Ryan Preece’s 2025 NASCAR campaign with RFK Racing has taken fans by surprise as the team’s chemistry, developed late and under pressure, powers their impressive competitiveness. The season started with uncertainty; the No. 41 team was assembled hastily, with a crew chief only confirmed by the end of January. Despite the rocky start, Preece and his crew have solidified their collaboration, allowing them to steadily climb the standings and challenge established competitors.

This late formation of team bonds has been key for Preece, whose initial setbacks have given way to growing confidence and results. The building of trust and communication within the team has transformed RFK Racing into a more formidable presence on the track, highlighting the importance of interpersonal connection alongside technical skill.

Forging Teamwork Amid Early Challenges

Ryan Preece reflected on the unique conditions that shaped RFK Racing’s early 2025 season drama. The team was a last-minute creation, lacking a crew chief for weeks. Preece shared candidly with Dale Earnhardt Jr. about how they only secured Derek as crew chief late in January, describing it as “the wildest thing” with the team basically built on the fly before the Daytona season opener.

Though the initial races were modest — including a 27th place finish at the Daytona 500 — RFK Racing’s performances have steadily improved. In the five points-paying races leading into August, Preece found three top-12 finishes, such as eighth at New Hampshire and sixth at Iowa Speedway. These results demonstrate not just speed but a strategic maturity in race execution that bodes well for the remainder of the season.

On the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Preece emphasized the cultural changes fueling this progress:

“I think the biggest thing is the support system that RFK’s had. Like we have a strength coach, and I enjoy the conversations that we have, and one of them is ‘love the process so the process can love you back’, and I live by that.”

This mindset signals a shift toward mutual commitment and transparent communication as pillars for the team’s growth.

A pivotal moment in this transformation arose during an honest and vulnerable discussion between Preece and Derek. He recounted,

“I remember going into his office…….. Like I am just trying to explain what I need, and I remember looking at him and I can see this blank stare back, and I’m like ‘am I confusing you?’ And he looked at me and said ‘yes’. But I wanted that honesty, and from there on out, I was like ‘I’m doing more harm than I am good’.”

This candid exchange fostered stronger trust and improved collaboration, reducing second guessing and allowing a clearer direction forward.

Teammate Influence and Upcoming Opportunities

With new team harmony established, Preece has focused on execution and drawn on the leadership resources within RFK Racing. He holds teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher in high regard for their skill and competitive drive. Preece said,

“I hold Chris to a pedestal… Chris is good at getting that extra bit of speed, and I’m trying to find where we can keep getting that.”

About Keselowski, he added,

“Brad has been fast as shit lately, and just things haven’t worked out. But I think these next fourteen races… there’s an opportunity to win.”

Some of the remaining tracks on the calendar could favor RFK Racing’s current strengths. Preece singled out Iowa, where he earned a top-10 finish, alongside circuits like Watkins Glen and Daytona, for their suitability to the team’s vehicles and setup style. With 14 races remaining in the regular season, the combination of short technical ovals and speed-favoring tracks offers real chances for RFK to break through with a win.

Among the team’s unsung heroes is Brent, their engineer who switched over from ThorSport without prior Next Gen car experience but has adapted swiftly, demonstrating RFK’s ability to extract untapped potential. Preece captured the mood succinctly:

“We didn’t pick the team, the team picked us. And it’s just been easy to work with.”

This deeper connection among team members marks a shift from mere survival to genuine cohesion and shared purpose.

RFK Racing’s Growing Consistency Elevates Playoff Hopes

RFK Racing as a whole is now riding a wave of increased consistency across drivers and cars. While Brad Keselowski leads among teammates in the regular-season standings at 10th, Chris Buescher sits 14th, both ahead of Preece but within reach. Preece’s recent surge is narrowing those gaps. Notably, RFK has established itself as the only multi-car team outside the Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing powerhouses with all cars inside the top 20 in owner points at this point in the season—a first for the team in the Next Gen era.

The next races on the schedule are critical for RFK to lock down positioning and confirm their upward trajectory. Tracks such as Watkins Glen on August 10, Richmond on August 16, and Daytona on August 23 historically suit RFK’s performance profile. In 2024, Buescher earned a top-5 at Watkins Glen while the team secured multiple top-10 finishes at Richmond and came agonizingly close to a win at Daytona with Preece finishing fourth in a photo finish.

Reflecting on that near-win at the 2024 summer Daytona race, Preece said,

“For a car that doesn’t have track position and is starting 23rd, being able to finish fourth and execute it through strategy and restarts, that shows we have a really strong core. I feel like, ultimately, the finish was a good ending for us.”

Keselowski also expressed optimism about the team’s potential after the Brickyard, noting,

“Solid day for us. We were in a position. At certain points, we showed a lot of speed. We needed to catch a few breaks to win, which is normal for this race. We didn’t catch enough breaks, but we caught some good breaks to finish in the top five with both RFK cars.”

Preece currently holds 19th in the driver standings, just shy of the 16th-place playoff cutline by 18 points as the team heads into Iowa. Every race stage point and finish becomes crucial as the season unfolds, with RFK’s strength in pit stops helping gain valuable track positions during green-flag cycles. The team’s growing proficiency in race-day adjustments—from engineers, crew chiefs, and drivers working closely—has fueled an average team finish improvement from 19.8 to 13.4 over recent races, underscoring adaptability and momentum.

With upcoming races at Michigan, Darlington, and Bristol, RFK’s potential is building toward a late-season charge. If Preece continues to lock in top-10 finishes and the team maintains its upward form, a surprise victory could be within reach, making this a defining moment in their 2025 NASCAR campaign.