By Jerry Jordan, Editor
LAS VEGAS – RFK Racing president Chip Bowers insisted Saturday that the team’s split with Brad Keselowski was not acrimonious, denying reports of a rift with co-owner Fenway Sports Group and saying the two sides simply wanted different things for the next chapter of the organization.
“We just weren’t aligned with that, and that happens sometimes,” Bowers said during a press conference at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Roughly 45 minutes earlier, Keselowski officially addressed reporters in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center for the first time since announcing Tuesday that he will leave RFK at the end of the 2026 season. He confirmed his driving contract was expiring and he would be divesting his ownership.
Despite a departure that stunned the racing community, Keselowski said his driving career is far from finished.
“It’s been a hell of a ride,” Keselowski said. “My career is not over.”
Months Of Talks, Different Visions
Bowers said he and Keselowski’s team worked for months trying to find a path forward and both were surprised they could not come to an agreement.
“These decisions are not made lightly,” Bowers said.
The core disagreement, Bowers explained, was about Keselowski’s role. Keselowski wants to keep driving for the foreseeable future – Bowers said five-plus years is the target – while the team wanted him to transition toward a full-time focus as the competition director over the next two to three years.
Bowers pointed to everything Keselowski balanced as driver, head of competition, minority owner, businessman and father and said the team wants a competition leader with a round-the-clock commitment as it chases e Tier 1 status alongside Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing.
“He really has an interest in being a race car driver for the foreseeable future,” Bowers said. “We applaud that.”
Because Keselowski’s roles as driver, head of competition and investor were wrapped into one agreement, Bowers said a single decision created a domino effect for all the others. He acknowledged the complications if Keselowski drives for a non-Ford organization next season given the proprietary information involved.
“One key decision unfortunately creates a domino effect for all the other ones, and that’s what ultimately led us to where we are,” Bowers said.
No Rift, No Restrictions
The split followed reports and speculation this week, including from The Athletic, that disagreements with the Fenway Sports Group helped drive the decision. Bowers rejected that characterization outright.
“Could not be further from the truth,” Bowers said. “There is no adversarial relationship; we are all still friends. It doesn’t mean that it was acrimonious because it wasn’t,” he added.
Bowers also confirmed the team will not stand in Keselowski’s way, saying there is no non-compete agreement that prevents him from driving, owning or leading a different team in 2027.
“We’re not going to hold Brad captive,” Bowers said. “If Brad would like to go race somewhere else, if Brad would like to be an owner somewhere else, if Brad would like to lead competition somewhere else, he’s more than happy to do so.”
The two sides are still working through the details of Keselowski’s equity stake privately.
Sponsors And The Third Car
Bowers said none of the team’s sponsorship is tied to Keselowski.
“Zero,” Bowers said when asked how much sponsorship the team might have to replace.
He added that partner Kroger never required the team to field a chartered third car and said there was no hidden trigger behind the split.
“There was no smoking gun here,” Bowers said.
The team remains committed to fielding three cars in 2027 and is aggressively pursuing a third charter, with ownership prepared to buy one when the right deal emerges. Bowers said the team hired CAA Sports to assist with the search for its third driver and has embraced the possibility of running an open car if needed.
“We will buy a charter and we will pay for it,” Bowers said. “We have wholeheartedly embraced as an organization the reality that we may have to run open next year.”
He said the message from ownership has been the opposite of slowing down. “Hit the gas!”
Keselowski Looks Ahead
Keselowski confirmed his five-year contract simply ran its course.
“Well, you know, I had a five-year contract with RFK Racing and this was the end of the contract,” he said.
Keselowski said the split did not catch him off guard.
“I had a pretty good idea that this was in the works for the last few months,” he said, adding that he is already fielding opportunities, with a decision expected in the next couple of months. When pressed for details on how it came about, he smiled and deflected – “not today Jordan” – saying there was nothing to add beyond the statements.
“I wouldn’t say I’m not worried, but I like some of the things that have been thrown at me and I’m waiting on a few more things to be thrown at me and I think it would be okay,” Keselowski added. “There’s enough interest where I’m confident that I’ll be somewhere next year.”
When questioned by Motorsport.com’s Matt Weaver, Keselowski declined to say whether any path remains for him to stay in the No. 6 car. “I can’t comment on that.”
“I’m open to everything,” Keselowski added. “I’m just going to look for the best opportunity that comes at me and then make a decision.”
Keselowski left the door open about whether this was the end of his ownership role in NASCAR.
“Doubtful. We’ll see,” he said.
Keselowski, who won the Xfinity Series championship in 2010 and the Cup Series title in 2012, also confirmed his interest in adding a Truck Series crown to become the first driver to win championships in all three of NASCAR’s national series.
“Absolutely,” he said. “That’s something that I’m absolutely interested in.”
Praise Both Ways
For all the business mechanics, both men spoke warmly of each other.
“He is not just a consummate professional and future Hall of Fame race car driver, but he’s also an incredible person,” Bowers said of Keselowski. “He’ll be an important chapter in our organization’s history, and he will not find bigger fans in the garage or in life than the people associated with our organization.”
Bowers credited Keselowski with much of the team’s turnaround: “A lot of the reasons why we are competitive today are thankfully because of Brad.”
Keselowski said he is proud of what the team accomplished.
“Well, I’m really proud of the things that we’ve done and the people that I’ve been able to work with and see grow and develop,” Keselowski said. “You always hate to leave that.”
He called it “an interesting week to say the least, full of highs and lows,” and said the reaction caught him off guard.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the different fan reactions and media attention that this has garnered,” he said. “I did not expect that.”