Keselowski Non-Committal, But Confident On 2027 Plans

Brad Keselowski (Matthew Thacker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Thomas Hughes, SWN Staff Writer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 31, 2026) — Brad Keselowski’s future in the NASCAR Cup Series remains uncertain, but the 2012 champion believes he’s one step closer to securing a ride for 2027.

Speaking to reporters Saturday morning at Martinsville Speedway, Keselowski stopped short of announcing his plans for next season. However, he expressed optimism about continuing his racing career after reaching an agreement with RFK Racing that allows him to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

“Racing in the 2027 season is not a guarantee — although it became a lot clearer, and the path to get there is probably a little more visible recently,” Keselowski said. “To not be able to race, though, would be devastating to me. This is my life. This is what I love to do. I’ve worked my whole career and done all the things that you would want to do, but I’m not ready to be done.”

Keselowski also revealed several details about what has transpired over the past couple of months. He was granted his release roughly an hour before his 11 a.m. ET press conference, freeing him to negotiate with other teams and manufacturers and opening the door to Cup Series opportunities that previously weren’t possible.

“I am confident something is going to work out,” Keselowski said. “I don’t know what that is right now.”

Negotiations to extend Keselowski began 11 months ago and eventually reached a stalemate. Keselowski wished to continue in his existing driver role for years to come, while maintaining a competition role.

“My partners saw that differently and we were not able to come to an agreement,” Keselowski said of the differing opinions.

According to Keselowski, RFK Racing informed him that it would not stand in his way of pursuing other opportunities, eventually agreeing to buy out his driving contract.

While Keselowski will leave his driving and management roles with the organization, he will remain a passive investor as he works toward selling his 20 percent equity stake.

As for what’s next, Keselowski said he’s keeping his options open. He voiced that anything’s on the table — specifying that “no door is closed” but adding that he can’t speak from others’ perspectives — and that includes the opportunity to return to Ford.

As for Dodge potentially joining the Cup Series as a new OEM, he hasn’t had a meaningful conversation with either Dodge or RAM, but he’s open-minded to it. Could the prospect of Dodge entering the Cup Series and potentially acquiring multiple charters entice Keselowski?  

“There is some — whether that’s true or not — speculation around some of those charters becoming available,” Keselowski said. “I have not had that conversation with anyone. If it did come to fruition, I’d be very interested in participating. But I don’t know how real that is.” 

And why does he want to be not just a driver — but an owner, too? 

“I don’t view it as more stress,” Keselowski said. “I just like having my hands in it. I love being a part of it, being part of the success story. In particular, what I really loved as an owner [with RFK] and the role of management that I’ve had over the last few years is knowing that we had three chances to win every weekend.”

Keselowski, 42, won the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2012 and won the Nationwide Series title two years prior. In 19 years of Cup competition — his first race came in 2008, and he went full-time two seasons later — Keselowski has 36 wins and 282 top-10 finishes.

His last win came in the 2024 Goodyear 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. 

After a sixth-place points finish during his final year with Team Penske in 2021, Keselowski joined RFK as a driver-owner, reaching the playoffs in both 2023 and 2024.

Keselowski has won one race — the aforementioned 2024 Darlington race — in four-plus seasons with RFK. Thirty-four of his 36 wins came with Team Penske.

This season, Keselowski missed the NASCAR Chase for the Cup and sits in 19th place in the season standings. He is 35 points behind Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen (739 points to Keselowski’s 704) and two behind van Gisbergen’s teammate Ross Chastain (706).

Keselowski has recorded two top-five finishes and six top 10s this season, including a fifth-place result in the Daytona 500 and a runner-up finish to Tyler Reddick at Darlington in April.

Keselowski was the lone RFK driver to miss the Chase, while teammates Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher are currently 15th and 16th in points, respectively.

“We’re still giving our all,” Keselowski said. “I would like to think my effort level for the remainder of the season is the same as if I was coming back next year or not.”

Keselowski has two races remaining in his tenure with RFK, starting with the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. The race broadcast is set for Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.