time. It’s a rotation of drivers running that car, which would then be full-time.”

Bianchi added that RFK has spoken to at least one driver about the rotation plan.

He did not name the driver.

The rotation approach would allow RFK to field a full-time entry without committing to a single driver for the entire 36-race schedule.

It is an unusual move in the modern Cup Series, where most teams lock in a full-season driver well before the Daytona 500.

But RFK is operating under unusual circumstances.

Keselowski’s departure was announced late in the offseason cycle.

Most Cup Series teams had already finalized their driver lineups and sponsor commitments.

That left RFK scrambling to fill a seat that few expected to be open.

The team still holds two charters for 2027.

One charter belongs to the No. 17 Ford driven by Chris Buescher, who returns for an eighth season.

The second charter will be used for Preece in the No. 6 Ford.

RFK had been leasing a third charter from Rick Ware Racing, but that charter has been sold to Legacy Motor Club for 2027.

That means the No. 60 will run without a charter, making it a “open” entry that must qualify for every race on speed.

Running a non-chartered car full-time is rare but not unprecedented.

It requires the team to beat at least one chartered car in qualifying each week to make the field.

That adds pressure on whoever is behind the wheel.

A rotation of drivers could bring different strengths to different tracks.

One driver might specialize in short tracks, another in superspeedways, another in road courses.

But it also creates challenges with chemistry, setup continuity and sponsor activation.

Meanwhile, Keselowski’s own future remains uncertain.

The 2012 Cup Series champion left RFK Racing, where he had been a co-owner and driver since 2022.

He has said he has nothing lined up for 2027 but has no plans to retire.

Trackhouse Racing has emerged as a possible destination.

Team owner Justin Marks has made clear that Trackhouse has no full-time Cup Series seat available for 2027.

But Bianchi discussed a possible arrangement where Keselowski could purchase an ownership stake in Trackhouse, race part-time in the Project 91 car in 2027, and return to full-time Cup competition in 2028.

Bianchi said the decision would force Keselowski to choose between immediate racing and a longer-term ownership opportunity.

Keselowski has been adamant that he has had conversations with multiple teams.

“But there’s a difference between talking to people and having a real, tangible opportunity before you to do something next year,” Bianchi said.

Keselowski’s departure from RFK removed the restrictions surrounding discussions with other teams.