Brad Keselowski and Co. Have Allegedly Figured Out the Way for Misery Ridden Ford After the Brutal Kansas Finish

The Fords just haven’t had their usual zip this season, and it’s pretty obvious from their track performances. Sure, the drivers from Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing deserve their props, but it really makes you wonder why Ford cars haven’t been keeping up. Even Joey Logano, a two-time Cup champion driving for Ford, has admitted he’s so worried about how things are going that he’s practically smashing the panic button. But there might be a glimmer of hope, thanks to Brad Keselowski.

Last week at Kansas, it was Keselowski’s driver, Chris Buescher, who nearly clinched a win, until he didn’t, but Kyle Larson did, in what turned out to be the tightest photo finish in NASCAR’s books. So, what’s the secret sauce over at Keselowski’s Ford team? 

Is Brad Keselowski the guy to get Ford back in the game?

Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski’s driver, nailed second place at Kansas, marking his second P2 finish this season after Phoenix. Out of 12 races so far, Buescher’s bagged four top-10s and two top-5s, placing him 11th in the standings. But beyond those, he’s been finishing 15th or worse. Keselowski himself has been solid with four top-5s and one top-10, yet a win has eluded him, leaving him at 15th in the standings.

Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney, another Ford driver, sits at 6th in the standings with similar numbers but no wins. Joey Logano seems to have hit the roughest patch, struggling at 17th in the standings with just three top-10s and one top-5. But there might be a ray of hope. According to Eric Estepp, “Kevin dropped a nugget on his podcast this week that at least some Fords brought either a new or an upgraded engine to Kansas this past weekend. And we saw Chris Buescher [Brad Keselowski driver] put together his best race of the Year finish second by this much won a stage. We saw Noah Gragson from Stewart-Haas qualify third and finish ninth.”

“We saw Michael McDowell from Front Row finish inside the top 10. Solid results from three different Ford teams, but none of them interestingly from Team Pensky. […] RFK had one of those newer improved upgraded experimental engines under the hood and it worked out.”

Could this be the turning point for Ford? Maybe these new engines are the boost they need to get back into the thick of it. So, maybe Joey Logano and his crew could use a hand from the RFK Racing team to pinpoint their issues and iron them out.

The last time Logano didn’t notch a win in the first 12 races was way back in 2016, though he did manage to grab a victory at Michigan later on, which clinched his spot in the playoffs. That’s probably why he’s recently admitted to feeling a bit panicky. But really, he might not need to worry just yet. Why?

Here’s why Joey Logano shouldn’t hit the panic button just yet

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First off, there are still 14 races left in the regular season, and some of those are at tracks like Bristol and Michigan, where Logano has previously clinched multiple wins. Plus, he might just need to ramp up his game. If he manages to get that new engine help from Brad Keselowski, he needs to be all in and ready to put those things to work on the track.

Next up, the upcoming race is at Darlington, a track where Logano has already tasted victory in the next-gen car era. This should ideally be a comfortable spot for him. He might also benefit from his team keeping things simple, instead of trying a new strategy every week, which he hinted at on SiriusXM NASCAR. That could help him find a clear path forward instead of getting lost in constant changes.

Lastly, it might be time for the Ford teams to huddle up and hash out their car issues. Perhaps they could even lean on Keselowski’s team a bit to help get all the Ford teams up to speed.