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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Brad Keselowski’s impact at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing this season cannot be overstated. The team that was not even looked at as a potential race winner at the start of the season won three races in the regular season. Chris Buescher won back-to-back at Richmond and Michigan and RFK took a 1-2 finish at Daytona. Both their drivers made the round of 12 of the playoffs. Now, only one remains. But that has not dampened the other’s will to go out there and deliver a victory.

Brad Keselowski is the one who is out of the playoffs. The veteran racer has yet to win a single race this season so far. His run into the round of 12 without a victory truly is a commendable feat, But the 2012 Cup Series champion is far from giving up. Despite not winning, the 39-year-old has consistently delivered good points finishes for the team in 2023. So what’s stopping him from achieving one victory?

What are the RFK Racing star’s chances of winning a race?

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Well, one of the reasons is that there are others on track with faster cars and in a better run of form. The likes of Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin will be looking to win every race from now till the end. They are the three strongest title favorites and they will do whatever it takes to get to Phoenix.

But the wildcard in all of this is Chris Buescher. The 30-year-old has won three races so far in the Cup Series, which is the same as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. There is always a threat of the RFK Racing star showing up and shocking the NASCAR field. If that happens, then Brad Keselowski has a chance of winning the race.

The team would rather see Chris Buescher win a race and cement his place in the championship race before Brad Keselowski. Brad himself would want that. So if the 30-year-old manages to win the opening race of the round of 8, he can help his boss win a race for the first time in 2023.

RFK Racing hit their peak form in the closing stages of the regular season. The thing that will give confidence to Keselowski is that the purple patch remained for more than just one race. If both RFK cars hit that form again, they can be a threat for the rest of the season. But that is perhaps a long shot.

Brad Keselowski’s stats at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway are exceptional. The 39-year-old has started 20 races at the track and won three. He has finished in the top five 8 times and in the top ten 12 times. So even without his teammate’s help, the 2012 Cup Series champion is a master of the Vegas oval.

Apart from being a fantastic driver, Brad Keselowski is a smart businessman. His sharp business mind is what got him into a co-owner-driver role at RFK Racing. The veteran racer recently shared a conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Twitter about one of the issues faced when it comes to sponsorships.

Read More – Surpassing Veterans With Unfathomable Prowess, Rick Hendrick’s “Little School Kid” May Steal Vegas Crown

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Brad Keselowski reveals a major downside of dealing with sponsors

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NASCAR recently introduced a rule that limited seasoned Cup Series veterans from running in the Xfinity Series. A maximum of 5 races can be run by Cup drivers in the Xfinity Series. The problem, as per Brad Keselowski, is that sponsors are not willing to pay that extra $5-7 million for a Cup driver to race 5 times a year in the Xfinity Series.

Replying to a Dale Earnhardt Jr. comment on Twitter, the RFK Racing co-owner said, “Can speak for only myself: I miss it. Would run 5 races, with a good full time team. Can’t because No major sponsor interest, it takes 5-7m annually to make it work. Any sponsor of that size usually goes on a cup car now days. So the choices are: pay up or drive slow cars,” he said.

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Regardless of his Xfinity Series aspirations, Brad Keselowski’s immediate goal is finishing the Cup Series season on a high. His goal will be to win a race, but will the veteran pull it off? Only time will tell.

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