First off, Happy belated Mother’s Day! NASCAR’s gift to the mothers was another Sunday of exciting racing action. No matter the car, Darlington Raceway seems to put on excellent shows for the fans. This year’s Goodyear 400 was no different, especially the finish. After Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher collided with 10 laps to go, Brad Keselowski passed them both to pick up his first win since 2021. The win snapped a 110 winless streak and also marked the first owner/driver winner since Tony Stewart in 2016. However, Keselowski’s win might be overshadowed by other headlines. As the All-Star break is here, what are the hot takes on this Overreaction Monday after throwback weekend at Darlington?
RFK is the Top Ford Team
Since his departure from Team Penske, Brad Keselowski has slowly been rebuilding the former Roush Racing to its previous glory. From the late 1990s through the 2000s, Roush Racing was one of the top teams in NASCAR. While only accounting for 2 championships during that time, Roush consistently had multiple drivers winning races per season and making the playoffs (once they were established). However, the departures of Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards saw the team diminish. From a 5-car operation, Roush was down to a 2-car team by the end of the 2010s. Keselowski was leaving a top team for a reclamation project. Now, it seems that Keselowski has brought RFK back to the top.
While his former team is the reigning back-to-back Cup Series champions, it would be difficult to argue against the assertion that RFK Racing has taken the top spot from Penske under the Ford umbrella. Dating back to the start of 2023, both teams have the same number of wins. When comparing Buescher/Keselowski to Blaney/Logano, the numbers are close. The Penske duo has an edge on laps led and Top-5s. However, the RFK alliance has a better average finish, more Top-10s, and more points scored. Statistically, the argument is there.
However, the narrative/eye-test favors RFK Racing as well. Now, this might have to do with more optimism around a rising team compared to the diminishing powerhouse. Still, RFK has looked more competitive on track. For Penske, it seems that only one of their three drivers do well per week (outside superspeedways). Meanwhile, both RFK drivers run well in tandem. The past two weeks especially. Buescher had the headlines from the excruciating loss, but Keselowski was the fastest car on track before the last caution. Now this week, both RFK cars were Top-5 worthy cars. Maybe it is premature to crown RFK as the top Ford team, but it is definitely close.
Tyler Reddick: Darlington Gaff Machine
What is it about Darlington Raceway and Tyler Reddick making awful driving decisions? Last year during the Southern 500, Reddick desperately attempted to pit from the Turn 4 wall as Kevin Harvick was about to undercut him. That move led to Ryan Newman spinning out and bringing out a caution. That caution ultimately led to Harvick’s chance at the win evaporating. In the end, it also cost Reddick the win. Fast forward to Sunday, there is Reddick making another questionable move in Turns 3 and 4.
With 10 laps to go, Reddick went for the slide job on Buescher. Buescher touched the wall, which should have opened the door for Reddick to pass him. Instead, Reddick miscalculated his entry and slid right into Buescher. The incident ended both drivers’ chance at both the win and a decent finish. From first and second, Buescher and Reddick would both finish in the thirties. After the race, a frustrated Buescher confronted Reddick about the move.
Now, this year’s move was not as egregious as last year’s bonehead move. While the negative consequences for both drivers were worse this year, Reddick attempting to pit from the Turn 4 wall was never going to work in any setting. In theory, Reddick’s slide job attempt on Buescher was a typical Darlington move. The biggest unbiased criticism you can throw at Reddick is that he could have been patient.
While usually you would expect (and want) a driver to take any opportunity to pass the leader with laps winding down, Buescher might have been more of sitting duck than the usual leader in clean air. In the incident that took out Ryan Blaney, Buescher suffered nose damage to his car. While it did not hold back the 17 car from being competitive, it likely hurt his car enough where he did not have race winning speed. Reddick caught Buescher fairly easily after Buescher’s impressive three wide pass for the lead. Was a 10 to-go slide job necessary? More than likely not, which is why Reddick has some egg on his face for the move.
Future Star Justin Haley
Justin Haley made history on Sunday. For the first time in their existence, a Rick Ware Racing entry finish in the Top-10 at a non-superspeedway. More impressive than simply finishing there, Haley raced his way into the Top-15 earlier in the day. Haley did not luck his way to a Top-10, he earned it.
While Justin Haley is not a household name, he has popped up on occasion to the surprise of the broadcast and fans. His abilities on the superspeedways is evident, so those notable appearances at the front are less shocking to see. However, Haley put up a competitive battle against Shane van Gisbergen at Chicago while leading last year. Earlier this season, Haley managed his equipment greatly at Bristol. There were moments where he ran inside the Top-10 during the tire wear spectacle. Clearly, the young driver can wheel a racecar. However, he has yet to run in top Cup equipment.
It was a bit of head scratcher when Haley left Kaulig Racing to drive for Rick Ware. However, he is demonstrating his talent by overachieving in the subpar equipment. Now, there is credit to give Rick Ware Racing for slowly improving. With that said, it is still clear they are at the bottom in terms of raw speed. Yet, Haley has quietly been solid in the 51 car. With performances like Sunday, one can see where Haley could flourish in better equipment. Remember, he is only 25 years old. Perhaps in a few seasons, he could be racking up wins when given the right opportunity.
No Luck in Lower Series Still
While Ford finally got the winless monkey off of its back Sunday, the two lower series still demonstrates their awful luck in 2024. Friday night, Ty Majeski looked to be in a great spot to pick up the first win for manufacturer. However, a bad restart saw him slip into the pack while Ross Chastain pulled away for the win. Meanwhile, Saturday saw Justin Allgaier dominate the Xfinity Series race from flag to flag. However, he might not have had the best car in the field. Cole Custer looked to be a strong contender when the race started. However, a bad pit stop sequence during competition caution led to Custer stuck in the mid-pack. While he drove forward for a Top-5, what could have been still lingers in the mind. Maybe the Keselowski win will help propel the lower series Ford teams to victory lane.
Larson Greatest Driver to Pull the Double
While the above headline will surely be debated for years to come, Kyle Larson is making history when he attempts to do the Indy 500 and Coke 600 double during Memorial Day weekend. Despite finishing Sunday 35th, Larson will head into the All-Star break as the points leader. This will be the first time where a driver attempting the double will be the points leader of the NASCAR Cup Series. While it does necessarily add anymore drama to Larson’s next couple of weeks, it is a significant footnote to this story.
