Keselowski keen to bring RFK Racing back to IMSA

RFK Racing co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski expressed his desire to bring the team back into IMSA competition and campaign the new Ford LMDh prototype in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP class.

When asked about owning an IMSA team during an event at Phoenix Raceway, Keselowski said: “Ford is building a Hypercar for 2027 that is going to compete at Le Mans, and maybe the United States. And if it competes in the United States, I’d like to own that team.”

https://twitter.com/RFKracing/status/1984706769399259572

Ford Racing's new LMDh prototype is only slated to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship with a factory-owned and operated team, Hypercar starting in 2027. But that hasn't stopped the interest or the speculation that the 'Blue Oval' might one day bring its new prototype to IMSA.

And as the co-owner of RFK (Roush Fenway Keselowski) Racing, Keselowski – the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion – recognizes the team's previous history in North American sports car racing.

Before team founder Jack Roush entered NASCAR for the first time in 1988, his Roush Racing team quickly became one of the most successful operations in the IMSA GT Championship. Beginning as one-half of a partnership with Zakspeed in 1981, and evolving into its own team, Roush Ford Mustangs dominated the IMSA GTO/GTS category at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Except for the 1994 race that they did not enter, Roush Racing won the GTO/GTS class ten years in a row from 1985 to 1995.

RFK Racing, in its previous guise as Roush Racing, competed in IMSA in the 1980s and '90s. William Murenbeeld/Getty Images

Across IMSA GT and SCCA Trans-Am, Roush Racing won a combined 24 national championship titles and 12 manufacturers' championships for the Ford Motor Company, before diverting its focus fully towards NASCAR, where the team now known as RFK Racing has won two NASCAR Cup Series Championships and two Daytona 500s.

It is not the first time that Keselowski has gone on the record about expanding into IMSA, but it is the first time that he has shown interest in running a top-tier prototype program.

He did clarify to FOX Sports pit reporter Bob Pockrass that he does not want to use sports car racing as an 'off-ramp' from driving in NASCAR. “I don't want an off-ramp from the Cup Series, I love driving in the Cup Series, I'm happy with that,” he said. “But I do want to be a part of an IMSA team in that class.

“Yet to be seen if Ford will come to North America, but they've announced plans to race in Europe with that car. And there's a lot of speculation, so we'll see what happens. But if the opportunity opens up, RFK would love to be a part of it.”