Brad Keselowski 2026 Report Card: A C+ Exit From the 6
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing 2026 Season Report Cards, where every full-time Cup Series driver gets a grade computed from all 36 races, not opinion. Next up: the number 6, and the 2012 champion's last season in the car he co-owns.
The Short Version
Brad Keselowski came into 2026 recovering from a broken leg and started all 36 races. In March he led 142 laps at Darlington and finished 2nd, the best day of his season. In June he crashed out of three straight races. In September his crew chief left, and RFK Racing announced that Keselowski would leave the No. 6 after the season. He did not win, did not make the Chase and finished 19th in points. His computed season grade is a C+, 20th of 35 full-time drivers.
Why the Brad Keselowski 2026 Grade Is a C+
Every HHR report card grade comes from the same math. After every race, each driver gets a score out of 100 based on where they finished in the field, how many spots they gained or lost from the start, how many laps they led, and a penalty for not finishing. The season grade is the average of all 36 race scores, curved against the 35 drivers who ran the full year.
Keselowski's season score ranked 20th of 35, which lands at C+. His average finish of 19.3 ranked 20th, and his average running position of 19.1 ranked 19th. Four DNFs, all crashes, ranked 16th.
The laps led number is the one that does not match the rest. His 244 laps led ranked 13th, better than his rank in any finishing stat. But 142 of them came in one afternoon at Darlington.
Brad Keselowski by the Numbers
Here is where Keselowski ranked among the 35 full-time drivers in 14 stats. The bar and the circle show his rank (1 is best). The number on the right is the actual stat.
The best ranks are laps led and laps led per start (6.8), both 13th. He was 16th in positions gained (+0.5 per race) and 17th in lead lap finishes (21) and fastest laps (165).
The finishing counts were the weak spot. He had two top 5s, 21st of 35, and six top 10s, 22nd. He ranked 19th in average driver rating (69.1) and 20th in percentage of laps in the top 15 (39%).
A Broken Leg and a Near Miss at Darlington
Keselowski broke his leg on a family trip in mid-December and was still recovering when the season started. He started all 36 races anyway, and he opened the year with a 5th in the Daytona 500.
On March 22 at Darlington he had the best car on the track for most of the day. He swept the first two stages and led a race-high 142 of 293 laps, the second-most laps he has led in a race since joining RFK as a driver and co-owner. Tyler Reddick beat him to the line by 5.847 seconds. Keselowski said he was disappointed to miss the win, but "not incredibly disappointed." His last Cup win was at Darlington in May 2024.
He added a 6th at Kansas in April. Through 12 races his average finish was 14.7.
Three Straight Crashes, Then a Goodbye
June wrecked the season. Keselowski crashed out at Nashville on May 31, at Michigan on June 7 and at Pocono on June 14, where he was swept up in a big wreck off Turn 3. He finished 34th, 34th and 38th, then 34th again on the San Diego street course. That is a 35.0 average over four races. He rebounded with a 7th at North Wilkesboro and a 6th at Indianapolis in July, but he did not make the 16-driver Chase.
On Sept. 21, RFK parted ways with Jeremy Bullins, his crew chief since 2025. Engineer Mike Skarbowski took over as interim crew chief starting at Kansas on Sept. 27. Two days later, Keselowski and RFK announced they would part ways at the end of the season. He led 55 laps at World Wide Technology Raceway in September, but his average finish over the final 10 races was 21.0.
What 2027 Looks Like
Ryan Preece moves into the No. 6 for 2027 and brings crew chief Derrick Finley with him. On Oct. 31, Keselowski said he had a release to pursue other teams and manufacturers. He has no confirmed 2027 ride and has said racing in 2027 is not a guarantee. Track every move on our 2027 silly season tracker.
The 2027 Daytona 500 is Feb. 21. Start times and channels for every race are on our race TV guide, and every other driver's grade is on the 2026 report cards page.
The Bottom Line
For one day at Darlington, Keselowski looked like the 2012 champion. For most of the other 35, the 6 was a 20th-place car, and the C+ reflects that. The open question now is whether 2026 was his last full Cup season.
Gear Up for the 6
- Brad Keselowski 2026 Paint Scheme T-Shirt
- Brad Keselowski 2024 Darlington Winner T-Shirt
- Brad Keselowski BuildSubmarines Uniform Pit Hat
- Brad Keselowski No. 6 Flame Snapback Hat
Sources: NASCAR official race results and loop data for all 36 2026 points races; leg injury via Roundtable and Toby Christie; Darlington via NASCAR.com, RACER and FOX Sports; Pocono via Last Car; crew chief change via RACER and NASCAR.com; departure via RACER and Jayski.
