Brad Keselowski’s final race with RFK Racing didn’t end the way he wanted. And after five seasons spent helping rebuild the organization as both a driver and co-owner, he admitted the significance of Sunday night’s farewell hadn’t quite sunk in.
The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion finished 28th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, bringing an end to one of the more consequential partnerships of his NASCAR career.
Speaking with FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass after climbing out of his No. 6 Ford, Keselowski was still coming to terms with the moment.
“I ain’t soaked it all in yet,” Keselowski said, acknowledging that he wished the team could have delivered a better finish.
It had already been a difficult weekend. After a qualifying crash Saturday, Keselowski started at the rear of the field but managed to make progress during Sunday’s race.
“We were running decent. We started last, got up to 17th or 18th,” he explained.
From there, the afternoon became more about getting to the checkered flag than fighting for a strong result.
“Not the day we wanted.”
It was a frustrating conclusion for a driver who had invested considerably more than five seasons behind the wheel in RFK Racing’s future.
Brad Keselowski Shares Final Moment With Jack Roush
Before Sunday’s race, Keselowski shared a moment with NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Jack Roush on pit road.
Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern shared footage of the two speaking and shaking hands ahead of their final race together as ownership partners.
The interaction offered a glimpse of the relationship behind one of NASCAR’s most significant ownership arrangements in recent years.
Keselowski joined what was then Roush Fenway Racing in 2021, taking an ownership stake and an active leadership role as the organization prepared to become Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing for the 2022 season.
He wasn’t simply arriving to drive the No. 6 Ford. Keselowski was taking on the challenge of helping restore a once-dominant NASCAR organization to championship contention.
The transition came with its share of difficult stretches, but RFK gradually became more competitive.
Keselowski returned to Victory Lane at Darlington Raceway in May 2024, ending a Cup Series winless streak that had stretched back to April 2021. The victory also marked his first as an RFK driver and co-owner.
For a partnership built around the idea of rebuilding a race team, that afternoon represented an important milestone.
Sunday at Homestead marked the end of Keselowski’s time driving for the organization and serving in an active ownership capacity.
What’s Next for Brad Keselowski After RFK Racing?
Keselowski’s departure became official following an Oct. 31 announcement that he and RFK Racing had reached an agreement allowing him to pursue other NASCAR Cup Series opportunities beginning in 2027.
The arrangement also included plans for Keselowski to sell his 20% ownership stake. Although his active leadership responsibilities have ended, he remains a passive investor while the ownership transition moves forward.
The separation came after weeks of speculation surrounding his future, but Keselowski made one point clear when discussing the situation with reporters at Martinsville Speedway.
“I’m not ready to retire,” he said.
At 42, Keselowski still intends to compete, although he has not announced his next Cup Series destination.
That leaves one of NASCAR’s most experienced drivers facing an unusually uncertain offseason. For the first time since joining RFK, his next chapter will take shape somewhere outside the organization he helped lead.
His five-year tenure included difficult seasons, competitive improvements and a return to Victory Lane. It also fundamentally changed his role in NASCAR, giving him experience as both a driver and an owner.
Sunday’s 28th-place finish wasn’t the farewell Keselowski had envisioned. But the result was only one small part of a partnership that extended far beyond what happened on the racetrack.
And as Keselowski acknowledged afterward, he may need a little more time to fully appreciate that it’s over.
Brad Keselowski Runs Final Race as RFK Racing Driver and Co-Owner