10/31/2026 11:27:00
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10/31 11:25 CDT Brad Keselowski granted release to explore NASCAR rides, will
sell stake in RFK Racing
Brad Keselowski granted release to explore NASCAR rides, will sell stake in RFK
Racing
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) --- Brad Keselowski has been granted permission to
pursue other NASCAR opportunities for the 2027 season and will sell his 20%
equity stake in Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Keselowski announced a month ago that he was leaving the Cup Series team he
joined as a driver, competition executive and part-owner five years ago, but he
had been restricted from exploring rides with other teams despite his driving
contract expiring after the 2026 season. He said the team granted him a verbal
release Saturday, an hour before his news conference at Martinsville Speedway,
and he is allowed to drive for any team or manufacturer in NASCAR next season.
"I'm ready to be elite for the next opportunity, whether driver, owner or
manager," said Keselowski, who read from a prepared statement before taking
questions. "There are a number of opportunities in front of me in the Cup
series for 2027 and beyond. 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 and to be a part of the 2027 season as a manager and a
driver.
"Now that I've been granted the release, I can meaningfully engage in the
opportunities that exist. I was more or less taking phone calls and unable to
do much with them."
Keselowski wants to remain in the Cup Series but said he also would be open to
racing full time in the Craftsman Truck Series, which would give him a shot at
becoming the first champion in NASCAR's top three national series.
He has some longtime ties with Dodge, which reentered the truck series with its
Ram brand this season and is mulling a move into the Cup Series next year.
Keselowski won the 2012 Cup championship with Dodge in the manufacturer's most
recent season at NASCAR's premier level. His late father, Bob, also had a
Dodge-affiliated truck team.
Keselowski has driven the past 14 seasons for Ford with Team Penske, and RFK
and said he would consider driving for any manufacturer next season.
"I have not had a meaningful discussion with Dodge or Ram," he said. "I'm
certainly very open-minded to it. I haven't given up on continuing a
relationship with Ford, along with Chevrolet and Toyota. Everything's on the
table right now."
Keselowski said he was confident of continuing a NASCAR national series career
that began in 2004.
"But there's a level of uncertainty for sure," he said. "Nothing comes easy in
this sport. We're going to have to grind really hard to get a deal done for
next year."
Keselowski has 36 Cup victories, most recently at Darlington Raceway in May
2024. He has only six top-10 finishes in 34 starts this season but believes he
can still be a winner in NASCAR as a driver, manager and team owner.
"To not be able to race would be devastating to me," he said. "This is my life
and career. I'm not ready to be done."
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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