Brad Keselowski to Turn the Tables on “Overachiever” Chris Buescher Who Might Miss Playoffs, Claims Dale Jr

Known as the Pied Piper of Daytona, NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr always had the “Great American Race” figured out, winning twice with a 10-year buffer in 2004 and then in 2014. So when the Stock Car racing great deems somebody as an overachiever, that almost sounds right.

Junior, in his popular Dale Jr Download podcast, gave his pick for the 200-lap fixture, favoring RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski who came in second in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last year, and snubbed his driver who won the feature with a blistering performance.

“It’s Brad’s year” – Dale Earnhardt Jr has Brad Keselowski winning the Daytona 500, dismissing his driver’s chances 

For a Cup Series champion who has 35 wins to his name in the elite faction, veteran Brad Keselowski is yet to have one at Daytona. He has conquered it all – Talladega, Kansas, Pocono, Dover, Charlotte but is missing one from his resume – a win at NASCAR’s crown jewel Daytona 500. And ever since the veteran resurrected the downtrodden RFK Racing after his takeover, the Ford Dark Horse has what it needs to conquer the 2.5-mile high-speed speedway.

Last year, the RFK Fords came across the finish with a perfect 1-2 setup with Keselowski’s driver, Chris Buescher taking the throne. In fact, it was a breakout season for the #17 driver who snagged three decisive wins to blast his way into the playoffs. However, in this season, things might be a little different says Dale Jr who put Keselowski above the Prosper native.

In the recent Dirty Mo Media production, Junior gave his picks, saying, “I had to take somebody out, who’s out? Buescher! Listen, I think that Brad ends up winning the race this year, I think that the performance in terms of statistically flips between the #6 and the #17. I think its Brad’s year. He might win the Daytona 500, so, but I believe that Buescher runs well, when you put Lajoie into the playoffs somebody has to leave, right? You can’t have #17, #18, somebody has to leave.” 

Further adding weight to his bold prediction, he added, “I felt like they overachieved last year and you know Roush, lets not forget where Roush was and so, you know, let’s not forget where they were before this year, They were bad, they were years bad, bad, bad right? Brad comes in and I’m going to give Brad all the credit.”

Dale speaking to his co-hosts, snubbed Buescher, saying, “He got close last year, I think Buescher overachieved, I think Buescher is that talented but I think the team overachieved in terms of their resources and I don’t really expect you to run just like that but they didn’t, they ran better. I dont know if they can do that again, we’ll see.” 

WATCH THIS STORY: Brad Keselowski shares his emotions on being excluded from Netflix’s NASCAR: Full Speed 

And Dale Jr wasn’t the only one backing the RFK Racing driver. Even Denny Hamlin showered his praise on Brad Keselowski.

Denny Hamlin sides with Dale Jr as he picks Keselowski, lauding his work at RFK

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Since Keselowski signed to RFK Racing, and took the driver duty and the ownership responsibilities, the once dormant team has now become active, with three wins already coming from last season. However, considering the 39-year-old’s performance, things aren’t the same and most of it has to do with his position as an owner, trying to make an impact and uplift his two-car team.

Speaking on the Actions Detrimental, Hamlin said, “When you’re trying to build an organization or trying to help on the technical side of things, it’s a process. I can understand firsthand how tough it is for a two-car organization or a three-car organization to go out there and win.” It has been 92 races since the driver has picked off a win and Hamlin who is himself a team owner strongly believes it’s because of his ownership commitments.

Lauding the driver for his efforts, Hamlin ended his take on a positive note, mentioning Keselowski’s experience and superior race craft, saying, “He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is behind the wheel. He is just really, really good… He is getting to that sweet spot [age] where statistically he is going to be in his prime. So I think, ‘Have we even seen the best Brad yet?’”

READ MORE: Ford’s Dark Horse Reignites Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Hopes in Ryan Blaney as He Names His Championship-4 Picks

With two big names supporting Brad Keselowski, do you think he will be able to shine this year at the Daytona 500?