Brad Keselowski’s NASCAR Driver Gets Real on Battling Teammates for Final Playoff Birth

A year ago, Ryan Preece was in a dilemma. He had zero wins and zero playoff appearances in six seasons. His 5 top tens and 1 top five made him an outcast in the Stewart-Haas Racing fold, where all his teammates had greater finishes. One by one, they secured their future rides while Preece slowly trundled towards a potential Cup Series exit. But Brad Keselowski threw him a lifeline for the 2025 season, and Preece has already turned things around.

However, therein lies a caveat. Ryan Preece again faces a possible clash within his own team. Now, his better finishes are the reason. With 3 top fives and 10 top tens, Preece is a solid contender for the 2025 playoffs. Yet how does he feel about rivaling his own teammates?

Brad Keselowski’s recruit is ready to face the music

Last weekend at Iowa Speedway, there was a points shuffle in the RFK Racing fold. Brad Keselowski swept both stages and finished a remarkable 3rd, well within sight of the victory. Ryan Preece was no worse, clinching a second consecutive top five. Yet Chris Buescher struggled and finished in 22nd place. Before Iowa, Buescher, who holds the 16th and last playoff spot, had a 42-point buffer over Preece. After the race, Preece cut that down to just 23 points. Presently, three races at Watkins Glen, Richmond, and Daytona remain in the regular season, presenting three chances for either RFK driver to knock the other out for the final playoff spot.

Despite this contentious situation with his teammate, Ryan Preece is sure about their healthy dynamic. He told journalist Claire B. Lane recently: “I think we have enough respect for each other on the racetrack to do it the right way.” At the same time, however, Preece also admitted to being ready to get his hands dirty. “We are going to race hard. I think between this week and next week…He (Buescher) sees Watkins Glen as a great opportunity to go win and get himself in…If the points battle is really close going into Daytona, obviously, we’re going to take care of each other when it comes to superspeedways. The last few laps, you gotta do the best you can to try to win that race. “

Chris Buescher is the defending winner at Watkins Glen, while Ryan Preece has been historically good on short tracks, priming himself well for Richmond. Then, Daytona can be anybody’s game, although Brad Keselowski has the highest wins on superspeedways (7). Nevertheless, Preece is determined to race his teammates as he would race anybody: “I don’t think I would change anything. I typically try to race everybody with the level of respect that I would want back. I don’t necessarily think that I would go and wreck somebody to try to get points like that. I’m just gonna race everybody the way I’d want to be raced.”

The battle is raging within the RFK Racing fold. Ryan Preece is enjoying this season nonetheless, as it marks a significant shift in his career. What he is not enjoying is NASCAR’s innovation.

Calling for more speed

Since 2022, Cup Series drivers have clamored for one thing. That is a substantial change to the Next-Gen car. Ranging from unsolicited wrecks to passing problems due to dirty air, complaints about this Cup Series car have been endless. The Iowa race reinforced the evidence. Although William Byron was running at half throttle to save fuel, neither Brad Keselowski nor Chase Briscoe, who had faster cars and more fuel, could surpass him. This egregious lack of maneuverability with the Next-Gen elicited aggressive protests from veterans. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said it is a travesty to NASCAR’s stock cars, while Kevin Harvick urged authorities to make a change in horsepower.

NASCAR is apparently thinking of bumping the current 670 HP range to 750 HP. However, according to Harvick and Ryan Preece, that is barely enough. Preece explained to Peter Stratta: “From the driver’s standpoint, I wish we would be able to go to a test and overshoot it. Give us too much and just have to dial it back from there because I feel like we need, I know a 1000 horsepower seems like a big number.” He added, “But in my eyes, with the car weighing 3,500 lbs, you’re going to need a big percentage increase to notice, I think what we’re trying to accomplish.” 

Ryan Preece has legitimate things to worry about this season. Whether it be his playoff battle or NASCAR’s Next-Gen, Preece is keeping himself busy – let us wait and see if he can succeed soon.