RFK Racing has been making waves in the NASCAR world with their recent announcements. After months of rumors, the team has officially confirmed that Ryan Preece will join the organization in 2025 and will pilot the No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse full-time. Additionally, Kroger, a long-time sponsor, will move its primary sponsorship to RFK Racing, featuring nearly 20 brands on the race cars of Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Preece throughout the season.
Honoring the Partnership
RFK Racing is deeply honored to represent Kroger and expresses gratitude to Tad and Jodi Geschickter for making the partnership a reality. Steve Newmark, president of RFK Racing, stated in a team press release, "We’re thrilled to formally and publicly announce our expansion plans and the next step in our revolution at RFK. First, we’d like to thank Kroger and the vision of Tad and Jodi (Geschickter), without which we wouldn’t be in the position of growing with a third car in 2025 and beyond. Their commitment to us on behalf of Kroger has not only allowed us to fulfill our growth objectives in ways we’ve long desired, but also continue to push the envelope when it comes to finding the competitive edge needed to compete at the top level of NASCAR."The Selection of Preece
Newmark also expressed excitement over the selection of Preece to join the RFK Racing driver lineup in 2025. "Second, Ryan Preece is who we identified from day one when discussing this third entry, and his young talent from the grassroots level all the way up to the Cup Series is something that excites us moving forward," Newmark said. Preece, 34, is still seeking his first NASCAR Cup Series victory through 187 career starts. A native of Berlin, CT, he has four top-five finishes and 16 top-10s throughout his career. He first went full-time in the Cup Series in 2019 when he joined JTG Daugherty Racing as part of the Kroger Racing Family. After three seasons with JTG Daugherty Racing, he moved to a part-time season in 2022 before joining Stewart-Haas Racing as the full-time driver of the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in 2023. In the Summer of 2023, Preece survived a spectacular crash at Daytona International Speedway, barrel rolling numerous times down the backstretch. This past season, he collected the most top-fives (5) of any season of his NASCAR Cup Series career.Leasing a Charter
Following the initial announcement, Newmark confirmed in a virtual press conference that RFK Racing will lease a Charter from Rick Ware Racing in 2025 to accommodate the expansion to three full-time cars. Kroger, which enjoyed partnering with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for five seasons, saw the opportunity to grow their marketing presence to three different drivers in 2025 as something they couldn't pass up. Erin Sanchez, vice president of grocery for Kroger, said, "The Kroger Racing program and collaboration with participating brands has been a successful staple in Kroger’s portfolio for more than a decade. We’re very excited to be teaming up with RFK Racing and know having three drivers as members of the Kroger Racing Family will be an added benefit for all our brand sponsors involved with the program. The opportunity to utilize multiple drivers in their marketing strategies both in our stores and within their merchandising initiatives is something we’re all looking forward to with the start of the 2025 season."Primary Sponsorships
In addition to the Kroger partnership, RFK Racing will also have primary sponsorships in 2025 from longstanding partners including BuildSubmarines.com, Castrol, Fastenal, and many others. RFK Racing is a 143-time race-winning organization in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks and has won two championships (2003 and 2004). In 2022, Brad Keselowski joined the team as a driver and co-owner, and since his arrival, the organization has collected six wins between its two cars. The team hopes to expand on those numbers even further with a third full-time entry in 2025.Brands confirmed to be joining RFK Racing as sponsors through the Kroger Racing program in 2025 include Kimberly-Clark’s Cottonelle, Kleenex, Viva and Scott Brands, Coca-Cola, Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Mayonnaise, CELSIUS ESSENTIAL ENERGY, Blue Buffalo, Tree Top Apple Juice and Apple Sauce, Red Baron, and Allegra. Additional brands and paint schemes will be revealed at a later date.