“I fear he doesn’t get the respect he’s earned”: Brad Keselowski delivers a blunt verdict on Richard Petty’s NASCAR legacy

Earlier this month, RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski travelled with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty and quizzed Petty about his life. Recalling the moment, Keselowski recently shared an X post and showcased his gratitude to 'The King'.

In over 20 years, former NASCAR driver Richard Petty and RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski never spent time together until this month. On April 7, the duo went to Washington, D.C., to meet congressional members of the National Motorsports Coalition. During their trip, Keselowski questioned Petty and called him the “greatest race car driver that ever lived.” (via NBC Sports)

Reflecting upon Petty's legendary career, the RFK driver boldly stated:

"Spending an evening with “The King” earlier this month was a real honor. I fear he doesn’t get the respect he’s earned for his success and commitment to NASCAR over the last 6 decades. A true legend, RESPECT"

Keselowski further added:

“I feel that Richard Petty is the greatest race car driver that ever lived. The reason why I feel that way is broader than just his persona, which is, I think, it’s pretty cool. It’s broader than his 200 wins. I think it connects back to something that makes racing very unique compared to other sports." (via NBC Sports)

Petty spent over three decades in stock car racing and competed for Petty Enterprises for the major part of his career. During his 35-year stint in the series, he secured 200 wins (the most wins in the series by any driver), 712 top-ten finishes, and 123 pole positions (the most pole positions) in 1,184 starts. Additionally, he won seven Cup Series titles in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979.

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NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski gets candid about his worst start since his rookie season

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski has been struggling in the 2025 season, making it his worst season since his rookie year in 2010. He recently admitted 2025 was one of his worst starts in his 17-year career.

His teammates, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, delivered strong performances this season compared to Keselowski. The duo consistently landed top-ten spots, while the Michigan native's best finish came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he finished 11th. Also, the RFK driver has yet to lead a lap and score a pole position this season.

However, Brad Keselowski has high hopes for the #6 team and claimed the team has "higher" potential than any other team he has driven for in the past four years.

"It’s definitely not my best start. But, I mean, I got my internal optimist glasses on and I see the potential. The potential for this team is higher than any team I’ve had in the last four or five years. Just got to recognize it. There’s a lot of talent on it, a lot of fresh faces and the mistakes that come with that, and we have to clean that up and recognize our potential," Keselowski said via NASCAR.

The #6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver currently ranks 31st on the Cup Series points table with 132 points in nine races this season.