Brad Keselowski granted release to explore NASCAR rides, will sell stake in RFK Racing

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Brad Keselowski has been granted permission to pursue other NASCAR opportunities for the 2027 season and will sell his 20% equity stake in Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

Keselowski announced a month ago that he was leaving the Cup Series team he joined as a driver, competition executive and part-owner five years ago, but he had been restricted from exploring rides with other teams despite his driving contract expiring after the 2026 season. He said the team granted him a verbal release Saturday, an hour before his news conference at Martinsville Speedway, and he is allowed to drive for any team or manufacturer in NASCAR next season.

“I’m ready to be elite for the next opportunity, whether driver, owner or manager,” said Keselowski, who read from a prepared statement before taking questions. “There are a number of opportunities in front of me in the Cup series for 2027 and beyond. 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 a part of the 2027 season as a manager and a driver.

“Now that I’ve been granted the release, I can meaningfully engage in the opportunities that exist. I was more or less taking phone calls and unable to do much with them.”

Keselowski wants to remain in the Cup Series but said he also would be open to racing full time in the Craftsman Truck Series, which would give him a shot at becoming the first champion in NASCAR’s top three national series.

He has some longtime ties with Dodge, which reentered the truck series with its Ram brand this season and is mulling a move into the Cup Series next year. Keselowski won the 2012 Cup championship with Dodge in the manufacturer’s most recent season at NASCAR’s premier level. His late father, Bob, also had a Dodge-affiliated truck team.

Keselowski has driven the past 14 seasons for Ford with Team Penske, and RFK and said he would consider driving for any manufacturer next season.

“I have not had a meaningful discussion with Dodge or Ram,” he said. “I’m certainly very open-minded to it. I haven’t given up on continuing a relationship with Ford, along with Chevrolet and Toyota. Everything’s on the table right now.”

Keselowski said he was confident of continuing a NASCAR national series career that began in 2004.

“But there’s a level of uncertainty for sure,” he said. “Nothing comes easy in this sport. We’re going to have to grind really hard to get a deal done for next year.”

Keselowski has 36 Cup victories, most recently at Darlington Raceway in May 2024. He has only six top-10 finishes in 34 starts this season but believes he can still be a winner in NASCAR as a driver, manager and team owner.

“To not be able to race would be devastating to me,” he said. “This is my life and career. I’m not ready to be done.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Brad Keselowski granted release to explore NASCAR rides, will sell stake in RFK Racing appeared first on KOB 4.