Founded in 1988, the NASCAR program is built around having multiple cars and providing engine, engineering and race car build services to other NASCAR teams fielding Ford branded vehicles. The multi-team aspect of the company allows for information and resources to be shared across the enterprise, improving the performance of all of the teams. Since the 2004 season, engines for the cars have been provided by Roush-Yates Engines, a partnership betweenRoush Fenway Racing and now-closed rivalYates Racing, withDoug Yates as head engine builder. Roush-Yates also provides engines, cars and parts to other Cup teams, includingWood Brothers Racing,Team Penske, andFront Row Motorsports.[1][2]
Between 1998 and 2000[3][4] and 2003–2009,[5] Roush Racing operated five full-time Cup teams (6, 16, 17, 26/97, 99), more than any other organization includingHendrick Motorsports andRichard Childress Racing, which have both operated as many as four full-time teams. Beginning in 2001, after years of operating in separate facilities, the teams were moved into a single shop inConcord, North Carolina to improve performance and communication.[4] Roush Racing set a NASCAR record by putting all five of its race teams in theChase for the Nextel Cup in 2005.[6] Following the 2009 season, Roush Fenway was ordered byNASCAR to shrink its operation to four Sprint Cup Series teams, ceding the No. 26 team.[6] The team would later shrink to three teams after the 2011 season,[7] and would shrink again to two teams after the 2016 season.
After several months of speculation, Roush-Fenway announced on 20 July 2021, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame that the2010 Nationwide Series and2012 Sprint Cup Series ChampionBrad Keselowski would depart fromTeam Penske after the 2021 season to join the organization as a driver (replacingRyan Newman in the No. 6) and co-owner.
Todd Kluever and David Ragan (2006)
The No. 06 attempted ten races led by crew chiefFrank Stoddard during the 2006 season to prepare Roush Racing's development drivers for future Cup careers, and eventually replaceMark Martin in the No. 6 car.[8][9]Todd Kluever originally served as the sole driver, but was replaced withDavid Ragan at the end of the season.[8] The team debuted with Kluever behind the wheel atChicagoland Speedway on July 9 with a sponsorship from3M.[10] Kluever also drove the car atMichigan International Speedway,Kansas Speedway,Lowe's Motor Speedway, and attempted to start races atCalifornia Speedway,Phoenix International Raceway, andHomestead-Miami Speedway.[11]David Ragan, with a sponsorship fromSharp Aquos, ran the No. 06 atDover International Speedway andMartinsville Speedway in the fall, and missed the second 2006 race atTexas Motor Speedway and also being forced to withdrawal from the second 2006 race atAtlanta Motor Speedway.[8][12][13] Kluever and Ragan combined 10 races and made six with the best finish being by Ragan at Martinsville with a 25th-place run. They posted zero wins, zero Top 5's, zero Top 10's, an average finish of 37th, four DNQ's (including one withdrawal), and three DNF's.
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Todd Kluever | 06 | Ford | DAY | CAL | LVS | ATL | BRI | MAR | TEX | PHO | TAL | RCH | DAR | CLT | DOV | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | CHI 41 | NHA | POC | IND | GLN | MCH 43 | BRI | CAL DNQ | RCH | NHA | KAN 32 | TAL | CLT 39 | PHO DNQ | HOM DNQ | 55th | 334 | ||||
| David Ragan | DOV 42 | MAR 25 | ATL Wth | TEX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 6 car began as Roush Racing's original foray into NASCAR, debuting in the1988 Daytona 500 as the No. 6Stroh's Light-sponsored Ford. With then-short-track-driverMark Martin at the wheel and futureNASCAR vice presidentRobin Pemberton as crew chief,[7] the team finished 41st after experiencing an engine failure after 19 laps. However, performance quickly improved, with Martin winning apole position later in the season and achieving ten top ten finishes. With a year of experience under their belt, Roush and Martin went on a tear in 1989, winning six poles, earning eighteen top ten finishes and winning for the first time atNorth Carolina Speedway. The team finished third place in championship points.
Garnering new sponsorship fromFolgers in1990, Martin won three each of races and pole positions, as well as finishing in the top tens in all but six races. Martin held the points lead for a majority of the season, but lost momentum in the final races. In the end, the team lost the championship toDale Earnhardt by 26 points. Martin would have won the championship had he not been docked 46 points in the second race of the season following a rules violation. Regardless, the team hoped to carry the momentum into1991. Disappointingly, Martin finished sixth in points, and did not win until the season finale atAtlanta Motor Speedway.
In1992,Valvoline joined to sponsor the car, but the team's position in points still did not improve. Finally, they recaptured the magic of before in1993, as Martin notched five victories and finished third in points.1994 found Martin and the No. 6 team finishing runner-up to Earnhardt in points once again. In1995, Martin defeated former teammateWally Dallenbach Jr. to win atWatkins Glen and won the most money of his career at that time: $1,893,519. However, the team's performance slumped sharply in1996, as Martin finished the season winless. He would win again in1997, with an additional four victories and finishing third in championship points. In1998, Martin and the No. 6 team had their most dominant season yet, winning seven times, but finished second in points yet again, this time toJeff Gordon. The 1998 season was marked with a black spot when Martin's father Julian died in anaviation accident. Although1999 saw Martin winning only twice, he finished in the top ten in 26 out of 34 races.
After winning only one race in2000, primary sponsor Valvoline left forMB2 Motorsports, andPfizer andViagra became the team's new financial backers. In addition, throughout the season Martin served as co-owner/mentor of rookie driverMatt Kenseth. However, Martin failed to win again, and ended up 12th in points; this was his lowest finish since 1988. The team won only one race in2002 but was narrowly defeated byTony Stewart for the championship.2003 was another season of lackluster performance for the team with no wins and a 17th-place finish in the final standings.2004 brought improved performance, with a win atDover and a fourth-place finish in points. Prior to the next season, Martin stated that2005 would be his last year in full-time Cup competition. The team conducted a "Salute to You" farewell tour to his fans highlighting many of Martin's career accomplishments. Martin finished fourth in points and went to victory lane once, along with achieving 19 top ten finishes. Due to contract issues, Roush was left without a driver for car No. 6 in 2006. After learning of the situation, Martin announced his return to car No. 6 for one more year. The team extended the "Salute to You" tour after modifying its paint schemes to reflect the team's new sponsor,AAA. Martin went winless, but had seven top fives and 15 top tens en route to a ninth-place points finish in his final year for Roush.[14] He moved toGinn Racing andDale Earnhardt, Inc. part-time for 2007 and 2008, then did run several more full seasons forHendrick Motorsports and two partial seasons withMWR,Gibbs, andStewart Haas, retiring for good after 2013. Martin earned 35 of his 40 career wins in Roush's number 6.[7]
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Todd Kluever was originally scheduled to drive the No. 6 car in2007, running several races in the No. 06 Cup car in anticipation, but due to lackluster performance in theBusch Series, Roush Racing decided to put Truck Series driverDavid Ragan in the car full-time.[8][15] In his rookie season, Ragan had three top-tens and finished 23rd in points, but with numerous crashes.[15] The following season, Ragan's performance dramatically improved. He had fourteen top-ten finishes and competed for a spot in the Chase for the Cup, before finishing 13th in the points standings.[7][15]
AAA left the No. 6 team after the 2008 season forPenske Racing, withUPS taking over sponsorship for Ragan's car for 2009. Ragan only had two top-ten finishes and finished 27th. The next year, the team started off on a mixed note by nearly winning the2011 Daytona 500, only to be penalized for an early lane change. The team then won at Daytona in July, their first since 2005.[7] Despite the victory, UPS left the No. 6 team and moved to an associate sponsor for the No. 99 team. Jack Roush announced that RFR would not field the No. 6 team in 2012, forcing the team to reassign or lay off nearly 100 employees. Ragan moved toFront Row Motorsports' No. 34 car, and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer moved toRichard Childress Racing.[7][16]
After being RFR's flagship since 1988, the team became a part-time R&D team in 2012.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove at the2012 Daytona 500 with crew chief Chad Norris, qualifying 8th in time trials.[7] He started 20th in the race and finished 21st. Without sponsorship, the team planned to close down after the Daytona 500,[7] with Jack Roush selling the team's top-35 owner points to former RFR crew chiefFrank Stoddard and hisFAS Lane Racing team. However, Stenhouse did race in the No. 6 car in three more races at Dover, Charlotte and Homestead in the fall.
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The No. 6 car did not run in 2013. In the fall of 2014, it was announced that2011 Daytona 500 winnerTrevor Bayne would drive the car full-time in 2015, withXfinity Series sponsorAdvoCare covering the full season.[17][18] In preparation, Bayne attempted the2014 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte in the No. 6 car (in addition to his part-time ride withWood Brothers Racing), but posted the 38th fastest time and failed to qualify, RFR's first DNQ since 2006.[19][20]
After a very weak start for Roush's standards, Bayne recorded his first top-10 of the year in June at the rain shortened race atMichigan International Speedway. He recorded another top ten at Daytona in July after being in contention for the win at the end of the race. The No. 6 would struggle for most of the season, ending 29th in owner points. In 2016, Bayne garnered five top tens and two top fives en route to a 22nd-place points finish.
2017 was mostly the same for Bayne, as he again finished 22nd in points. The team tried to pick up a tire strategy win at Indianapolis but a caution came out erasing Bayne's lead and Bayne ended up being part of one of the many crashes that took place in the final laps.
On April 25, 2018, Roush Fenway Racing announced thatMatt Kenseth will return to the team and share the No. 6 with Bayne on a part-time basis, withWyndham Rewards as his primary sponsor. He made his return at the2018 KC Masterpiece 400 in Kansas and participated in the2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte.[21] On September 12, 2018, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Bayne will not return to the team in the 2019 season.[22] Bayne's final race with RFR was at the2018 AAA Texas 500 with a 21st-place finish. A week later, Kenseth scored the No. 6's highest finish of the season with seventh place at the2018 Can-Am 500. This was bested by a sixth-place finish in Kenseth's final race for the team at the season-ending2018 Ford EcoBoost 400.
On September 21, it was reported thatRyan Newman will take over the No. 6 car.[23] On October 23, 2018, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Scott Graves will become Newman's crew chief.[24] On January 10, 2019, it was announced thatOscar Mayer, which previously sponsored Kenseth and Kurt Busch during the 2000s, will be the main sponsor of the No. 6 car.[25]Newman started off the2020 season with a wreck in the final lap in the2020 Daytona 500 in February when he was about to win, but he did get spun in the last corner byRyan Blaney in the no. 12. However, his car flipped over, over the finish line, and he was injured and hospitalized, but not life-threatening, and he was released on Wednesday night.Ross Chastain announced that he will replace Newman starting in Las Vegas for the running of2020 Pennzoil 400. On April 27, 2020, it was announced that Newman was medically cleared to return to competition.[26] In addition, NASCAR granted him a waiver for eligibility in the 2020 playoffs.
On July 20, 2021, it was confirmed that Newman would not be returning to Roush Fenway Racing in 2022. That same day, the2012 Sprint Cup Series ChampionBrad Keselowski was announced as co-owner of Roush-Fenway Racing and as Newman's replacement.[27]
Keselowski began the2022 season as driver/co-owner of RFK Racing with a ninth-place finish at the2022 Daytona 500. He then failed to score a top-10 finish at the next 14 races. On March 24, 2022, crew chiefMatt McCall was suspended for four races and finedUS$100,000 for an L2 Penalty during post-race inspection after the2022 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 atAtlanta. The penalty came under Sections 14.1 and 14.5 in the NASCAR Rule Book, both of which pertain to the modification of a single source supplied part. In addition, the No. 6 team was docked 100 driver and owner points and 10 playoff points.[28] Team engineer Josh Sell was announced as Keselowski's crew chief for the2022 Texas Grand Prix.[29] On April 13, Scott Miller, NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, explained that the repairs No. 6's rear fascia did not meet original specifications, as a critical dimension of the part was altered.[30] AtSonoma, Keselowski scored his first top-10 finish of the season since Daytona.[31] Due to his mediocre finishes and the lack of a win during the regular season, as well as the penalty imposed on the team, Keselowski missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.[32] Keselowski finished fourth atMartinsville, but was disqualified when his car did not meet the minimum weight requirements during post-race inspection.[33] The No. 6 finished the season 25th in the points standings.
Keselowski started the2023 season with a 22nd place finish at the2023 Daytona 500. He made his 500th career start atGateway. Despite not winning a race, Keselowski greatly improved his finishes enough to make it to the playoffs.[34] He was eliminated from the Round of 12 at the conclusion of theCharlotte Roval race.[35] Keselowski finished the season eighth in the points standings, making it the first time the No. 6 finished in the top-10 in the final standings since Mark Martin finished ninth in 2006.
Keselowski started the2024 season with a 33rd place DNF at the2024 Daytona 500. AtDarlington, he took advantage of teammateChris Buescher andTyler Reddick colliding in turn 4 with 10 laps to go, and held offTy Gibbs for his first win of 2024, snapping a 110 race winless streak for himself and a 33 race winless streak across all three series for Ford dating back to the2023 Cup Series Season Finale[36] Keselowski was eliminated from the playoffs at the conclusion of the Round of 16, due to finishes of 19th, 26th, and 26th at Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Bristol, respectively.[37] On November 7, RFK announced that McCall would not return to the No. 6 car in 2025.[38]
The first car to make Roush Racing a multi-car stable, the 16 team debuted at the1992 Daytona 500 withKeystone Beer as the sponsor.Wally Dallenbach Jr. drove the car to a 15th-place finish. Dallenbach, however, earned only one top ten finish that year and finished 24th in points.1993 proved to be a little better with Dallenbach posting four top tens.
However, for1994, the team underwent major changes. Driving duties were given toTed Musgrave, withThe Family Channel becoming the new sponsor. The car's performance improved drastically, with Musgrave notching three poles and finishing 13th in points. The1995 season saw Musgrave improving six spots in points to seventh.[39] Despite this success, Musgrave never visited victory lane in his tenure behind the wheel of the 16, finishing 16th in points in 1996 and 12th in 1997.[39]
Midway through1998, Musgrave was released while sitting 17th in the points standings. For the final 13 races of the season, he was replaced by rookieKevin Lepage, who left his ride withLJ Racing.[39][40][41] In thePepsi 400 in October, Lepage fractured his leg in a crash. Then-Roush development driverMatt Kenseth practiced the car for Lepage the next race at Phoenix.[42] Lepage earned eight top 20 finishes including a sixth at Charlotte, finishing runner-up toKenny Irwin, Jr forRookie of the Year honors.[43]
Teamed with sponsorPrimeStar, later replaced byTV Guide,[44] Lepage and the No. 16 team began1999 with a fifth-place finish atDarlington Raceway, later having a chance to win theWinston Million/No Bull 5 bonus, and earning a pole at the season ending race at Atlanta. Despite the bright spots, Lepage finished 25th in points with two top ten finishes.[44][45]TV Guide did not renew their contract for the2000 season.[45] The No. 16 ran the beginning of the season unsponsored, before ultimately signing a multi-year contract withFamilyClickArchived 2018-08-11 at theWayback Machine. Over the course of the year, Lepage missed two races and dropped to 28th in the standings.[43] Dissastisfied with the team's performance, FamilyClick did not return as a sponsor and the team was disbanded, with Roush contracting to four full-time teams.[4][43]
During the2002 season, the No. 16 was used to prepare2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion andeventual Busch Series championGreg Biffle for hisRookie of the Year campaign the following year. Biffle failed to qualify in three of his four attempts in the car;[46] he made a total seven starts as a substitute forAndy Petree Racing, and laterPetty Enterprises. Biffle ran full-time as a rookie in2003, withW. W. Grainger sponsoring the car.[47] Biffle started 35 out of 36 races, won thePepsi 400 atDaytona,[46] and finished runner-up toJamie McMurray for Rookie of the Year. The next year, the car had a new primary sponsorship from theU.S. National Guard, with major associate ones fromSubway,Jackson Hewitt, andTravelodge.[48] Biffle opened the year with a pole in theDaytona 500. Over the 2004 season, Biffle scored wins atMichigan andHomestead, and finished 17th in points. In 2005,3M'sPost-it Brand andCharter Communications joined as part-time sponsors. 2005 was to be the most successful year for car No. 16 to date, as the National Guard-sponsored Ford won a season high six races and finished runner-up in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Biffle would sign an extension to drive the No. 16 until at least 2008. However Biffle would miss the chase in 2006 finishing 13th in points despite winning twice. He scored one win in 2007 atKansas and finished 14th in points.
After 2007,National Guard did not renew its contract, moving toHendrick Motorsports and the No. 25.Ameriquest Mortgage-sponsored car, which had sponsored the majority of the 2006Busch Series season for Roush,[49] had signed a three-year contract to move up to Biffle's No. 16 Cup ride, with3M sponsoring six races. By March, however, the company had asked to be released from the final two years of its contract, along with relinquishing naming rights toRangers Ballpark in Arlington. Ameriquest was one of the biggest subprime loan providers, and the sponsorship pullout likely coincided with theHousing Bubble of 2007.[50] Several companies includingAflac,Nintendo,Dish Network, andJackson Hewitt sponsored the remainder of the season instead.[51]
It was announced on June 27, 2008, that Biffle signed a contract extension to remain at Roush-Fenway through 2011 with3M as his major sponsor. That season, he finished third in points and won two races, but didn't return to victory lane in 2009. In 2010, 3M returned as the primary sponsor withRed Cross as the secondary. Biffle and the No. 16 team got off to a good start finishing third in theDaytona and stayed in the top 12 in points all year. Biffle also won two races that year theSunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 atPocono as well as thePrice Chopper 400 atKansas leading to a sixth-place finish in the standings. Biffle struggled for most of the next year, failing to return to victory lane and finishing 16th in points.In 2012, he started the season with three straight third-place finishes and a win early at Texas put him in the points lead, but he eventually gave it up to teammate Matt Kenseth.[citation needed]
In 2013, Roush Fenway began to struggle. However, Biffle did get the 1000th win for manufacturerFord at Michigan in June and made the Chase, finishing 9th in points. In 2014, the team continued to struggle for speed, going winless for the first time since 2011 and finishing 14th in points. In August 2014 it was announced that longtime sponsor 3M would leave the team forHendrick Motorsports, and thatScotts-Miracle Gro's Ortho brand would take over the primary sponsorship. Scotts, which had previously been a sponsor ofCarl Edwards at Roush, made its debut at Bristol in August 2014.[52] For the 2015 season, the No. 16 would struggle for most of the season, slipping to 20th in points, the best out of all Roush teams for the year, followed by a 23rd-place finish in 2016. After the 2016 season ended, RFR and Biffle parted ways,[53] the car's charter, along with Roush driverChris Buescher, were eventually leased toJTG Daugherty Racing.[54] After not running for three years, the No. 16 returned for the2020 Daytona 500 withJustin Haley forKaulig Racing.[55]
In 1999, Roush fielded the No. 17 withMatt Kenseth as the driver,DeWalt Tools as the sponsor, andRobbie Reiser as crew chief. This was the same combination as was run on Reiser's ownBusch Grand National team. Premiering at the summer Michigan race in 1999, Kenseth finished 14th. A fourth-place finish one month later at Dover proved Kenseth was ready for Cup.
In 2000, Kenseth and the No. 17 started every race, won theCoca-Cola 600, and defeated favoriteDale Earnhardt Jr. for Rookie of the Year honors. The 2001 season saw Kenseth finish 13th in points, winless and with only nine top ten finishes. However, the team saw marked improvement the next year, as Kenseth won a season high five races in 2002, ultimately reaching an eighth-place finish in points.
While winning only once in 2003, atLas Vegas Motor Speedway, Kenseth performed remarkably consistently[56] to win thefinal Winston Cup Championship by 90 points, earning Jack Roush his first Cup championship. Some say that Kenseth winning the championship with only a single win and leading the points standings for 33 consecutive weeks is the reason NASCAR switched to the newChase for the Cup points format.[57]
The team continued to perform in 2004, winning two races, making the Chase for the Nextel Cup, and finishing eighth in points. In 2005, Kenseth finished seventh in points after experiencing a disappointing beginning to the season. However, the second half of the year brought a resurgence of success for the car, as a win atBristol Motor Speedway helped the team make its second consecutive Chase for the Nextel Cup. In 2006, Kenseth won four races, and finished second toJimmie Johnson in the championship standings. Kenseth won the first two races of the 2009 season winning Jack Roush his first Daytona 500. Due to the slumping economy, however, Kenseth's longtime sponsor DeWalt informed Roush Fenway Racing on July 23, 2009, that they would no longer be sponsoring the No. 17 team for the 2010 season.Crown Royal announced they would move to the No. 17 in 2010 for 35 races as Valvoline sponsored the remaining 3.[58]For 2011, Kenseth returned to victory lane at Texas, Dover and Charlotte. However, Crown Royal announced that they would not return to the No. 17 team, instead focusing their NASCAR efforts on theBrickyard 400 sponsorship. Despite this, Kenseth finished fourth in points.
In 2012, Kenseth's primary sponsorship was split betweenBest Buy,Zest Soap, andFifth Third Bank, although the team was still forced to run several races unsponsored. Kenseth started the year strong by winning the Gatorade Duel Qualifying Race and the2012 Daytona 500, which was also Jack Roush's 300th victory in NASCAR and his second Daytona 500 victory. It was later announced that Kenseth was leaving Roush Fenway Racing after the season, even though he had no team he was going to. Kenseth made the Chase and won two of the ten Chase races (Talladega and Kansas), finishing seventh in the standings. Following the season, Kenseth joinedJoe Gibbs Racing in 2013.
In 2013, Kenseth was replaced by rookieRicky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse inherited Kenseth's sponsorship, while adding primary support fromNationwide Insurance to cover the unfilled races. Stenhouse had shown promise, as he finished 12th at the2013 Daytona 500. Through the first 17 points races, his highest finish had been 11th. He also finished second in theSprint Showdown. Stenhouse's best finish of the entire season was a third-place finish at Talladega in October.
In 2014, the team's Best Buy sponsorship was replaced byCargill, while keeping Zest, Fifth-Third and Nationwide. Stenhouse struggled along with the rest of the Roush program. He spend a majority of the summer working with new crew chief Mike Kelley trying to improve the chemistry of the team. The No. 60 suffered through a dismal season, with Stenhouse recording two top tens, while failing to qualify once. The team finished 28th in owner points.[59][60]
In 2015, Nationwide Insurance moved toHendrick Motorsports to sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr. Zest, Cargill and Fifth-Third returned to the No. 17, with primary sponsorship anchored byFastenal, moving from Roush's No. 99 car.[61] The team recorded three top tens, and ended the season 25th in owner and driver points. Stenhouse improved in 2016, getting four top fives and six top tens. He gained four positions in points up to 21st, his best run since his rookie year in 2013, performing better than his teammates.
In2017, Stenhouse scored his first career victory at thespring Talladega race. He then scored his second win at the2017 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Stenhouse made the Playoffs and finished 13th in points. Stenhouse struggled through the2018 season, failing to win a race and scoring only three top-fives and five top-10s while finishing 18th in the standings.
On May 29, 2019, it was announced thatNOS Energy Drink will sponsor the No. 17 as a primary atMichigan and as an associate for the rest of the season. NOS previously sponsored Stenhouse during his championship run in the2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series and in the Cup Series from 2013 to 2015.[62]
Chris Buescher (2020–present)
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On September 25, Roush Fenway Racing announced that they will part ways with Stenhouse at the end of the season, withChris Buescher replacing him in the2020 season.[63][64]
Buescher displayed more consistency in his finishes during the2021 season, staying within the top-20 in the points standings. He finished second at the2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, but was disqualified when his car failed post-race inspection due to a rear sub-frame assembly violation.[65]
Buescher started the2022 season with a 16th-place finish at the2022 Daytona 500. He also scored top-10 finishes atPhoenix,Atlanta, andDover, where he recorded his first career Cup Series pole. Buescher was forced to missGateway after testing positive forCOVID-19; he was substituted withZane Smith.[66] A week later, Buescher returned to the No. 17 and finished second toDaniel Suárez atSonoma.[31] On June 28, crew chief Scott Graves was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss atNashville.[67] Despite not making the playoffs, Buescher managed to score his second career win at theBristol night race, snapping a 222 race winless streak and a five-year drought for the No. 17.[68]
Buescher began the2023 season with a fourth place finish at the2023 Daytona 500. He held offDenny Hamlin to win atRichmond to make his first playoff appearance since 2016.[69] Buescher would go back-to-back for the first time in his career and win the next week's race atMichigan, the first time RFK Racing had won two consecutive races sinceCarl Edwards won the final two races of the2010 season.[70] He then scored his third win at theDaytona night race.[34]
Buescher started the2024 season with an 18th place finish at the2024 Daytona 500. AtKansas, Buesher finished second toKyle Larson by 0.001 seconds - theclosest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.[71] Despite missing the playoffs, Buescher won atWatkins Glen afterShane van Gisbergen brushed the wall near the Bus Stop on the final lap.[72]
Buescher started the2025 season with a 10th place finish at the2025 Daytona 500. Following theKansas race, the No. 17 car was issued an L1 penalty after R&D discovered the reinforcement behind the front bumper foam exceeded two inches. As a result, the team was docked 60 owner and driver points, 5 playoff points, and finedUS$75,000, and Graves was suspended for two races.[73]
The 26 car debuted in 1998 as Roush's first attempt at a fifthNASCAR Cup Series team (6, 16, 26, 97, 99). The team hired third-year driverJohnny Benson Jr., buying out his contract fromBahari Racing, and signedGeneral Mills'sCheerios brand as its sponsor.[3][74] After failing to qualify at Daytona, the No. 26 debuted at North Carolina, where Benson finished 30th in the car. Benson ended the 1998 season with three top fives, ten top tens, and earned 20th place in the championship points.[3] In 1999, the No. 26 car experienced a very disappointing year. After mustering only two top tens finishes and dropping eight spots in points, Benson was given his release from the team to drive forTyler Jet Motorsports.[3][74]General Mills andCheerios would also leave Roush Racing to replaceSTP as the primary sponsor of the famed No. 43 ofPetty Enterprises with driverJohn Andretti. Without a driver or sponsor the team ceased operations.[3]
After originally being signed to replaceMark Martin in the 6 car,Jamie McMurray became the 26 car's new driver, with sponsorships fromCrown Royal,Smirnoff Ice, andIrwin Industrial Tools. He had seven top ten finishes and finished 25th in points in his first year with the team. For 2007, the season hit its peak when McMurray edged outKyle Busch by 0.005 seconds to win thePepsi 400. McMurray would end 2007 with one win, three top fives, and nine top tens along with a 17th-place finish in points. 2008 was mostly the same for the No. 26, but improving one spot to 16th thanks to four top fives in the final six races of the season. 2009 was the final season for the No. 26 team because of a new NASCAR rule that limit all teams to four full-time cars. McMurray finished 22nd in points, and returned to Chip Ganassi Racing (then Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) for 2010.[5] Crown Royal moved to the No. 17 team ofMatt Kenseth in 2010 after DeWalt terminated its sponsorship due to the economic downturn.
In January 2010, Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins purchased the team and its owner points, signing a "services contract" with RFR to provide equipment and assistance. The new No. 26 team was calledLatitude 43 Motorsports, after the cleaning products company Jenkins owns.[5][75]
Roush Racing attempted to run the No. 60 withMatt Kenseth atTalladega in1998, but the team failed to make the race.[76]
On November 29, 2023, RFK Racing announced that they would run the No. 60 at the2024 Daytona 500, withDavid Ragan behind the wheel. The team also announced they would field the No. 60 in select races as part of their "#Stage60" program.[77] On May 14, 2024, it was announced thatCam Waters, a multi-timeSupercars race winner, would make his Cup Series debut driving the No. 60 atSonoma.[78] On June 12, 2024, it was announced thatJoey Hand would race the car at theChicago Street Course.[79]
On November 19, 2024, it was announced that RFK leased a charter fromRick Ware Racing to run the No. 60 full-time in2025, withRyan Preece signed as the driver andKroger as a primary sponsor.[80][81] AtTalladega, Preece finished second toAustin Cindric by 0.022 seconds, but was disqualified after post-race inspection revealed the spoiler had three shims instead of two.[82]
| Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | Owners | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Matt Kenseth | 60 | Ford | DAY | CAR | LVS | ATL | DAR | BRI | TEX | MAR | TAL DNQ | CAL | CLT | DOV | RCH | MCH | POC | SON | NHA | POC | IND | GLN | MCH | BRI | NHA | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | TAL | DAY | PHO | CAR | ATL | 68th | 22 | |||
| 2024 | David Ragan | DAY 20 | ATL | LVS | PHO | BRI | COA | RCH | MAR | TEX | TAL | DOV | KAN | DAR | CLT | GTW | 40th | 62 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cam Waters | SON 35 | IOW | NHA | NSH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joey Hand | CSC 4 | POC | IND | RCH | MCH | DAY | DAR | ATL | GLN | BRI | KAN | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Ryan Preece | DAY 32 | ATL 18 | COA 33 | PHO 15 | LVS 3 | HOM 9 | MAR 7 | DAR 26 | BRI 20 | TAL 38 | TEX 29 | KAN 7 | CLT 9 | NSH 28 | MCH 9 | MXC 15 | POC 8 | ATL 15 | CSC 7 | SON 12 | DOV 19 | IND 4 | IOW 5 | GLN 13 | RCH 35 | DAY 14 | DAR 16 | GTW 13 | BRI 21 | NHA 14 | KAN 26 | ROV 6 | LVS 9 | TAL 15 | MAR 6 | PHO 9 | 18th | 861 | ||
| 2026 | DAY | ATL | COA | PHO | LVS | DAR | MAR | BRI | KAN | TAL | TEX | GLN | CLT | NSH | MCH | POC | COR | SON | CHI | ATL | NWS | IND | IOW | RCH | NHA | DAY | DAR | GTW | BRI | KAN | LVS | ROV | PHO | TAL | MAR | HOM | |||||
The No. 97 car raced for the first time at the 1993 fall event atCharlotte Motor Speedway. Sponsored byKleenex and owned byGreg Pollex,Chad Little was the driver. Little and Pollex ran part-time for four years with various sponsorships until 1997, when they ran full-time with backing fromJohn Deere.[83] However, after experiencing financial and performance struggles, Roush bought the team three-quarters of the way through the season, becoming the fifth Roush Racing entry.[83] Little qualified for 27 out of 32 races that year.[83] The team returned in 1998, with Little signing a multi-year contract, and the car changing to the Ford nameplate fromPontiac.[83]
Despite missing the spring Atlanta race, Little finished a career-best second at theTexas 500 and finished 15th in points.[83] After that, the performance of the team slipped, and midway through 2000 it was announced that Little would leave the team.[84]
Prior to the fall race at Dover, Little was released andKurt Busch, a RoushCraftsman Truck Series driver, drove for the team for the final seven races.[85] With John Deere leaving,[85] the No. 97 car (like the No. 16 car in 2000) started the 2001 season unsponsored,[4] but soon found sponsorships fromNewell Rubbermaid brandsRubbermaid andSharpie. Busch's rookie year in the Winston Cup Series was unspectacular save for a pole at Darlington. The team finished 27th in points, with only six top ten finishes. In 2002, Busch grabbed headlines after battling withJimmy Spencer for a win at Bristol. This sparked a rivalry between the two drivers that lasted for the following years. However, the 2002 season marked a coming-of-age for the team, which won four times (including 3 of the final five races and the season finale atHomestead) and finished third in the championship points. Busch drove the No. 97 to victory lane four times in 2003, along with 14 top ten finishes. The team was riding in the top tens for most of the season, but late season struggles brought the team an 11th-place points finish. 2004 was the defining year of team No. 97. Winning three times, earning 21 top ten finishes, and clinching a pole, Busch won the firstChase for the Cup Championship. In 2005, he won three times and finished tenth in points.
Midway through the 2005 season, Busch shocked many in the NASCAR community when he announced that he would be leaving Roush Racing and replacing the retiringRusty Wallace in the No. 2, owned byPenske Racing. On November 7, 2005, it was announced that Busch had been released from contractual obligations at Roush and would leave the team at the end of the season.[86][87]In November 2005, Busch was cited for reckless driving in an area close toPhoenix International Raceway. Although no action was taken by NASCAR, Roush Racing suspended Busch for the remainder of the 2005 season.Kenny Wallace took his place for the final two races of the season. On November 16, 2005, it was officially announced that the No. 97 car would be renumbered as the No. 26 (last used by Roush in 1999) for the 2006 season.[88]
The No. 99 car first raced at the1996 Daytona 500, withJeff Burton driving andExide Batteries as the sponsor. The car finished 5th in that race. After missing the first Atlanta race, Burton won a pole at Michigan and finished 13th in the points standings. Burton won the first three races of his career in 1997, (including theinaugural Cup race atTexas Motor Speedway) and ended the season fourth in the points. In 1998, Burton enjoyed another successful season, winning 2 races, mounting 23 top ten finishes, and finishing fifth in the championship points standings. The team led the points standings part of 1999, but lost the top spot after performing poorly at Richmond. The team again finished 5th in points, with six wins and—like the previous year–23 top tens. Late in 2000, Exide ceased their sponsorship, andCitgo joined with new financial backing. The car finished a team-high third in the points standings with four wins (one of which was at New Hampshire in September where NASCAR used restrictor plates following the deaths of Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin earlier that year), 22 top tens, and one pole. Burton won 2 races in 2001, atCharlotte andPhoenix, but fell back to 10th in the points with 16 top tens. The No. 99 would not win another race with Burton behind the wheel, as he managed back-to-back 12th-place points standings finishes in 2002 and 2003. After 2003, Citgo left the team.
Roush was unable to find full-time backing for Burton in the 99, and he began the 2004 season with several one-off sponsorship deals such asPennzoil, Team Caliber, andHot Wheels and some support from his secondary sponsors such asSKF. Burton would eventually depart the team in August, taking over the #30AOL Chevrolet forRichard Childress Racing. Roush development driverCarl Edwards would do the remaining races, whileDave Blaney did the fall Charlotte race.[89]
To fill the void left by this departure, Roush elevatedCarl Edwards from the Truck series.[89] Edwards showed immediate promise while driving the unsponsored No. 99 car, posting five top ten finishes in his shortened season. In 2005—his first full-time season—with sponsorship from Scotts,Office Depot, Stonebridge Life Insurance Company, andWorld Financial Group, Edwards won four races and finished in a tie for 2nd in the points standings (with teammateGreg Biffle actually winning the tiebreaker by virtue of his series-best six wins). In2006,Office Depot became the team's exclusive sponsor. Edwards failed to win or make the Chase for the Cup, posting ten top fives but finishing 12th in points. Edwards snapped his 52-race winless streak by winning the2007 Citizens Bank 400 atMichigan International Speedway. He won twice more at theBristol night race and thefall Dover race, finishing 9th in points. In2008, Edwards posted a series-best nine wins and also led in top fives and top tens, but he was still runner-up by 69 points to three-time consecutive championJimmie Johnson.[90] Office Depot did not renew their sponsorship after the 2008 season. In 2009,Aflac became the new sponsor for Carl Edwards and the No. 99 car. Edwards made the chase in 2009 finishing 11th in points despite not winning a race. In 2010,Kellogg's moved from Hendrick Motorsports to join the team as the primary sponsor for two races, and associate sponsor for the rest of the season.[91]Scotts also joined Edwards' Cup sponsorship after several years as a Nationwide sponsor. Edwards snapped a 70-race winless skid with his victory in the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 atPhoenix International Raceway. One week later, he won his second race in a row atHomestead-Miami Speedway in theFord 400.
In 2011, Edwards still drove the No. 99. He won his only race of the season atLas Vegas Motor Speedway, but managed to remain in the top 12 with consistent finishes.Kellogg's andSubway returned to sponsor a few races, and Edwards managed to finish 2nd in points on a tiebreaker withTony Stewart. For 2012, the No. 99 was sponsored byFastenal,Kellogg's,UPS andBest Buy. Edwards finished 15th in points, winless, with three top fives and 13 top tens. In 2013, Edwards ended his winless streak by winning in Phoenix. Edwards won again at the fall Richmond race, however struggles during the chase relegated him to a 13th place points finish.
Edwards won theFood City 500 at Bristol in March 2014 to lock himself into that year's Chase. He later went to win theToyota/Save Mart 350, his first and only career road-course victory to date. However, on July 27, 2014, Roush Fenway announced that Edwards would not return to the No. 99 in 2015 and that sponsorFastenal would move to Roush's No. 17 car to replace the departingNationwide Insurance. This left the No. 99 without a sponsor or a driver for 2015, and the crew was moved to the resurrected No. 6 team withTrevor Bayne.[18]
On October 23, 2016, the No. 99 returned, asRyan Reed made his Sprint Cup debut at Talladega.[92] Reed made the race, starting 18th and finishing 26th, completing all the laps (including the overtime laps). After not running in 2017, the No. 99 moved toStarCom Racing which ran part-time in 2018, then toTrackhouse Racing Team in 2021.
Josh Sell, an engineer for Keselowski, is now listed as his crew chief for this weekend on the roster.