Ryan Preece Takes the Wheel of NASCAR's Most Iconic Number in 2027

Ryan Preece will drive RFK Racing's No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series.

The team made the announcement on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Preece is switching from the No. 60, which he has driven since 2025.

Derrick Finley will remain as his crew chief.

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

The number carries deep history with the organization.

Roush Racing first fielded the No. 6 in the Cup Series in 1988.

Hall of Famer Mark Martin drove it from 1988 through 2006.

Martin earned 35 Cup Series victories in the car.

He finished top five in points 12 times.

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

After Martin, the No. 6 was driven full-time by David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, and Brad Keselowski.

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

Aside from Martin, only Ragan and Keselowski have taken the No. 6 to victory lane.

"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."

Mark Martin also issued a statement.

"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."

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

That victory came in late August 2026.

The move to the No. 6 is driven partly by the charter situation.

Brad Keselowski has driven the No. 6 since 2022.

He will not return to the team next season.

Keselowski is beginning the process of selling his 20% equity in ownership.

He has admitted he has nothing lined up for 2027.

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

Keselowski had been with RFK Racing since leaving Team Penske after the 2021 season.

The No. 6 is one of RFK's chartered entries in the Cup Series.

The other chartered entry is the No. 17 driven by Chris Buescher.

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

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

They create a reliable and stable stream of revenue.

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

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

That charter has been sold to Legacy Motor Club for 2027.

This means RFK Racing will have only two charters next season.

The No. 60 Ford is set to be run full-time without a charter.

That would make it the series' 37th full-time entry.

RFK Racing still plans to sign a third driver for that car.

The uncertainty stems from Keselowski's departure coming late and being relatively unexpected.

John Hunter Nemechek had been linked to the team as a possible third driver.

He 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 Haas Factory Team's current drivers, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer, have already signed deals elsewhere.

Preece's switch to the No. 6 is effective immediately for the 2027 season.

The 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to begin with the 69th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 21, 2027.

Live coverage will be provided by Fox.

Preece won the most recent Cup race at Daytona back in late August 2026.

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

That car is the one that will now run full-time without a charter.

RFK Racing has not named a driver for that entry yet.

The team is still searching for a third driver despite the late timing.

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

The list of full-time drivers includes Mark Martin, David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Newman, and Brad Keselowski.

Martin's 35 wins in the No. 6 remain the benchmark.

Ragan won twice in the car, including the 2011 Daytona 500.

Keselowski won multiple races in the No. 6.

Preece now has the opportunity to add his name to that list.

The number's legacy is a central part of RFK Racing's identity.

Jack Roush founded the team and built it around the No. 6.

Martin's near-misses for the championship — four runner-up finishes — are part of the car's lore.

Preece's path to this moment has been unconventional.

He came up through the short-track ranks in the Northeast.

He worked his way into the Cup Series with limited funding.

He drove for smaller teams before landing at RFK.

His Daytona win this season was a breakthrough.

It proved he could win at the highest level.

Now he inherits a number that carries the weight of decades.

RFK Racing is entering a new era without Keselowski as a driver.

Keselowski joined the team in 2022 as both driver and part-owner.

His departure leaves a leadership gap.

The team still has co-owner Jack Roush and a management structure.

But the driver lineup will look different in 2027.

Chris Buescher provides continuity in the No. 17.

Preece takes over the No. 6.

The third car remains a question mark.

RFK's decision to move Preece to the No. 6 rather than hire an outsider signals confidence in him.

The team could have pursued a veteran free agent or a young prospect.

Instead, they promoted from within.

Preece has driven for RFK since 2025.

He has built relationships with the engineering and pit crew teams.

The transition should be smoother than bringing in a new driver.

Finley staying as crew chief adds continuity.

The pair won together at Daytona.

They will look to build on that success.

The No. 6 has not won a race since Keselowski's last victory in the car.

Preece aims to change that.

The charter situation complicates the team's long-term planning.

Selling the No. 60's leased charter to Legacy Motor Club leaves RFK with two guaranteed spots.

Running a third car without a charter is risky.

Non-chartered cars must qualify on speed every week.

They do not receive the same revenue share.

RFK has not indicated whether they will lease another charter for 2027.

The market for charters is tight.

Prices have risen sharply in recent years.