There is no question about the fact that RFK Racing has grown into more of a threat under the leadership of Brad Keselowski than it has been in the last several years. The former champion became a co-owner of the outfit in 2021 and has helped it get back on the path to being a Cup Series powerhouse once again. But all the improvements that have been made don’t cut it for Chris Buescher.
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The No. 17 Ford Mustang driver has been key in Keselowski’s plans over the past two and a half seasons. Together, they’ve matched multiple past team records and even set new ones. Keselowski’s win in Darlington this spring was the first time that a Jack Roush car tamed the track since 2006. Keselowski and Buescher led over 250 laps and the latter won in Bristol in 2022.
The last time the Roush banner did that was in 2005 courtesy of Matt Kenseth. Do these showings and the other ones like them mean that RFK Racing is where it needs to be? Not from Buescher’s point of view. He told the press before Saturday’s race in Bristol, “We’re not winning every week, so we’re not where we should be.” But is winning every single race a realistic expectation?
He continued, “You’ll never win every one of them, but how do you at least feel like you had a shot given a couple things go your way and you’re able to do everything right from what you can control. We’re not there. It’s been a great year. It’s been a really good turn around for the last three seasons, but it needs a little bit more yet.” His own shortcomings are what reiterate this verdict to him.
He pointed out how not being able to win a race in the 2024 regular season was an indication that there is still ample space to develop. He came frustratingly close on multiple occasions but couldn’t find the victory lane and make it into the playoffs. A win did come, in Watkins Glen during the first round of the playoffs, but it was too late and too little by then.
Keselowski’s Darlington win gave him the seat that Buescher couldn’t secure. But he failed to perform in Bristol and crashed out of contention as a result. This only underlines the No. 17 driver’s thoughts further. RFK Racing might be better now than it has been in over a decade but it isn’t a championship-contending team yet. And there is no rest for either of the drivers until it is.
Buescher added, “When we get into practice there are a lot of different things on the table that are on our minds because we’re not exactly where we want to be, but massive progress has been made and is continuing to be pushed towards a better standard each and every week still.” They move on, training harder and executing better to lift the coveted Cup Series trophy one day.
