Ryan Preece takes No. 6 as Keselowski’s RFK split rocks NASCAR.

Ryan Preece will drive the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series, the team announced Wednesday, November 4.

Preece, who won his first Cup points race this season at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, moves from the No. 60 to the No. 6.

Crew chief Derrick Finley will stay with Preece.

The number change is possible because the No. 6 holds one of RFK’s two chartered entries in the Cup Series.

A charter guarantees a starting spot in every race regardless of qualifying, creating a stable revenue stream worth an estimated $100 million each.

Preece’s old car, the No. 60, raced this season with a charter leased from Rick Ware Racing.

That leased charter has now been sold to Legacy Motor Club for the 2027 season.

That sale leaves RFK Racing with only two chartered entries: the No. 6 and the No. 17 driven by Chris Buescher.

The No. 60 program, as a chartered operation, no longer exists.

The move comes because Brad Keselowski will not return to RFK next season.

Keselowski joined RFK in 2022 as driver and co-owner, holding a 20% equity stake.

He is now in the process of selling that ownership share.

Keselowski has been strongly linked to Trackhouse Racing, though no official announcement has been made.

His departure leaves RFK searching for a new head of competition, adding to the operational uncertainty.

Preece becomes the sixth full-time driver to pilot the No. 6 for RFK.

The number carries deep history for the organization.

Roush Racing brought the No. 6 to the Cup Series in 1988 with Hall of Famer Mark Martin.

Martin drove the car through 2006, earning 35 Cup victories and finishing top-five in points 12 times.

He was the championship runner-up four times: to Dale Earnhardt in 1990 and 1994, Jeff Gordon in 1998, and Tony Stewart in 2002.

Later full-time drivers of the No. 6 include David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, and Keselowski.

Only Martin, Ragan, and Keselowski have won in the No. 6.

“To be trusted with the 6 means more than I can put into words,” Preece said in a statement.

“When you think about what this number means to RFK Racing, you think about Jack Roush, Mark Martin and everything they built together. To know this team believes I’m the right person to carry that number into the future is incredibly humbling.”

Martin also issued a statement supporting the change.

“I like Ryan Preece because he’s a racer, plain and simple,” Martin said.

“He came up the hard way, and he’s had to fight for everything he’s gotten. That’s something I respect. When he gets in a race car, he gives you everything he’s got, and he’s not going to be satisfied just riding around. That number means a lot to me, and I think Ryan is a great fit to carry it forward.”

Preece has a personal connection to the No. 6.

He drove the No. 6 for Ed Partridge in the Whelen Modified Tour, winning 14 races.

Their final victory came at Richmond in 2021, hours before Partridge died.

“When I say the No. 6 feels like home, it’s because it represents more than racing,” Preece said.

“It represents the people who believed in me, the relationships I’ve built, and the memories that got me here. To have the opportunity to carry that number into the next chapter of my career means more than I can put into words.”

Preece is a native of Berlin, Connecticut.

He got his start in modified stock cars in the northeast, winning the Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2013.

He won 26 races in the Whelen Modified Tour and three more in the southern division.

He made his debut in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2016.

In the Cup Series, Preece finished 18th in 2025 with three top-fives and 14 top-10s.

This season, he won the Clash at Bowman Gray and his first Cup points race at Daytona, earning his first Chase appearance.

Fans have reacted with mixed feelings to the number change.

Some support the move, noting Preece’s history with the No. 6 in modified racing.

“Ryan has a history with the #6 so I’m fine with it,” one fan wrote on social media.

“Makes sense,” wrote another.

“The 6 means a lot at RFK, and putting a charter driver in it keeps that history alive. Preece earned it.”

Others are unhappy, especially those who bought No. 60 merchandise.

“That’s a shame,” wrote a fan.

“Really was hoping they would of moved the charter to the 60 and let him build a legacy with it.”

“So stupid. I don’t like it. He’s done drove the 60 for 2years. Now ur just swapping his number and identity,” wrote another.