NASCAR Insider Upholds Brad Keselowski’s Prodigy as the 2024 Cup Series Favorite, After an Impeccable 2023 Season

Two months before Ryan Blaney shocked his way through to the Championship 4 after conquering Martinsville, another Ford driver had made heads turn with his sensational performance. Brad Keselowski entirely revamped RFK Racing last year and his #17 driver held his team owner’s head high for it.

Naturally, racing analysts now have high expectations with Team Penske’s Cup champion. But that does not mean Chris Buescher’s remarkable progress went unnoticed. Keselowski has a star in the making, ready to fulfill this year’s broken playoff hopes. 

Can Chris Buescher win the 2024 Cup for RFK Racing?

Chris Buescher must be disappointed by his Round of 8 elimination this season, however, the 31-year-old driver has taken monumental strides this season. Buescher had his first race win in his rookie season in 2016. After that, the checkered flag evaded him until he got the opportunity of a lifetime with Brad Keselowski last year. The fruits of Keselowski’s labor were not immediately palpable last year. But with three incredible wins this year, RFK Racing announced he is indeed a champion racer in the making.

Until the Round of 12, the #17 driver was favored over Ryan Blaney to reach the Championship 4 race in Phoenix. Blaney, of course, came out stronger in the end and is even touted to win the season opener Daytona 500 next year, as per MRN’s Mike Bagley. Fan favorite Chase Elliott is also expected to make a comeback after he failed to qualify for this season’s playoffs. But it’s not Elliott or even Denny Hamlin topping the betting books in the off-season. 

Mike Bagley, host of MRN’s NASCAR Live Wide Open podcast, revealed the current favorites. “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,” he disclosed.

This revelation may surprise the racing fandom but not Buescher’s team owner Brad Kesewloski.

Brad Keselowski polished his “hidden gem” before exponential growth this season

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The regular season was nearing its end and neither Brad Keselowski nor Chris Buescher had won any races by then. Just when Buscher was being sidelined from the conversation surrounding the season’s title, the #17 driver won back-to-back races in Richmond and Michigan and capped off the regular season with another victory at the Daytona International Speedway.

Watch this story: The Unseen Costs of NASCAR Ownership: Brad Keselowski’s $70,000 Revelation

After the win, RFK Racing became the Cup team to look out for in the playoffs. At that time, NASCAR’s Alex Weaver asked Keselowki’s opinion on his promising driver. Although Buescher could not make it till Phoenix, he delivered a career-best 7th place finish, posting 9 Top-5 and 17 Top-10 finishes.

Before the next season, Brad Keselowski would surely reaffirm what he had then said, “I knew coming into RFK that Chris was kind of a hidden gem. I feel like he just needs to be surrounded by the right people in the right equipment. We’ve done that for him and he’s blossomed into the person I thought he always could be.”

This season may have belonged to Team Penske, but RFK Racing will soon return to fight for the checkered in Daytona.

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