Dale Jarrett had high hopes for the RFK Racing team’s playoff run. A few weeks ago, Jarrett boldly predicted that the #17 team could take the fight all the way to the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, but things didn’t go as planned. The RFK Racing driver’s bid for a spot in the Championship 4 ended with an eighth-place finish at Martinsville, leaving fans and analysts questioning what went wrong.

As the 2023 NASCAR season unfolded, it became apparent that Chris Buescher and the RFK Racing team were on the verge of something special. Buescher, who had only secured two career NASCAR Cup Series wins in his first seven seasons, enjoyed a breakout year with three victories in 2023. These wins came on vastly different tracks too, including a short track, a 2-mile oval, and a superspeedway. However, after his Championship hopes ended at Martinsville, Jarrett had a say on his performance once again.

Dale Jarrett admits that being just good was not good enough for Chris Buescher

Buescher’s remarkable season saw him achieve career-high statistics in top-five finishes, top-ten finishes, laps led, and an improved average start and finish. He led the series with 30 top-20 finishes through 35 races and completed all but one race. This showed a level of consistency that we hadn’t seen from him before.

This led Dale Jarrett to pick Chris Buescher as his dark horse of the season. He predicted that Buescher would go all the way to Phoenix. Speaking on the Motorsports on NBC podcast a few weeks ago, Jarrett explained his belief in Buescher’s ability to contend for the championship. Jarrett said, “The best season that he’s had. And I think that consistency at all types of tracks… Yes, the mile and a halfs definitely are not the very, very best for the Fords or for this organization. But I think that he can perform at a high enough level to put himself in a good position point-wise.”

However, the reality was quite different from Jarrett’s prediction. Buescher’s playoff run ended at the last hurdle of Martinsville, prompting Jarrett to reconsider his assessment. He admitted, “I think that what we saw and what emerged as a driver that we’ll be keeping our eye on. This team, that Brad Keselowski came in, bought into, vowed to turn this around and bring Roush Fenway back to prominence and adding his name to that. They have done that, but the problem is, we talked about the speed that the #12 team and Ryan Blaney brought to the playoffs. Chris Buescher and his team were good, but good’s not good enough whenever you get into the round of eight.“

Despite falling short of a Championship 4 berth. Jarrett couldn’t help but be proud of Buescher and RFK Racing’s accomplishments. He noted, “A great season, you know. Yeah, my pick was way out there. But I thought that you know what I had seen, that this was a possibility, that he can either go in and steal a win or point his way through there. But really proud, and it was fun to watch him this season.”

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Now, as the season resets soon, the question remains. Can Chris Buescher and his team continue their remarkable upward journey in 2024 and beyond? But what does the driver feel about this season?

Chris Buescher shares his perspective on the 2023 season for RFK Racing

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As Dale Jarrett pointed out, Buescher and the RFK Racing team had indeed enjoyed a remarkable season. Despite their playoff run coming to an end at Martinsville, Buescher found reasons to be proud. Going into that race, Buescher was already facing an uphill battle. With not enough points to secure a Championship 4 spot, his only option was to win the race. While a victory didn’t materialize, he did put up a solid performance, finishing eighth.

In a post-race interview, Buescher acknowledged that his car needed a little more to challenge for the win. He said, “That’s a great year, right? Super proud of everybody and what we’ve been able to accomplish in a very short period of time is great. So, you know, unfortunately, came up just a little bit shy here today. And that being said, I am proud of the effort, proud of the finish… We’ve had a season like we’ve had, and the improvement we’ve had, the statistics really haven’t mattered. So, another great finish for us. A top 10 here at Martinsville, but needed a little bit more.”

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Now, the question is whether Chris Buescher and RFK Racing can carry this momentum into the 2024 season. The lessons learned from this playoff run will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their future endeavors. As the season comes to a close, fans and analysts will be eager to see whether this emerging contender can continue to rise in the NASCAR ranks.