Brad Keselowski Drops 2-Word Verdict on RFK Racing’s Championship Contention Failure

The 2023 season can be called a bittersweet one for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. At one point in time, it looked like they were the best Ford team on the track. However, on the other side, their downfall was alarming, leaving them nowhere to be seen on the map. And that’s what Brad Keselowski, the co-owner of the team, confessed.

While talking to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio recently, Brad Keselowski opened up about how the team feels after the season is over. He articulated that while the team is elated with the progress that RFK Racing has made, they aren’t necessarily satisfied with the development or where the team stands.

Brad Keselowski has the past 2023 chart and the future blueprint for 2024

The RFK team, courtesy of Brad Keselowski and his driver Chris Buescher, truly dominated the final five races of the regular season. In those last five races, RFK won three, starting with Richmond, then Michigan, and eventually winning the final race of the regular season at Daytona. Brad Keselowski during the regular season and the playoff season, on and off the track, worked as a mentor for Buescher. It was quite clear that whenever Buescher crossed the finish line in the top five, Keselowski was his unwavering pillar of support, pushing him forward from behind.

However, this very strategy seemed to backfire in the playoffs. Keselowski bowed out in the round of 12, and while Buescher advanced to the round of 8, he couldn’t shine in the final stretch. Contrast this with last year, when the best RFK could muster was a lone win at Bristol during the playoffs—a concerning sign for the team.

This prompted Keselowski to reflect, “I think overall the team is please not satisfied, Claire. Pleased with the progress, not satisfied with where we’re at. I felt like there were times last year where we, you know, didn’t look that great. And then there were a lot of times last year, especially around the late summer. I thought we would look like two of the best cars on the track. And it didn’t all click when it needed to.

“That’s part of racing as far as sports and life. If we can get it all to click, we can be championship contenders with both cars. Pleased that we’re able to say that; we wouldn’t be able to say that last year, but not satisfied that we weren’t able to realize it, especially in those final eight races or probably final four, six races.”

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Keselowski also shed light on the team’s need for improvement, noting, “That’s the challenge for us ahead is getting us to a spot where we can realize that with results.” On a brighter note, a NASCAR insider has recently expressed confidence in Chris Buescher’s prospects for the 2024 season, signaling a potential resurgence for the team.

NASCAR insider tips Chris Buescher as a rising star for next year

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The Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) team’s journey in the recent NASCAR season was akin to a rollercoaster ride, peaking impressively until the round of 12. At one point, the No. 17 was a frontrunner, rivaling the likes of Ryan Blaney, who later surged ahead. However, there’s a growing buzz that 2024 could be the year Chris Buescher shines as the new fan favorite.

This optimism is shared by Mike Bagley, the voice behind MRN’s NASCAR Live Wide Open podcast. He recently shed light on the current favorites, placing Buescher in a promising position. “Right behind Ryan Blaney, the second favorite to win the Daytona 500 right now, if you pay a ton of attention, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s just a surprise in looking at it; it’s Chris Buescher. Vegas has Chris Buescher at 11-1 to win the Daytona 500 right now. Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski also there,” Bagley revealed.

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With this newfound momentum, the RFK team has its work cut out. But given the pace at which they’ve been evolving and improving, it seems the coveted Cup trophy might just be within their grasp sooner rather than later.