31-year-old Chris Buescher has been one of the unluckiest drivers in the 2024 Cup Series season. He came ridiculously close to winning multiple races throughout the season and is somehow yet without a victory. With just seven more races left in the regular season, he is 56 points above the elimination line and faces the threat of not making the playoffs. What could this mean for him and his team?
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RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski opened up to reporter Bob Pockrass on the team’s mindset and the importance of making it into the postseason. The first thing that worries him is the close gap that is between Buescher and the elimination line. The driver’s position could be easily compromised should the show have a couple of new winners. The pressure of this situation is on the entire team.
Keselowski said, “We feel that pressure to get him in, feel the pressure to make sure he has the right equipment and the resources around him. We’re doing all we can, and I’m confident that he can get it done.” The co-owner himself has already bought a seat into the playoffs with a win at Darlington and he trusts his driver to get the job done as well.
Talking about the implications of an entry not cutting, he underlined that it could be hugely detrimental. “From an owner’s perspective, it’s catastrophic to miss the playoffs,” he said. “Whether it’s your sponsorships, your OEM [manufacturer] relationships, your ability to recruit and retain talent in the shop or on the road or pit crew. It’s a really, really big deal.”
Keselowski shoots a Buescher-sized warning to Cup Series contenders
Discussing the driver’s chances of making it into the playoffs, Keselowski couldn’t touch on the close-cut finishes that came earlier in the season. The most heartbreaking of them went down at Kansas when Kyle Larson beat Buescher by 0.001 seconds to the finish line. “I think it shows you how fickle a sport this is,” the 2012 Cup Series champion said.
Brad Keselowski has a win and will be in the playoffs this year but his driver Chris Buescher is winless and flirting with the playoff bubble. Keselowski on Buescher’s season and what making the playoffs means to a race team. pic.twitter.com/00i1iSTU1g
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 4, 2024
“Chris has had some really great races. He’s on a good stretch right now of competitive runs… He’s on a stretch of races where he could win any week, he’s doing all the right things but hasn’t caught any breaks. When he does, look out.” Buescher’s next shot at making his team’s owner proud will be at Chicago this Sunday.
