Brad Keselowski isn’t ready to call it a career. And after weeks of uncertainty surrounding his future in NASCAR, the former Cup Series champion delivered a significant update Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
“I’m not ready to retire,” Keselowski told reporters during his highly anticipated Oct. 31 press conference.
The 2012 Cup Series champion confirmed that he and RFK Racing have reached an agreement allowing him to pursue driving opportunities with another organization beginning in 2027. Keselowski also revealed plans to sell his 20 percent ownership stake in the team, marking another major development in a partnership he once envisioned lasting the rest of his career.
Although Keselowski did not announce where he will race next season, he made it clear that he intends to remain in the Cup Series.
“There are a number of opportunities in front of me in the Cup Series for 2027 and beyond. There’s no doubt about that,” Keselowski said. “I’ve had a number of outreaches. I’m not going to get into the details of what those are at this time, but I’m eager and willing to execute one of them.”
The news comes just over a month after RFK Racing announced that Keselowski would leave the No. 6 Ford following the 2026 season.
Brad Keselowski Reflects on RFK Racing Split, Addresses Tensions
Despite the differences that ultimately brought his RFK Racing partnership to an end, Brad Keselowski isn’t looking back with bitterness.
During Saturday’s press conference at Martinsville Speedway, Keselowski acknowledged that reaching an agreement with the organization had been a difficult process. Still, he expressed relief that both sides had finally found a way forward.
“Well, I’m glad we got the deal done,” Keselowski said. “That was not a short putt. It was a long putt.”
“We certainly had our differences,” he said, adding that reasonable people can disagree.
When asked about the dynamics of the separation and whether he felt he had been treated fairly, Keselowski declined to assign blame. Instead, he reflected on what the experience had taught him.
“I don’t really want to get into the different dynamics of fair and unfair,” he said. “It was a journey… I’m better for it.”
Keselowski also addressed a question that has followed him since his departure from Team Penske: whether leaving one of NASCAR’s most successful organizations to help rebuild RFK Racing was ultimately worth the sacrifice.
He acknowledged hearing fans question that decision, particularly given the success he might have continued enjoying had he remained with Penske.
But even with his RFK chapter coming to a close, Keselowski insisted he has no regrets.
He pointed to the opportunity to help others succeed, contribute to the growth of an organization and develop personally through the experience.
“Did it cost me some wins? Yeah,” Keselowski said. “But I grew as a person.”
For a driver who left an established championship-caliber organization to take on the challenge of rebuilding another, that distinction matters.
Keselowski may not have gotten the ending he envisioned at RFK Racing, but he made clear that he doesn’t consider the years he invested there a mistake.
Brad Keselowski Reveals Why RFK Racing Partnership Is Ending
Keselowski explained that discussions about his future began approximately 11 months ago. He wanted to continue driving while maintaining an active role in the team’s competition operations, but his partners had a different vision.
“My partners saw that differently and we were not able to come to an agreement,” Keselowski said.
He characterized the disagreement as a difference of opinion rather than an adversarial situation, although negotiations eventually reached what he described as a “strong impasse.”
That changed when the two sides recently reached an agreement permitting Keselowski to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
RFK Racing confirmed Saturday that Keselowski will step away from his responsibilities in team governance, competition oversight and board participation, clearing the way for him to pursue driving opportunities elsewhere. Although he will temporarily retain his 20 percent ownership stake as a passive investor, Keselowski plans to sell that interest as well, completing his departure from the organization.
“I will begin the process of selling my 20 percent RFK equity, so I will have a full release for the rest of my career to do what I want,” he said. “That’s what’s in front of me right now.”
For Keselowski, the departure carries personal significance.
“I joined with the idea it would be my forever home,” he said. “That was really where my heart was and that didn’t play out. But there was a lot of good things that did happen.”
Brad Keselowski Announced Martinsville Press Conference Earlier This Week
Keselowski’s Saturday press conference came after weeks of uncertainty surrounding his NASCAR future, following the Sept. 29 announcement that he and RFK Racing would part ways as driver and team at the end of the 2026 season.
The decision brought an unexpected end to his five-year run behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford, leaving questions about where the 2012 Cup Series champion would race next and what his future relationship with RFK Racing might look like.
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Keselowski announced that he would address the media at Martinsville Speedway, acknowledging the considerable interest in his next chapter.
“The outpouring of support and interest in my future racing plans over the past few weeks has been truly humbling. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Keselowski said in a statement.
“I know there are still questions, and I plan to address several of them during my press conference Saturday morning at Martinsville Speedway. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience, encouragement and continued support. It means more than you know.”
The announcement also followed an Oct. 23 report from Sports Business Journal revealing that Keselowski had attempted to purchase RFK Racing outright. His bid was rejected by the organization’s other ownership interests, Roush Enterprises and Fenway Sports Group.
Saturday’s press conference provided some long-awaited clarity about Keselowski’s departure from RFK Racing, but the biggest question remains unanswered: Where will the former Cup Series champion race in 2027?
BREAKING: Brad Keselowski Declares ‘I’m Not Ready to Retire’ at Martinsville