What had been a relatively quiet NASCAR Cup Series silly season was turned upside down when it was announced that RFK Racing team co-owner Brad Keselowski had shockingly decided to leave the team after the 2026 season, leaving him without a ride and opening up a surprise vacancy behind the wheel of the No. 6 Ford for 2027.
Keselowski has admitted that he won't rule anything out for 2027, even going as far as bizarrely including the No. 6 car in that admission, although it does appear that the two sides will indeed be cutting ties completely, both from the driver side and the owner side, after the season concludes at Homestead-Miami Speedway next month.
And according to recent reports, the co-owner won't be the only major departure the team must deal with once the 2026 season wraps up.
RFK Racing set to lose 15-year sponsor post-2026
According to Sports Business Journal, longtime primary sponsor Fifth Third Bank is expected to cut ties with RFK Racing after the 2026 season. The iconic colors of the Cincinnati, Ohio-based holding company have long been associated with the team's No. 17 Ford, which has been driven by Chris Buescher since the team, then known as Roush Fenway Racing, signed him to replace Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2020.
The reports indicate that the decision is not related to Keselowski's decision to go in a new direction after five years as a part of the team's ownership group.
In February, Fifth Third Bank completed its merger with Comerica to become the ninth-largest bank in the United States. That deal added to Fifth Third's existing sports marketing portfolio, which had already included motorsport deals with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in IndyCar and Kalitta Motorsports in NHRA.
Comerica holds the naming rights for the Detroit Tigers' MLB ballpark and is also the official business bank of the NFL's Detroit Lions. The Tigers' stadium, set to be renamed Fifth Third Park in 2027, has been known as Comerica Park since it opened in 2000. The original 30-year naming rights deal was extended in 2018 to run through 2034.
The loss of Fifth Third Bank would not appear to put a dent in the team's plans to run three cars next year, even though one of the three is already set to be without a charter. The team had leased a charter from Rick Ware Racing in each of the past two years, but under NASCAR rules, they could not do so again in 2027. That charter was sold to Legacy Motor Club for next year, expanding Jimmie Johnson's operation from two to three full-time entries.
Buescher is slated to be back for an eighth year behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford, while Ryan Preece is set to return for a third behind the wheel of the No. 60 Ford, although it would not be surprising to see one of those two series veterans move over to the No. 6 Ford.
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