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via Getty

via Getty

One of the most impressive things about sports is the element of unpredictability in it. And when the sport has 40 almost similar cars running at full speed to earn that trip down the victory lane, that factor just goes off the charts.

At the beginning of this season, nobody really cared about this 2-year-old, fairly new team. And with their manufacturer being Ford, they remained hidden in the depths of oblivion.

NASCAR analyst and veteran ex-racer revealed the misery of Rick Hendrick

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Rick Hendrick might be regretting a decision that he had made way back in 2010. There was a time when Brad Keselowski was a top prospect for Mr. H. In his fifth-ever Cup Series start, the young man from Rochester Hills took his then-team owner James Finch to his first victory in the Cup Series. When veteran racer Mark Martin announced that he would make a comeback to the Sprint Cup Series for the last time, Brad Keselowski was a 25-year-old driver, expecting to drive for Rick Hendrick the next year.

The idea was to be a part-time driver for Rick Hendrick under the tutelage of Martin and then stride as a full-timer in the 2012 season. But things did not work that way because Rick Hendrick brought Mark Martin back into the team for a full-time deal in 2010 and the future for the young Keselowski looked bleak.

Last year, Chris Buescher won at Bristol. However, he and his boss both failed to make it out of the playoff bubble. Consistency was the only thing standing on their way to the limelight. To add to their struggle, the number 6 team also suffered from an L2 penalty after the race at Atlanta, which cost them 100 driver and owner points.

Naturally, someone like Rick Hendrick would never want to team up with Chris Buescher or Brad Keselowski. However, this iconic duo teamed up with each other and showed everyone in the alleys of NASCAR what teamwork means. Fast forward to 2023, Kyle Petty said in a NASCAR on NBC podcast, “Nobody really wanted to push those two guys. They teamed up again and once again I hate to say it this way, because RFK has not been in the conversation over the last few years.”

“Nobody in the Hendrick organization was like, yeah we’re gonna hook up with these guys, you just didn’t go into Daytona thinking that,” Petty added.

The success of RFK Racing blew Kyle Petty away

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Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski’s journey at RFK Racing is a story of hard work and perseverance. In the same podcast, Nate Ryan applauded Keselowski for giving Buescher the critical pushes at all the right times in the final ten laps and then Buescher making every right move. The way Buescher and Brad stayed in the draft and finished 1- 2 seemed commendable to the NBC analyst.

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Veteran NASCAR driver Kyle Petty concurred and said that it was a perfect example of two teammates working together. “These two guys believed in it,” he said.

After the number 17 Speedster grabbed his first win of the season at Richmond, Kyle Petty had said that he was extremely impressed with the leadership prowess of the RFK Racing co-owner.

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“Those guys deserved the win,” he said.

Read more: Amid Playoff Woes, Rick Hendrick Destined to Live With One Painful Truth

Petty continued saying, “That’s a tip of the hat for RFK Racing. Along with that you have to give the tip of the hat to Brad Keselowski. What an incredible job he has done since becoming part-owner over there of leading that team and pointing them in the direction.”

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When Rick Hendrick has just one of his cars in the playoff whereas, Brad Keselowski has both his cars in the playoff battle. Safe to say, Rick Hendrick is biting his fingernails in regret looking at the success of this Cup Series team.

Watch this story: Kyle Petty Sends Warning to Rick Hendrick’s Team After HMS’ Le Mans Success