Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing Considering Expansion to IMSA SportsCar Series

Brad Keselowski’s future expansion of RFK Racing outside NASCAR’s Cup Series possibly won’t take the conventional route. Instead of fielding a Xfinity or Truck series entry, Keselowski is looking at IMSA.

A professional sports car racing series in the United States, IMSA made RFK Racing co-owner Jack Roush a household name in that form of motorsports before his NASCAR team made its debut in 1988. After returning to IMSA and the Sports Car Club of America in 1984, Roush won 24 national championships and titles in those two series. That included 12 manufacturer’s titles, 119 race wins and 10 consecutive sedan-class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

“As NASCAR continues to get heavier and heavier into road course racing, I think that pedigree (IMSA) offers a lot of advantages to the ecosystem of a successful Cup team,” Keselowski says. “I don’t see us on a path to a Xfinity or Truck team in the near future.”

Keselowski views expansion into IMSA as part of a long-term plan. First on his agenda is developing a third Cup team. The Concord, N.C.-based team is tipping its toe in that water in 2024 with its #Stage60 project, which will focus on superspeedway and road course races. David Ragan will drive the No. 60 Ford Mustang at Daytona in February.

In regards to IMSA, Keselowski cites his interest in that series as focusing on its hybrid engine program even though he considers NASCAR a “separate brand” that focuses on American horsepower.

“There’s no reason for NASCAR to compete with its own product of IMSA,” Keselowski says. “You look at their (IMSA) car counts at some of these races and their interest, it’s through the roof. I think it’s good to have those as two separate products and ecosystems.”

NASCAR owns IMSA, whose LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship.