Brad Keselowski After RFK Release: 'Racing in 2027 is Still Not a Guarantee'

RIDGEWAY, Va. -- Brad Keselowski secured his release from RFK Racing to drive for another organization in NASCAR but he said "not a guarantee" that he will race in 2027.

While Keselowski didn't make an announcement during Saturday's press conference, he gave some updates on recent moves for 2027 -- including the release "an hour" before.

Keselowski secured the release a month after announcing his split from RFK Racing. According to team president Chip Bowers, they wanted him to phase into more of a competition role while Keselowski wanted to continue racing.

After Bowers spoke at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Keselowski made a "very serious" offer to buy the organization. The offer didn't go through, leading to the release.

With the release, Keselowski is free to race for another organization next year and sell the 20% equity in the organization that he thought was his "forever home".

"When I joined RFK Racing, which would have been about five years ago now, I joined with the idea that it would be my forever home. That would be where I finished my career, transcend into management and ownership for the rest of my professional career in life. That was really where my heart was and it didn’t play out the way that we hoped it would but there were a lot of good things that did happen," Keselowski said.

RFK Racing's value "doubled" and sponsorship "doubled" during his time there. The organization also more than tripled their wins total in the last five seasons compared to the five before. 

That is where Keselowski's value lies now. Despite being a past Cup champion, he is now 43 years old and has won once in the past five seasons with two postseason appearances in that time.

Where Keselowski's value is used is an open book, according to his opening statement on the release Saturday. He hinted at the release freeing him from restrictions that would keep him from racing as a Cup driver or as a Truck owner-driver in 2027.

Ultimately, he is working to sell himself "whether that's a driver, owner or manager," as he said Saturday.

"So, a little bit about those opportunities. That’s probably the thought that everybody has and I have those thoughts too. There are a number of opportunities in front of me in the Cup Series for 2027 and beyond," he said. "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 part of the 2027 season as a manager in NASCAR and a driver."

Keselowski hinted at "a couple announcements... in the next few months in a similar vein" that NASCAR will "feel the effect of" in a positive way. 

Where Keselowski falls into that is unknown but he feels like he controls his own destiny.

Veteran drivers have also been known to drop down to Trucks or NOAPS. Keselowski is open to it, as long as he can be a winner or a champion. Dropping to Trucks could open the door for being the first to win all three national series titles, which interests him.

Many have pointed to Kaulig Racing as they have hinted at a move to the Stellantis-owned Dodge brand in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kaulig competes with the Stellantis-owned Ram Trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which Keselowski didn't rule out.

“I would say that everything is on the table. I have not had a meaningful discussion with Dodge or RAM. I’m certainly very open-minded to it, alongside all of the OEMs. I haven’t given up on a relationship with Ford in the future as well, along with the other two OEMs of Chevrolet and Toyota. Everything is on the table right now for me," he said.

Keselowski is still unsure about what 2027 looks like, however.

"We’re gonna have to grind really hard to get a deal done for next year. I know that and I’m committed to doing that. I don’t have a deal done right now, but there are some really good opportunities but nothing is ever done until it’s done," Keselowski said.

Keselowski hinted at the "limited eligibility" for the 2027 Clash and All-Star Race and "different circumstances" in the Cup Series that could mean a deal could come together as late as February.

Whatever Keselowski lands on, he said ownership or management doesn't have to be a requirement for it. He values it, however. 

"I love it. I just having my hands in it, love being part of it, love being in the success story... knowing we had three chances to win every week. I find that incredibly rewarding, I find other people's success more rewarding than my own sometimes... Being a driver is a lot of fun and there are some great aspects of it, there are some points where it's incredibly frustrating. It's akin to having children. Good days, you're so proud of them and you say, 'that's my kid!'. Bad days, you want to pull your hair out and scream but there are more good days than bad days," Keselowski said.

Although Keselowski is set to leave RFK Racing, he has two races to go with his No. 6 team. As Talladega Superspeedway showed, when he conspired with his teammates to hoodwink the fuel-saving field in the first stage, he's giving it his all.

"I'd like to think my effort level is the same as if we're coming back next season. I don't think our move at Talladega had anything to do with whether I'm returning or not. It had to do with a team of people willing to make a move that was different... and not be afraid of the consequences if it didn't succeed... It didn't happen as a complete accident, there were a lot of smart people analyzing this move and deciding to go for it," Keselowski said.

Keselowski starts 23rd in Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway. His best NextGen finish at Martinsville is ninth in fall of 2024 when he led 170 of 500 laps. He finished 13th in the spring.