RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski shocked the NASCAR world on Tuesday in announcing that the long-time Cup Series driver and team co-owner wouldn’t be back with the organization for 2027. While the future for both driver and team are still unclear, some early NASCAR rumors have shed light on what could happen next season.
Appearing on Sirius XM, The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi reported that John Hunter Nemechek has been discussed as a potential option to drive the No. 6 car full-time for RFK Racing next season.
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In an official statement, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing made it clear that it intends to run three full-time drivers next season in the Cup Series. However, with its lease for Rick Ware Racing’s charter expiring, one of the three will have to run in an open car for the entirety of the 2027 season.
As of August, Keselowski had seemed fully committed to RFK with a three-driver team of himself, Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher. The assumption was that Preece would race in the open car, No. 60, with Keselowski and Buescher getting the chartered seats that guarantee a spot in each Cup race and provide a purse for the driver.
However, per Bianchi, Kroger didn’t want to sponsor an open carter and wanted it written into their sponsorship contract with RFK that they would have a chartered car represent them on the track. With Keselowski gone, it stands to reason that Kroger and Preece will get what they’ve wanted.
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Nemechek, age 29, is winless in 143 career Cup Series races and is currently without a ride for the 2027 season. Legacy Motor Club decided to move on from him late this summer, replacing him with Josh Berry after Wood Brothers Racing signed Jesse Love to drive the No. 21 car full-time next year.
Based purely on on-track performance, it would be difficult to understand why RFK might pursue Nemechek as its replacement for Keselowski. Through 30 races this season, per DriverAverages.com, he ranks 26th in points (489) and his average finishing position (21.7) is one of the worst in the field. However, he does have strong financial backing and that factor has to be considered with the No. 6 likely to be an open car in 2027.
Going from Keselowski to Nemechek would certainly be a downgrade for RFK, and NASCAR drivers likely won’t be happy that a peer who many believe is responsible for causing a lot of wrecks and being more of an obstacle on the track than a competitor could somehow still have a full-time Cup ride in 2027 despite consistently underperforming with each opportunity he’s given.
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