What happened with Brad Keselowski's RFK Racing that forced NASCAR to make immediate amends at the North Wilkesboro Speedway?

NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski’s co-owned team, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, narrowly missed out on having all its drivers compete in Sunday’s (May 18) All-Star Race. The sequence of events that led to RFK Racing’s disappointment also triggered a late change by NASCAR, which modified part of the track layout before the checkered flag.

Ryan Preece, driving the #60 Ford for RFK Racing, was in position to qualify for the Million Dollar Race after running second in the All-Star Open with 17 laps to go. However, NASCAR penalized him for a restart violation, stating he failed to pick a lane before entering the restart zone. As a result, Preece was sent to the rear of the field, ending his shot at advancing to the All-Star Race.

After the race, Preece expressed his frustration with the decision, claiming he could not see the 'Choose V' sign painted on the track.

“It’s really nonexistent from inside the car,” the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver told FS1’s Regan Smith. “You can’t see it. So I just hooked a hard left going across the line, figuring it’s in that area. I’m frustrated because if you have a situation like that, put a cone out there so we can see it.”

As it turns out, NASCAR reviewed what Preece had to say about the infraction that led to an unhappy day for him. Eventually, it was observed that the 'Choose V' sign on the track was repainted before the All-Star Race, reinforcing Preece's claims.

"#NASCAR has had the choose V on the track repainted for the All-Star Race. Ryan Preece was penalized for running over it in the Open and that penalty cost him a chance to advance. He said he couldn’t see it," as reported by Dustin Long on X.

Had Preece not been penalized for the violation in the All-Star Open, he would have joined Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, his RFK teammates, to compete for the $1 million. Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek made it to the final race at NWS on Sunday after finishing P1 and P2, respectively.

Brad Keselowski speaks his mind after securing NASCAR All-Star Race pole

Former Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, who drives the #6 Ford, secured pole position for the All-Star Race. The achievement marked a welcome shift for the RFK Racing owner-driver, who has faced challenges this season in delivering consistent results and strong performances.

After securing pole position for the race at North Wilkesboro, Keseowski shared his thoughts on doing so.

"Being on the pole feels really good, especially to win the pole by that much. It's just a total team effort. This event, this format, pushes you to your limits from a driver perspective, team perspective, and pit crew," he said (via Speedway Digest).

However, despite starting from the first row, Brad Keselowski finished the All-Star race in P22. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell took the All-Star race home at the 0.625-mile short track, marking his fourth victory this season.