Nightmare season continues as Brad Keselowski crashes from P2 at Kansas

Brad Keselowski has zero top tens after the first 12 races of the 2025 season, crashing out of five races and finding a new kind of misfortune around every turn. But Sunday at Kansas could have been a different story as Keselowski drove his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford Mustang from the very back of the field to challenge for the lead.

By the third stage, he powered around eventual race winner Kyle Larson and started closing in on Chase Elliott for the lead. But on Lap 194 of 267, misfortune found him yet again as he blew a right-rear tire and slammed the outside wall. Keselowski’s race was over, finishing 37th. He was among a handful of drivers who also suffered flat tires in practice as teams pushed the limits with air pressure.

This is his third consecutive DNF, leaving him with little to show for his efforts. So, instead of potentially winning his way into the playoffs, Keselowski remains trapped 32nd in the championship standings. 

“It was a good day,” said Keselowski after being released from the infield care center. “It was going to be a great day. Felt like we had a shot to win with our Ford Mustang. Pretty car, but it’s not pretty anymore. I didn’t really have much of a warning. Just went into Turn 1 and I heard a big ‘boom,’ and around it went. It’s unfortunate. We were playing to win and we were right in a spot to do just that and it didn’t come together.”

This is the worst start to a season Keselowski has ever experienced with his best result coming at Las Vegas, but that was only an 11th-place finish. Even as a part-time driver in 2009 while driving for three different teams, the rookie version of Keselowski enjoyed better overall finishes. The entirety of RFK Racing is still winless this year, but teammates Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece are sitting 12th and 16th in the standings, respectively.