Ryan Preece takes over NASCAR’s iconic No. 6 for 2027

Ryan Preece is changing to the No. 6 with RFK Racing for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The move was announced Wednesday, Nov. 4, by the team.

Preece will drive the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse next year, replacing team co-owner Brad Keselowski.

Keselowski has driven the No. 6 since 2022.

He will not return to the team in 2027 and is beginning the process of selling his 20% equity in ownership.

Preece won the first Cup Series race of his career this season at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Derrick Finley will remain as crew chief for Preece, RFK said.

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

The number carries deep history for the organization.

When Roush Racing began competing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1988, it did so with Hall of Famer Mark Martin behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford.

Martin stayed behind the wheel through 2006, earning 35 Cup Series victories in the car.

He finished top five in points 12 times.

Martin was the runner-up for the championship four times — finishing second to Dale Earnhardt in 1990 and 1994, Jeff Gordon in 1998 and Tony Stewart in 2002.

"To be trusted with the 6 means more to me 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," Preece said.

Martin also weighed in on the decision.

"I like Ryan Preece because he's a racer, plain and simple," Martin said in a statement.

"He came up the hard way, and he's had to fight for everything he's gotten," Martin said.

The No. 6 was later driven full-time by David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman and Keselowski.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Matt Kenseth and Ross Chastain all made spot starts in the car.

Aside from Martin, Ragan and Keselowski are the only other drivers to take the No. 6 to victory lane.

Part of the reason for Preece switching to the No. 6 is because it is one of RFK's chartered entries in the Cup Series.

The No. 17 driven by Chris Buescher is the team's other charter.

Charters guarantee spots in every Cup Series race regardless of qualifying.

They create a reliable and stable stream of revenue for teams.

Charters are estimated to be worth about $100 million each.

The No. 60 raced with a leased charter this season from Rick Ware Racing.

That charter has been sold to Legacy Motor Club for next season.

RFK Racing are still in need of a third driver for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The No. 60 Ford was added for Preece in 2025.

That car is set to be run full-time without a charter next year, effectively making it the series' 37th full-time entry.

It is still the team's plan to sign a third driver to drive that car.

John Hunter Nemechek, who had been linked to the team as a possible third driver, is no longer in contention for that seat.

After losing his Cup ride at Legacy Motor Club to Josh Berry, and with Riley Herbst set to land the team's new third entry, Nemechek has signed with Haas Factory Team to drive one of their three full-time entries for the 2027 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season.

Both of RFK's current drivers, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer, have already signed deals elsewhere.

As for Keselowski, he has admitted that he has nothing lined up for 2027.

He has no plans to retire and remains interested in team ownership.

He had been with RFK Racing since leaving Team Penske following the 2021 season.

The 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway with the 69th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

That race is set for Sunday, February 21.

Live coverage will be provided by Fox.

Preece won the most recent Cup race at Daytona back in late August.

Chris Buescher is set to return for an eighth season behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford.

RFK Racing now has two confirmed drivers for 2027: Preece in the No. 6 and Buescher in the No. 17.

The team continues to search for a third driver to run the No. 60 without a charter.

That car will compete as a non-chartered entry, meaning it must qualify for each race on speed.

Non-chartered entries do not have guaranteed starting spots.

The charter system was introduced by NASCAR in 2016 to provide financial stability for teams.

Each charter guarantees a starting spot in every race and a share of the series' revenue.

There are 36 charters available across the Cup Series.

Teams can buy, sell or lease charters among themselves, subject to NASCAR approval.

The sale of the Rick Ware Racing charter to Legacy Motor Club reduces the number of charters available for lease.

RFK Racing's decision to move Preece to the No. 6 ensures the team retains a charter for its most historically significant number.

The No. 60 entry will now operate without that safety net.

Preece's promotion to the No. 6 is a vote of confidence from team ownership.

He has driven for RFK since 2025, when the team added the No. 60 entry specifically for him.

His Daytona win in August was his first in the Cup Series.

That victory locked him into the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Preece has been a full-time Cup Series driver since 2019.

He previously drove for JTG Daugherty Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.

Before that, he built his reputation in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where he won multiple championships.

Martin's endorsement carries weight within the RFK organization.

Martin is a beloved figure in NASCAR history and remains closely associated with the No. 6.