After 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weekends ago to elevate himself from just above the NASCAR Cup Series playoff cut line to locked into the 16-driver postseason, the deficit faced by RFK Racing's Ryan Preece, still the top driver below the cutoff, grew substantially.
But with an impressive fifth place run at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, Preece nearly halved that deficit, and he now trails teammate Chris Buescher by 23 points for the 16th and final spot in the provisional playoff field, one of only three spots still potentially open to drivers without victories.
RFK Racing have found themselves in a unique situation as it pertains to getting into the playoffs. All three drivers, the other being team co-owner Brad Keselowski, have been competitive in 2025. They could very well all win their way into the playoffs with three races remaining on the regular season schedule.
Buescher won at Watkins Glen International last year and both Richmond Raceway and Daytona International Speedway the year before. Preece and Keselowski have historically been good on short tracks, and while Daytona is largely anyone's race, which should benefit Preece, it is Keselowski who leads all active drivers with seven superspeedway wins.
But if one more surprise winner emerges from below the cut line from outside of RFK Racing, they could all three miss the playoffs as well.
RFK decision from months ago could determine their fate
As of right now, however, it's a decision the team made following the race at Kansas Speedway in May which is why Buescher is the driver in the provisional playoff picture while Preece is the driver on the outside looking in.
After Buescher's eighth place finish in that race, the No. 17 Ford was found to be in violation of Sections 14.1.C (overall assembled vehicle rules) and 14.5.4.G (front bumper cover) of the NASCAR Rule Book, as the team was discovered to have gone over the maximum reinforcement allowed for its front bumper covers.
Buescher was docked 60 points. But RFK Racing appealed the penalty, and Buescher was given back 30 points, effectively making the final penalty only a 30-point deduction.
With Buescher currently 23 points ahead of Preece for the 16th and final playoff spot, that 30-point decision could very well end up being the difference when it comes to who gets into the postseason and who doesn't from the RFK Racing stable.
Buescher is aiming to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, while Preece is aiming to get there for the first time in his six-year career in year number one behind the wheel of the No. 60 Ford.
Keselowski, 121 points below the cut line, is effectively facing a must-win situation to make a third consecutive playoff appearance, and a win from him over the next three weekends could very well knock out whichever one of Buescher or Preece ends up higher in the point standings.
RFK Racing did not appeal Preece's disqualification from Talladega Superspeedway in April, when he was stripped of his second place finish and lost a total of 39 points after technical inspection revealed three shims on the spoiler of the No. 60 Ford rather than the allowed two. This disqualification could also play a key role in determining the 16-driver playoff field when the regular season is all said and done.
Tune in to USA Network at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, August 10 for the live broadcast of the Go Bowling at The Glen from Watkins Glen International. If you have not yet begun a free trial of FuboTV, do so now and don't miss any of the action for the rest of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season!