Last season, RFK Racing were clearly a team in transition. While the team did look a bit improved compared to 2021, it was a far cry from where many hoped the team would be in 2022. Especially for Brad Keselowski, who had one of his worst seasons in his career. However, their late season results were more promising than the season as a whole. Chris Buescher won RFK’s first non-superspeedway race since 2013 and Brad Keselowski was running inside the Top-10 more consistently. 2023 was lined up to be a stronger season than 2022. The big question was how much improvement could RFK Racing make in one season.
Brad Keselowski – #6
2023 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 7 Top-5s, 16 Top-10s, 341 Laps Led, Avg Fin 14.4
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Driver Points Ranking: 8;Â Owner Points Ranking: 8
Notable Results: Advanced to the Round of 12; Only driver to Top-10 first 4 playoff races
As discussed in last year’s Season in Review, there was no direction for Brad Keselowski to go in 2023 except for up. Coming off his worst season since his debut year with Team Penske, the expectation that Keselowski would round into form in 2023. Foreshadowing what the 6 team had in store was Keselowski’s runs to end the season. In 2 of the last 3 races of 2023, Keselowski crossed the finish line in the Top-5.
Building off that momentum, Brad Keselowski put together a strong 2023. Despite extending his winless streak through another season, it is difficult to call Keselowski’s 2023 anything but a success. While runs inside the Top-5-and-10 were few last season, the 6 car was frequently running near the front of the field. Plus, Keselowski advanced to the Round of 12 of the playoffs. Had it not been for bad luck at the end of the season, there is a great chance his total Top-5s would have hit double digits.
Superspeedways were still Keselowski’s main strength. He placed second at spring Atlanta and summer Daytona. Meanwhile, he led 42 laps in the Daytona 500 and looked to be the car to beat in summer Atlanta before the rain spoiled the fun. If Keselowski was a selfish driver, he could have easily won the summer Daytona race by passing his teammate for the win on the last lap. Instead, Keselowski became an extension of Chris Buescher’s bumper.
2023 Grade: B
While the lack of a win dampers things a bit, that does not diminish the complete 180 this team did in 2023. Yes, the entire organization took a big step forward in their progress. However, Keselowski had less to celebrate last year than his teammate did. This season, Keselowski was arguably the more consistent driver between the two. Although the stat line favors the 17 team, Keselowski usually had better speed throughout races. Evidence of this is the 214 stage points Keselowski racked up compared to Buescher’s 110.
The biggest critique of the season for Brad Keselowski and team was the inability to close out races. There were several races where Keselowski could have been in position to battle for the win, only for a costly mistake to jeopardize that. A prime example of this was summer Richmond. Brad Keselowski had control of the race until a bad entry into his pit box led to a slow stop during green flag stops. That allowed Buescher to get by him, ultimately for the win.
2024 Expectations
Brad Keselowski seems set to break his 98 race winless streak in 2023. The speed was there this past season, but the team was never able to put it together. Based on 2023, it is hard to imagine that Keselowski misses out on at least winning at a superspeedway. Except for playoff Talladega, Keselowski was arguably the best driver/car in the field each race. Especially considering how easily Keselowski can weave through the field at Atlanta, he will be one to watch each drafting track.
As for his championship hopes, Keselowski demonstrated that he can be a dangerous contender if he makes it to the Round of 8. Keselowski flashed race winning speed at Las Vegas and Homestead. The issue will be if Keselowski can survive the first two rounds. While superspeedways are always a wild card, the road courses will present the greatest issue for the 6 driver. This season, he was eliminated after a struggling affair at ROVAL. If Keselowski can run decently on the road courses, then he could be a championship dark horse.
Chris Buescher – #17
2023 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 3 Wins, 9 Top-5s, 17 Top-10s, 255 Laps Led, Avg Fin 12.1
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Driver Points Ranking: 7;Â Owner Points Ranking: 7
Notable Results: Career high 3 wins; Advanced to the Round of 8; Second in average finish
After securing his first win with the organization last year, the expectation for Chris Buescher was to take the next step forward and become a playoff contender. With how RFK Racing looked toward the end of the season, it was reasonable to expect Buescher to (at least) compete for a playoff spot. Especially after his win and strong runs on road courses, it was not a bad choice to think the Prosper, Texas native could find his way into the playoffs.
Rather than simply getting into the playoffs, Chris Buescher turned in a career year that put him as one of the best Cup drivers in 2023. Especially once the summer started, Buescher turned into one of the most consistent drivers in the field. He secured 3 wins in the matter of 5 races (from Richmond to Daytona). During that 5 race stretch, his worst finish was 11th. That was also his worst finish on a road course since 2021.
Mr. Consistent
Honestly, it is difficult to argue against Chris Buescher being the most consistent driver of the 2023 season. While William Byron had the best average finish, Buescher was second with his 12.1 average finish. That average finish would have bested anyone from the 2022 season. Not only was his average finish second best, but Buescher only had one DNF on the season (at spring Atlanta) and 4 non-lead lap finishes. While other drivers might have had more time dominating races, no one kept their car running inside the Top-15 on a weekly basis than Buescher.
The most impressive statistic from Buescher on the season was his 20 straight Top-20s. Since the introduction of the NextGen car, it has been difficult to string that many races together without a bad result. Add in the the DVP clock as well and it is even more impressive. Buescher’s 20 race stretch was from Bristol dirt to Darlington. Outside of this stretch, Buescher only had 4 finishes outside the Top-20. Those were spring Atlanta (DNF), spring Richmond (bad pit strategy), playoff Kansas (blown tire late), and Homestead.
2023 Grade: A
Chris Buescher was one of the five best Cup Series drivers this season. He racked up the third most wins (tied with three other drivers), was second in average finish, and set career bests in every statistical category (except for poles). Buescher started the season as a dark horse playoff driver to a driver predicted to advance to the Round of 8. While his Round of 8 was less than stellar, it does not diminish his season as a whole.
Where Chris Buescher mightily struggled this season was racking up stage points. As discussed earlier, Buescher gained 104 less stage points than his teammate. Usually chalked up to poor qualifying efforts, Buescher found himself either at the backend of the Top-10 or outside of it at stage breaks. It hurt him greatly during his playoff run, as he would miss out on valuable points despite strong finishes. Buescher’s season was perfectly setup for the old Winston Cup format rather than the modern day stage racing.
2024 Expectations
As RFK Racing seemingly continues to rise, Chris Buescher should continue to claw his way toward the top of driver rankings. Buescher is demonstrating that when given solid equipment, he can be one of the best Cup Series drivers racing. Brad Keselowski has spoken about knowing Buescher was capable of this during his Xfinity career. It is great to see Buescher prosper while running for Roush.
As with any breakout season, the goal for the following season is to back it up. A multi-win season would be great for the RFK driver. However, the minimum expectation is another Round of 8 appearance. Hopefully, boss man shared some notes with Buescher and the 17 team to improve their performance at Las Vegas and Homestead. On the flip side, maybe Buescher can help the boss master the lefts and rights for the early playoff rounds.
RFK Racing Grade: A+
There can be an argument between 23XI Racing and RFK Racing about which team was the better surprise team of the season. In terms of consistency and overall performance, the edge has to be given to RFK Racing. Both Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher found themselves toward the front most weekends. Keselowski’s influence is clearly taking hold with the team, as RFK looks to be the best Ford team heading into 2024. It would not be surprising to see both drivers in the Round of 8, with at least one of them competing in the Championship Four.
Stage 60Â
Since the end of the season, RFK Racing has announced a part time Cup Series entry that will make its debut in the Daytona 500. Coined Stage 60 (due to Roush’s history with that number in the Xfinity Series), David Ragan will be the first to pilot the unchartered team to attempt the Daytona 500. Based on the information on hand, the hope is that this car can run multiple race throughout the season.
With Brad Keselowski’s eye for younger talent, it would not be surprising to see Stage 60 see younger Ford talent take the wheel. While sponsorship is key (since running unchartered teams is a financial strain), names like Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, Cole Custer, or Riley Herbst might strap in for the team. Much like Trackhouse, RFK Racing is becoming an exciting team to watch for 2024 and beyond.
For other 2023 Season in Review articles, click the link(s) below:
Griffin Fuller – Team Penske, Wood Brothers, Stewart-Haas Racing, Trackhouse Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing
Robert Cwick – JTG-Daugherty, Live Fast, Front Row (Part 1), Front Row (Part 2)Â
Daniel Smith (Statistical Breakdown)
- Cup: Team Penske/Wood Brothers, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI & Legacy Motor Club, RFK/Front Row, Trackhouse/RCR, Stewart-Haas Racing, JTG/Rick Ware/Live Fast, Kaulig/Spire, Final Rankings
- Xfinity: Stewart-Haas/AM Racing, JR Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing/Sam Hunt Racing, RCR/Kaulig Racing, Big Machine/Jeremy Clements/BJ McLeod/Our Motorsports
