Tony Stewart, a legendary figure in NASCAR, is often hailed as the king of road courses, boasting an impressive record of finishing in the top five in 22 out of 34 road course races throughout his career. Stewart’s influence extends beyond his accolades; his unmatched attitude and success have made him a role model for many in the racing community. One notable admirer is Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing.

In a conversation with Kenny Wallace, Keselowski reflected on Stewart’s impact, stating, “Tony Stewart was definitely a huge motivator for me, seeing what he did at Stewart-Haas Racing.” This admiration is rooted in how Stewart transformed Stewart-Haas from an underdog team into a championship-caliber contender.

Since teaming up with RFK Racing in 2022, Brad Keselowski has been instrumental in developing both the team and their “underdog” driver, Chris Buescher. Buescher recently clinched a stunning victory at Watkins Glen, holding off a determined Shane van Gisbergen to secure the win.

What made the race even more surprising was that only two playoff drivers finished in the top ten: Chase Briscoe in sixth and Austin Cindric in tenth. “We’re here to race to win,” Buescher declared during his victory lane media interaction, underscoring his competitive spirit and commitment to success.

“We’re going to play spoiler as much as we can in the next seven or eight weeks coming up, as well. It’s big for us to get a win on the year. It’s been over a year without a win. We’ve been so close so many times to start off the season at Phoenix and be runner-up there. We knew we had the speed. We carried it over through the offseason, and just haven’t been able to seal the deal.”

In 2023, Chris Buescher had an impressive five-week stretch where he secured three wins and finished seventh in the standings, just ahead of teammate Brad Keselowski in eighth. He excelled on road courses, achieving top-15 finishes in every event, including a top-five finish at Sonoma. Now, claiming a win at the Glen, a venue that holds special significance for Tony Stewart, who has five victories there, the most of any road course in his career, Keselowski has drawn parallels between Buescher’s natural talent for road racing and Stewart’s remarkable skills.

In a post shared by RFK Racing on Instagram, Brad Keselowski‘s thoughts on Buescher are clearly given in the image, where Brad is quoted, “Chris Buescher is one of the most naturally-talented road course racers I’ve been around. He doesn’t care to accept that, but it’s true from the get-go. He just has a natural knack and a feel for a car on road courses that reminds me of Tony Stewart. If his career path had taken him that route, he’d be a top-of-the-line road course racer right now in Imsa or IndyCar.”

Buescher, just like Tony Stewart, has consistently managed to finish in at least the top 20 on a road course, with both drivers having 5 or fewer finished outside the top 20. The knack that Keselowski talks about is this: both of these drivers ensure they are in contention throughout the race and taste success at road courses. Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher certainly do share an affinity for road courses, but Buescher and Keselowski share quite similar careers.

Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski’s careers share stark similarities

Chris Buescher’s NASCAR journey has been impressive since debuting at RFK Racing in 2011 and entering the Cup Series in 2015. He solidified his place in the sport in 2016 by participating in all 36 races and notching his first win. And, Buescher’s trajectory parallels that of teammate Brad Keselowski, who won his first Cup Series race at Talladega in 2009.

After facing challenges, including injuries, RFK’s co-owner had a breakout year in 2011 with three consecutive top-three finishes, establishing himself as a formidable competitor, which could be a great example for somebody who is looking to grow in the sport.

The No. 17 Ford driver believes the co-owner has been a blessing for him and has stated the appreciation, saying, “It’s been nice to have Brad up there with us, someone who is such a good speed racer among other places… Daytona wouldn’t happen without Brad behind us there; that one-two finish was mostly him.” Buescher said this in 2023 during a media interaction with Frontstretch’s Michael Massie as he discussed his runs on the superspeedways.

Unlike 2023, Buescher did not get a playoff seat this season, while his boss, Brad Keselowski, did, and that might be one of the differences in their career trajectories, as Keselowski also went on to win the championship in 2012 following his breakout in 2011. Do you think Buescher can emulate Keselowski’s success and live up to the Tony Stewart comparisons?