Insiders feared NASCAR was playing with fire in Daytona. Going into a weekend with zero minutes of practice and a brand-new superspeedway package was a recipe for disaster, as many, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., had warned. Thankfully, those fears never materialized, even though several drivers noticed the changes. Christopher Bell hated the reduced horsepower. Brad Keselowski, on the other hand, had no problem with it whatsoever.
“Obviously, I could not tell the difference. I couldn’t tell they changed the rules at all. My car drove almost identical to what it did. I was really shocked by that. I thought we’d drive poorly, particularly here in the summer. So I was a bit caught off guard by that. I don’t expect it to look much different at Talladega,” Keselowski said to NASCAR journalist Dustin Long.
NASCAR announced these changes in July. They included cutting the rear spoiler from seven inches to four, reducing horsepower from 510 to 465, and adding white splitter stuffers to the front of the bodywork. Keselowski did not really feel these changes because they appeared to cancel each other out.
Shorter rear spoilers mean less drag. But with the horsepower also reduced, the cars weren’t necessarily going much faster. And at superspeedways like Daytona — and Talladega, where the garage will travel in October — the cars don’t get much clean air anyway.
Cup cars typically run practically nose-to-tail, with the draft being a driver’s biggest weapon. In situations like this, the driver behind can push the car ahead and help it go faster. Brad Keselowski has a reputation for being one of the best pushers.
The Gen 7 cars, however, are known to be unpredictable, meaning drivers have to be especially careful when pushing at superspeedways. Surprisingly, Keselowski felt his Gen 7 Ford Mustang was pretty forgiving. He did admit, though, that it was harder to build a run for a push. Handling was also one of the drivers’ biggest concerns, but thankfully, those fears proved to be unfounded.
That said, others were not as neutral about NASCAR’s gamble in Daytona. Bell, for instance, was furious that the reduced horsepower affected his car’s fuel mileage. He and other drivers were forced to save fuel, which hurt their overall pace. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 17th.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, meanwhile, noted that there were positives to the package. But he also admitted that the cars were edgier. He finished 23rd, despite running in the top five at one point.
Keselowski’s race at Daytona ended with a 14th-place finish. His weekend got off to a horrible start with a 21st-place qualifying position, and things only got worse on race day when his No. 6 RFK Mustang failed pre-race inspection twice. As a result, his crew chief was ejected, and Keselowski lost the right to choose his pit stall.
66 points below the cut line, Keselowski knew his Chase hopes were over. But as an owner, he was ecstatic with the outcome of the Coke Zero 400. Ryan Preece of the No. 60 team beat the odds to win his first-ever Cup Series race and steal the No. 16 spot from Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. Glory for RFK Racing on that end. As for his own plans for the remaining 10 races of the season, Keselowski had something else to say.
Keselowski knows what he has to do for the rest of 2026
With the Regular season complete, the 16-driver line-up for the Chase is confirmed. Although Keselowski missed out on making the Chase, he is not too torn up about it.
Keselowski said, “Not where we wanted to be with 10 races to go, but there’s still a lot left to race for. 10 more chances to get the No. 6 back to Victory Lane. Appreciate everyone who has stuck with us through the highs and lows. We’re going to keep fighting and finish this season strong.”
Preece’s win ensured that he booked his berth, much to the heartbreak of Shane van Gisbergen. Even better for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Chris Buescher also made it, in 10th. So, over the next 10 races, Keselowski will be hoping both his charges can go far. From his side, he will do everything he can as the rear-gunner to help them progress.
For Buescher and Preece, the name of the game is to get out of the starting blocks early. This time, there is no more ‘Win and you’re in,’ so consistency is what matters. Keselowski affirmed his team’s Chase goals: “To put two cars in that position is a big mark for us. We want to be a tier one team and tier one teams put their cars in the playoffs. There’s no way around that. … Winning races, putting your cars in the Chase, that’s what it takes to get there and we did that.”
Keselowski’s second goal is to end his win drought. His last victory came all the way back in May 2024 at Darlington Raceway. With that very track coming up this weekend, he will be hoping to end the drought himself. If not, Keselowski will certainly be looking to help Buescher or Preece get the job done.