Dale Earnhardt Jr. has defended Brad Keselowski’s work at RFK Racing as the team prepares to part ways with the driver after the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Keselowski and RFK Racing confirmed the split, with team president Chip Bowers citing different views on Keselowski’s future role.
Keselowski wanted to continue racing, while the organization wanted him to focus more on competition management.
On his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt Jr. said the decision to end the partnership should not erase Keselowski’s progress. He pointed to changes in the race shop, higher staff standards, and stronger on-track results.
Earnhardt Jr. also defended the team’s reported no-hoodie rule, saying Keselowski wanted to build a more professional culture and improve RFK Racing’s standing in NASCAR.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Defends Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing
Earnhardt Jr. said he didn’t know all the details behind the split because he hadn’t spoken with Keselowski about the decision. However, he believes Keselowski achieved many of his goals at RFK Racing.
“I’ve thought a lot about this, but, Brad, I don’t know. I don’t; I’ve not talked to Brad. I’ve not got real information around exactly how it went when Brad got over there, but I’ll tell you this: what Brad was trying to accomplish, he accomplished.”
Earnhardt Jr. highlighted changes inside the RFK Racing shop. He recalled the team cleaning the facility, painting the floors, and selling old equipment, including parts and tools from the previous Gen 6 car era.
“My opinion was that the culture was changing. They were changing. He went to that race shop, and the perception was the floors were dirty. Shit was laying everywhere. They cleaned it up, painted the floors, fixed it up nice so that when someone went into that building to work, they felt like there was more pride, more respect, more appreciation.”
He said those changes helped create a workplace where employees could take greater pride in the organization.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Explains RFK Racing’s No-Hoodie Rule
Earnhardt Jr. also defended RFK Racing’s reported no-hoodie rule and other dress-code standards. Some fans have mocked the policy, but he said Keselowski wanted employees to present a professional image to sponsors and business partners.
Earnhardt Jr. explained that Keselowski was prepared to provide team clothing and set clear expectations for how staff should dress when visitors came to the shop.
He used a potential sponsorship meeting as an example, saying Keselowski wanted employees to wear the right clothing without needing a last-minute reminder before a sponsor visit.
“So he was just trying to bring a new feel to this place, and it was working.”
He also linked the policy to RFK Racing’s effort to gain stronger support from Ford and outside partners. Earnhardt Jr. argued that a team seeking to compete with top organizations such as Team Penske needed to build a similar professional culture.
He said the changes were part of an effort to move RFK Racing from a lower-tier operation toward the level of leading NASCAR teams.
Brad Keselowski’s RFK Racing Changes Bring Results
Earnhardt Jr. said RFK Racing’s progress also showed in its race results. Before Keselowski’s influence, he recalled the team struggling to compete near the front, with both cars sometimes finishing around 35th.
He said finishes between 12th and 15th later represented a clear improvement, before the team returned to winning races.
“They started running better. They started winning races. I’m gonna tell you, man, before Brad, dude, things weren’t good,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
He added that the end of the partnership did not mean Keselowski’s work had failed.
“Just cause it ended this way doesn’t mean that wasn’t a success.”
Keselowski and RFK Racing will go their separate ways after the 2026 season. The team will continue without him as a driver and owner, while the specific details behind the split remain unclear publicly.
Earnhardt Jr.’s comments defend Keselowski’s time at RFK Racing, pointing to shop changes, a stronger professional image, and improved results as signs of progress despite the coming split.
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