On Tuesday, the worst kept secret of silly season was finally announced. RFK Racing will be adding a third fulltime team to their Cup Series roster. As was previously reported, Kroger will be leaving JTG Daugherty to join RFK Racing. Along with the big-ticket sponsor, RFK Racing will expand to three teams, tabbing Ryan Preece to pilot the #60 Ford Mustang in 2025. For Preece, it will be a reunion with Kroger, as they sponsored his #37 JTG entry during his first stint in the Cup Series. Once it was reported Kroger would be heading to RFK, Preece seemed to be the only choice for the ride. Kroger enjoyed their previous working relationship. Meanwhile, Ford retains the 3/4 of the Stewart-Haas Racing Cup drivers in their ranks.
It's been a long time coming. 😏🛒
Kroger, the No. 60, and Ryan Preece are all headed to RFK Racing for 2025. pic.twitter.com/naqTMolnP4
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) November 19, 2024
Per the team’s announcement, Kroger will the primary sponsor for all three RFK entries at some point during the season. However, it will predominately be featured on Preece’s 60 car. With this new team, it will be a chartered entry. That charter will be coming from Rick Ware Racing, in the form of a lease (rather than a purchase). With that lease, there will be eyes on RFK Racing in the charter market throughout silly season. Could this turn into a lease-then-buy with Rick Ware or will there be another team to sell a charter?
Outside of the expansion announcement, there are no further details in terms of personnel. In RFK Racing’s announcement, notable sponsors such as BuildSubmarines.Com, Castrol, and Fastenal were confirmed as returning. As for crew chiefs for the teams next year, Scott Graves seems to be the only known right now. With the departure of Matt McCall, RFK Racing will be adding on at least two new crew chiefs for next season.
Although the formal announcement does not come as a surprise, some scratch their head at the decision to pick Ryan Preece. Preece’s Cup career has been less than impressive, only netting 4 Top-5s in 187 starts. His second go-around in Cup with Stewart-Hass Racing did not boost the performance of the 41. During the past 2 seasons, Preece has only managed 42 lead lap finishes with an average finish outside the Top-20. To say this may be an underwhelming choice would be an understatement. Prior to the rumors popping up, the thought was that Preece would return to a lower series or the Whelen Modified Series. Instead, he now joins a team on the rise.
Now, it is widely known that the Preece hiring did come down to sponsor’s preference. As mentioned previously, Kroger enjoyed their time working with Ryan Preece. When a sponsor is throwing around enough money to start a new fulltime team, you have to respect their wishes to a certain extent.
The big question will be how well can Ryan Preece do with RFK Racing. While his career to this point has not been stellar, this is the best opportunity in Cup Preece will enjoy. During his first 3 seasons, he joined a team firmly stuck in the middle of the pack. Outside of superspeedways, JTG Daugherty were seldomly competitive. Fast forward to joining SHR, that team was already in the midst of their decline. After 2 seasons there, the team is shutting down.
On the flip side, RFK Racing has been on the rise since Brad Keselowski bought into the ownership group. The team has at least 1 win in each season since 2022. Last year marked the first time both Chris Buescher and Keselowski won a race. While Buescher missed the playoffs, his average finish ranked seventh in Cup (best of the Fords) and finished 11th in points scored. Keselowski’s playoff run was brief, but he collected his most Top-5s and first win as an owner. Also, Joey Hand battled for the Chicago win in the Stage 60 entry. All things considered, things are still looking up for RFK Racing. With the newly acquired sponsor and third team, that growth should only flourish.
As for Ryan Preece, last season was a bit of a career best. Although his average finish from 2023 was a tick better, Preece racked up the most Top-10s of his career along with his highest lead lap count. Additionally, the newly minted RFK driver ended the season on a strong note. Out of the final 13 races, Preece finished Top-10 in 3 and Top-20 in 9. What is promising about those results is the variety of tracks. While Preece is known for his short track resume, he found positive finishes at intermediates, road courses, and superspeedways. If Preece found something at the end of his SHR career, that could bolster his odds for 2025.
With that said, there should be little expectation to see Ryan Preece outpacing Keselowski or Buescher. Outside of Martinsville and Richmond, the #60 car will firmly be the third of three fulltime entries. Preece still needs to prove he can run well consistently at the Cup level. His lower series performances demonstrate promise, but it is unfulfilled through his first 5 season in Cup. Yet, 2025 could be an extremely successful season for Preece. Barring drastic changes to the playoff format, a win would lock him into the playoffs and the 2025 schedule seems friendlier to Ford. Striking the cord at the right time could lead to success for Preece and the 60 team. Crazier things have happened in NASCAR.
