“I Didn’t Mean Us”: RFK Racing Shoots Itself in the Foot as Brad Keselowski’s Superstar Gets Penalized by Tony Stewart’s $3.79 Billion NASCAR Nemesis

The 28th race of the 2023 NASCAR season at Kansas Speedway was not supposed to be a chaotic affair. The track boasts neither the speed of the Talladega nor the difficulty of Darlington. But as the sun set on Sunday, the 22-year-old course had newer definitions to its name. With Denny Hamlin turning out to be the man with the unlucky hat the previous weekend in Darlington, it was time for the mantle to be passed over, or was it?

It was not just Hamlin, but also RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher who found himself on the receiving end this time. Despite putting up an impressive display till the very end, the Goodyear tires decided to turn villain for the #17 driver in the final moments of the race.

Brad Keselowski and Jack Roush’s team fires a hasty shot that backfires immediately

Going to Kansas after securing a P3 finish at the Darlington Raceway, Chris Buescher had bagged a P13 starting grid position at Kansas. With his teammate and boss Brad Keselowski competing alongside in the #6 Mustang, the duo looked poised for top 10 finishes one more time. Battling against pit road problems and cautions that damaged his positions, Buescher moved up the line and broke into the top 10 at the end of the second stage making use of cautions and pit stops. With the race speeding towards its climax, a timely post came from RFK Racing’s “X” handle. Holding a poll, the post asked, “Do we get another yellow before this one is done”.

With a majority of the followers voting “Yes,” little would RFK Racing have expected that it would be one of their own cars that would face an issue and cause caution.

With just 7 laps remaining for the race to end, Chris was gunning his engine from P12 when the right rear tire of his Mustang blew. The car hitting the wall hard, the race was forced into caution. A tweet from RFK Racing’s handle flew right back saying, “I didn’t mean us.” Chris finished the race at P27 and took home 12 points while his teammate salvaged a P9.

Blown tires caused issues for many drivers on Sunday. Keselowski‘s co-driver was just one among the likes of Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. But what is it with the Goodyear Tires that have caused it to repeatedly fail and earn the wrath of many including sport legend Tony Stewart?

Watch Story: Tony Stewart’s Old Enemy Goodyear Angers Nascar Nation With Its Poor Tires at Kansas

The Goodyear Tires that Tony Stewart always hated play spoilsports once again in Kansas

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Tony Stewart’s prowess in NASCAR is something that cannot be questioned by any. Winning three Cup Series championships as a driver, he won another in 2014 as the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. For a man who has firmly cemented his position in motorsports history, Goodyear Tires has always proved to be a nemesis. And the Hall of Famer has never been shy of voicing his opinions against the multi-billion dollar outfit.

The persistence of the problem with Goodyear can be traced from Tony’s words back in 2009. After a tire failure-induced crash involving then-teammate Ryan Newman in Daytona, Tony had said, “Same stuff that we always talk about every year is the failures that Goodyear has. I think that’s part of their marketing campaign. The more we talk about it, the more press they get. I think they forget that it’s supposed to be in a good way, not a bad way.” 

In the 14 years since these words were uttered, we have been reminded time and time again about the issues of the tire manufacturer. The latest event in Kansas was one such reminder. Starting with Martin Truex Jr, who was taken out in just 3 laps from the start, the tires claimed 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace next and completed its meal with Chris Buescher.

With just one more race remaining before elimination, Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher both sit with comfortable cushions above the cut-off line. With the latter winning at Bristol last year, RFK Racing looks set to have at least one of its racers push forward into the round of 12, if not both. However, the final results ultimately rest on the question of whether the tires of their Mustangs can hold up for all 266.50 miles at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

Read More: Brad Keselowski Snubs Chris Buescher’s Master Stroke in One Statement