NASCAR silly season is already starting to come to a close, and ahead of Sunday’s Brickyard 400, RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski announced another domino would be taken off the board following the team’s decision regarding Ryan Preece and the No. 60 car.
Speaking to reporters after Cup Series qualifying on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Keselowski announced that RFK exercised the team option on Preece to return for the 2027 season.
It’s the second big move in as many months for RFK. Back in June, the team signed Chris Buescher to a multiyear contract extension that will keep him behind the wheel of the No. 17 car in the Cup Series for years to come. That left Preece’s future at RFK as the lone uncertainty, which felt a bit more unclear considering the team is losing its third charter next year with Legacy Motor Club taking over the charter that was originally owned by Rick Ware Racing.
RFK made it clear months ago that it still wanted to run three cars full-time in 2027. Even without a third charter for next year, RFK president Chip Bowers previously stated he envisioned having Keselowski, Buescher, and Preece all staying put next season. While there is still no clear answer on which of the drivers might be running in an open car, all three will have Cup rides in 2027.
The specific language that Keselowski used regarding Preece is notable. Rather than signing him to a multiyear extension, as RFK did with Buescher, the team is only picking up the 2027 option on his contract. That would certainly suggest that Preece could be racing for his job next season.
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The absence of a multiyear deal might have a lot to do with Preece’s recent on-track results. Ahead of Sunday’s Brickyard 400, Preece ranks 21st in average finishing position (18.8) over the last six races, and he is 20th in that same category (19.1) over the last 15 races, per DriverAverages.com.
Preece did finish 10th last weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway, giving him three top-11 finishes in the last six races. However, he still ranks 18th in points (447) and 48 points below the Chase cutline with five races remaining in the regular season. If he misses the 10-race Chase this year and underperforms again in 2027, it seems reasonable to believe that RFK will look for a potential replacement in the No. 60 car before the 2028 season.
More must-reads:
- NASCAR O’Reilly Series Standings Right Now: OReilly Series Points Leaders After Today, The Chase Cutline
- NASCAR O’Reilly Results Today: Pennzoil 250 Results, NASCAR OARS Stage Results at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Brickyard 400 Lineup: NASCAR Starting Grid for Sunday after Cup Series Qualifying Results
