Exciting times are ahead for RFK Racing. The team is expected to announce the impending arrival of Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Preece soon, while Kroger is also expected to join as a big-ticket sponsor for the 2025 campaign. With performances on an upswing and ambitions of expansion finally becoming a reality, owner-driver Brad Keselowski has plenty to look forward to during the off-season. Is the timing right for the Cup Series side to justify making such a significant move?

With Stewart-Haas Racing having ceased operations at the end of the 2024 season, the move to RFK Racing is Ryan Preece’s only opportunity to compete in the Cup Series. Could the 34-year-old revive his NASCAR career after two tumultuous years behind the wheel of the No. 41 Ford?

Ryan Preece finds a NASCAR lifeline in RFK Racing

Ryan Preece has had quite an underwhelming season, hasn’t he? The Connecticut native finished in the top five only once all year, which was a fourth-place result at Nashville Superspeedway. Apart from the one-off performance, the racing driver finished the season 26th in the driver standings, leading only two laps in 36 races. With these factors taken into account, it’s not surprising that he’s the only Stewart-Haas Racing driver without an official seat for 2025 while Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, and Noah Gragson have been snapped up.

However, NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp believes that Ryan Preece’s move to RFK Racing could prove to be a game-changer. He said, “Ryan Preece at RFK Racing next year should be a playoff contender. I don’t think I’ll pick them to make the playoffs. If Preece does make the playoffs next year in RFK equipment, I wouldn’t be shocked. I do think he’s that good. He’s been around long enough, he’s just waiting for this kind of opportunity. Preece to RFK, I’m a fan of the move.”

While there is no official announcement yet, Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran confirmed the move while he was speaking about the wet weather tire test on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. He said, “So, at Homestead, we had the 42 car with John Hunter in it, 48 with Bowman, and then Preece was in the 60 car, which is his drive for next year.” While it’s unclear if RFK Racing will be buying or leasing a charter, the team will not be fielding the No. 60 car in the ‘open’ category, as it will result in a significant increase in costs.

With Kroger joining in, RFK Racing will have the financial resources to expand its Cup Series operations. The retail giant will be departing from JTG Daughtery Racing, a team Ryan Preece has raced for in the past, featuring the sponsor’s brand name 55 times on the hood of his car from 2019 to 2021. Some might say the 34-year-old hasn’t had the opportunity to show his true potential at Stewart-Haas Racing, especially given the limited resources and equipment. Will he fare better in Brad Keselowski’s team? Time will tell.

Stewart-Haas Racing omitted Preece from a farewell video

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It’s the end of an era. Stewart-Haas Racing finally closed the curtains on their involvement in NASCAR when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway. The team won two Cup Series titles since its inception, with Tony Stewart lifting the Bill France Cup in 2011 and Kevin Harvick repeating the achievement in 2014. Despite the chaos and drama because of their circumstances this year, Chase Briscoe miraculously made it to the Round of 12 before being eliminated.

After the race at ‘the desert oddball’, Stewart-Haas Racing shared a video on social media captioned, “Racers turned teammates turned friends.” The video only featured Noah Gragson, Josh Berry, and Chase Briscoe, while Ryan Preece was surprisingly absent. It wasn’t the first time the 34-year-old had been excluded from a team activity, as journalist Toby Christie posted on X earlier this year about a ‘study group’ the three drivers were involved in, to which Preece replied, “Study group that I wasn’t aware of 🤷🏻‍♂️.”

While all doesn’t seem to be right within the Stewart-Haas Racing camp, Ryan Preece will be relieved that his two years in the team have finally come to an end. A move to RFK Racing will be a significant step up in his racing career and an opportunity he will be eager to grab with both hands. Partnering with Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, the Connecticut native will hope to live up to the expectations placed on him and prove his doubters wrong once and for all.