RFK Racing will run three Cup cars full-time in 2025, adding Ryan Preece as driver and Kroger as sponsor of the No. 60 car, the team announced Tuesday.
The No. 60 car will have a charter, leasing it for 2025 from Rick Ware Racing, RFK Racing confirmed.
Preece will be a teammate to Chris Buescher and co-owner Brad Keselowski.
Next year will be Preece’s sixth full-time season in Cup. He comes to RFK Racing after having spent the past two years at Stewart-Haas Racing. The 34-year-old Preece has made 187 Cup starts.
The team announced that Kroger and nearly 20 brands will appear on the cars of Preece, Buescher and Keselowski.
“The Kroger Racing program and collaboration with participating brands has been a successful staple in Kroger’s portfolio for more than a decade,” said Erin Sanchez, vice president of grocery for Kroger, in a statement. “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 in 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.”
Kroger has been a sponsor in the Cup Series since partnering with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2010. The team won three races with the sponsor, including the 2023 Daytona 500 with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“Kroger’s relationship with JTG Daugherty Racing, and most recently, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., have really been something special,” said Brent Cox, director of health and baby care for Kroger, in a statement. “Everyone at Kroger and all our participating sponsors wish the team and Ricky nothing but the best and thank them for all they’ve done for us over the years. We are excited to continue working with Tad and Jodi Geschickter through their marketing firm, BAM (Brand Activation Maximizer), as we move into this new chapter with RFK Racing. BAM will continue to represent the Kroger Racing program, and we know it’s in good hands with their team.”
“We’re thrilled to formally and publicly announce our expansion plans and the next step in our evolution at RFK,” said Steve Newmark, President, RFK Racing, in a statement from the team. “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 to continue to push the envelope when it comes to finding the competitive edge needed to compete at the top level of NASCAR.
“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. On behalf of the entire team at RFK, we can’t wait to roll out the No. 60 with Ryan Preece, and our larger Kroger partnership encompassing all three of our Ford Mustangs, in 2025.”
