It takes three Fords to run with the big dogs, but only one driver to co-own the whole operation. RFK Racing currently features a three-car operation led by team co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski in the storied No. 6 Ford. The team’s mainstay, Chris Buescher, pilots the No. 17 Ford, a number synonymous with the organization’s history, particularly Matt Kenseth. This year, the team expanded back to three full-time entries, leasing a charter to field the No. 60 Ford for veteran driver Ryan Preece. However, Keselowski is looking for something more, something nostalgic and legendary.

The No. 99 Cup Series car has an incredibly rich history in NASCAR, particularly with the Roush organization that preceded RFK Racing. It gained its most enduring recognition under the Roush banner with Jeff Burton, who drove the No. 99 Exide Batteries Ford to 17 wins from 1996 to 2004. The legacy was then passed to Carl Edwards, who took over mid-season in 2004 and went on to accumulate the most starts and wins for the number, capturing 23 victories before his retirement. And now, Keselowski is in talks about bringing the same legacy back to the team.

After Roush retired the number, it was most recently revived and driven by Daniel Suárez for the competing Chevrolet-backed Trackhouse Racing team from 2021 until the end of 2025. However, with Suárez’s departure from the team after the end of the 2025 season, there was uncertainty over who would replace him in the No. 99 car. But in a recent emotional video shared by Trackhouse, with Ross Chastain (No. 1), Connor Zilisch (No. 88), and Shane van Gisbergen (No. 97), the exclusion of the No. 99 or a replacement driver has sparked frenzy among fans, who feel that this might be the perfect timing for RFK to reacquire the number and put it back on a Ford Mustang.

The RFK Racing team is currently navigating a period of significant strategic adjustment, regardless of any number changes. The team’s decision to expand to three cars with the No. 60 for the 2025 season was a clear indicator of their intent to challenge the dominant organizations like Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports. However, their charter situation for that third car is temporary. RFK leased the No. 60 charter from Rick Ware Racing for one year in 2025, whether to pursue a long-term acquisition of that charter or explore other options.

Any potential switch to the potentially available No. 99 would likely be tied to the team’s ongoing effort to secure a permanent third charter for their Cup Series operation. Rumors among fans immediately focused on the reintroduction of the iconic number to the Ford camp, which would serve as a powerful link to the organization’s championship heritage under Carl Edwards.

Fans debate the future of Carl Edwards’ NASCAR No. 99 legacy

One fan’s comment humorously linked Edwards’ famous celebratory backflips to the modern era, stating, “This is on brand as Preece has been doing backflips with his race car.” Edwards popularized the signature backflip celebration after his 28 Cup Series victories as a unique expression of excitement. Preece, conversely, has been involved in several alarming aerial incidents, most notably his terrifying 10-time barrel roll down the backstretch at Daytona in the summer of 2023, which resulted in his overnight hospitalization and spurred NASCAR to pave the infield grass.

While another fan suggested, “What if Ryan Preece drives 6, Chris drives 17, and Brad drives 99? Bingo!” The No. 17 is inextricably linked to the team’s most successful era with Kenseth and its 2003 Cup Series title, making it a sacred number for Buescher, who delivered a win in 2023. Conversely, Keselowski has driven the No. 6, the number that Mark Martin established as the flagship for Roush Racing, since joining the team in 2022.

The proposed switch represents a total restructuring that would maximize the team’s use of powerful, nostalgic number branding across their permanent charter entries. However, some fans guessed, “Cam Waters to the 99 RFK Mustang confirmed?” Waters, a key driver for the Ford Performance camp in Australia with Tickford Racing, has already made his foray into NASCAR through RFK Racing’s “Stage 60” program. He drove the No. 60 Ford Mustang in an open entry at the Sonoma Raceway Cup Series race in 2024 and also competed in the Truck Series with Ford-aligned ThorSport Racing.

But another fan added to that sentiment with their own suggestion, stating, “Heim would look great in the 99. Heard he wins races and a championship in a palindromic number.” Corey Heim’s 2025 season in the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage was statistically dominant, culminating in his becoming the 2025 Truck Series Champion and shattering the single-season win record by scoring a remarkable 12 victories, eclipsing the previous mark of 9 set by Greg Biffle in 1999. Another palindromic number in his career might just be the way to his first Cup Series victory.

One fan stated, “Switch 60 to 99 and restart the Busch program with the 60 number.” The No. 60 Cup Series car holds legendary status in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the Roush organization, having amassed the most wins in Xfinity Series history of 93. The fan proposes moving the Cup number back to the famous No. 99, which Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards made famous in Cup, and re-establishing the No. 60 in its original role as a championship-contending team to train young Ford talent in the Xfinity (formerly Busch) Series.

Ultimately, while the No.99 may just be a number on the side of a Ford, its potential return to RFK has successfully leveraged nostalgia to dominate the current narrative among the dedicated fans.