Ryan Preece has big shoes to fill after it was revealed that he will take over one of NASCAR’s most recognizable numbers when he moves from RFK Racing’s No. 60 Ford to the organization’s No. 6 for the 2027 Cup Series season. The team confirmed the change Wednesday, Nov. 4, giving Preece the seat Brad Keselowski will leave after 2026 and placing a new driver behind a number that has defined the organization for nearly four decades.
The No. 6 has been part of RFK Racing’s identity since Jack Roush entered NASCAR’s premier series in 1988 with Mark Martin behind the wheel. Martin drove the car through 2006 and collected 35 Cup Series victories, building a legacy few numbers can match. Keselowski held it from 2022 through this season, and now Preece will become the sixth driver to compete in the No. 6. Preece understands the history attached to the opportunity, and his reaction reflected how much the number means beyond the results sheet.
“To be trusted with the 6 means more to me than I can put into words,” Preece said in the team’s announcement. “When you think about what this number means to RFK Racing, you think about Jack Roush, Mark Martin and everything they built together.”There is also a personal connection. Preece drove a No. 6 for longtime car owner Ed Partridge during much of his Modified career. Partridge helped create opportunities for Preece, and the two shared their final Whelen Modified Tour victory at Richmond in 2021, shortly before Partridge died.
But that history gives the number a meaning, one that Preece knows brings a different level of expectation. Preece joined RFK Racing in 2025 after two seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing. His time in the No. 60 has included a victory in the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium and his first points-paying Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway in August. That result secured his place in the 2026 Chase and marked a step in a career built through modified racing.
Yet, RFK is not starting over with its new No. 6 driver. Preece’s current team, including crew chief Derrick Finley, will move with him for 2027. The entry will remain chartered, giving Preece a guaranteed place in the Cup Series field. RFK has not announced what is to become of the No. 60 entry. The 2012 Cup champion joined RFK as a driver and co-owner in 2022, and his time in the No. 6 brought one victory, 25 top-five finishes and 55 top-10s across 174 starts through the September announcement.
Even so, Preece’s next racing plans have not been confirmed, but he has made clear he does not intend to walk away from driving. For Preece, the assignment brings opportunity and responsibility. He is not simply stepping into a different Ford; he is inheriting a number tied to Martin, Roush, and the people who helped build his own career. The No. 6 will look different in 2027, but RFK is betting Preece can add a chapter that belongs to him.
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