A season after both cars made the playoffs and finished Top-10 in points, expectations were high for RFK Racing. The team had been revitalized under the ownership of Brad Keselowski, putting them near that top tier conversation. For the 2024 season, the big questions centered around Keselowski finally getting that win and whether Stage 60 would be foreshadowing for a third fulltime team in the near future. 2023 saw a breakout season, how will RFK Racing fare in this year’s Season in Review?
#6 – Brad Keselowski
2024 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 1 Win, 8 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s, 318 Laps Led, Avg Fin: 15.64
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Driver Points Ranking: 13;Â Owner Points Ranking: 13
Notable Results: Won Darlington Throwback race; Eliminated from first round of playoffs; Coyly avoided third team rumors from Bob Pockrass
When would Brad Keselowski pick up his first win as an owner/driver? Entering 2024, Keselowski’s winless streak stretched back to spring Talladega in 2021. Last year, Keselowski demonstrated race-winning speed at a variety of tracks. If not for a pit road blunder at summer Richmond, Keselowski easily could have been the RFK car to visit victory lane. Based on their expectations, no one doubted whether Keselowski would win. The question was when and where.
When the winless streak hit 110 races, Brad Keselowski pulled out the win during throwback weekend at Darlington. Throughout the entire weekend, both RFK Racing cars were sporty. Keselowski was the more formidable of the two, but Tyler Reddick still had the dominate car. However, Keselowski was not in position to win in the closing laps. Buescher managed to jump ahead of him while Reddick ran second. Then drama unfolded. Reddick attempted a slide job on Buescher with 10 to go and doored him into the wall. Both suffered damage and flat tires, allowing Keselowski to slip past and lead the final 9 laps.
Short Playoff Run
Via his Darlington win, Brad Keselowski locked himself into the playoffs. Despite only one win and few laps led, there was hope that Keselowski could have a solid run through the playoffs. Last year, Keselowski was eliminated in the Round of 12, mostly off the back of a DNF at Talladega. However, the 6 team put together strong runs in the Round of 8 races. If Keselowski could take advantage of both superspeedways, maybe he could capitalize during that final four races.
Unfortunately, Brad Keselowski was unable to do much in the playoffs. The team missed the mark at Atlanta, which foreshadowed the entire final 10 race run. Watkins Glen was never expected to be a promising day, but Bristol was the big disappointment. After finishing third in the Spring, Keselowski and the 6 team whiffed on the setup. In and out of the playoffs in the first round, it was a far cry from the potential many thought from this team. Outside of Talladega and Martinsville, Keselowski failed to finish in the Top-10 during the final stretch.
2024 Grade: B-
When reviewing Brad Keselowski’s 2024, it is a difficult comparison to last year’s success. On the plus side, Keselowski picked up a win and collected more Top-5s. However, his playoff run was shorter, he scored less Top-10s, and his average finish worsened by 1.2 positions. Prior to the start of the playoffs, Keselowski looked set to improve upon his numbers from last year. His poor playoff run put a damper on that trajectory.
Another reason why it is difficult to properly gauge Keselowski’s season is the consistent strategy of staying out on long runs. Matt McCall enjoyed leaving Keselowski on the track on the long end of a run. Sometimes, it worked in Keselowski’s favor. Often though, the 6 team would fall behind after a caution failed to go their way. Granted, McCall was able to do these strategies since Keselowski won at Darlington. However, the poor results hurt the stat line.
2025 Outlook
Change will be coming to the 6 team in the form of a new crew chief. When it was announced that Jeremy Bullins would leaving Team Penske/Wood Brothers, many assumed he would reunite with Brad Keselowski. Shortly into the offseason, the assumptions were confirmed to be true. Bullins will be on top of the pit box for the 6 team. During their previous tenure from 2021-2022, the pair won 5 times, made the Championship Four, and totaled 41 Top-10s in 69 starts. Will this reunited pair lead to more success? Maybe, Matt McCall was not a bad crew chief but Brad and him never seemed to blend well. Perhaps a familiar voice will lead to more consistent results.
#17 – Chris Buescher
2024 Stat Line:Â 36 Starts – 1 Win, 6 Top-5s, 15 Top-10s, 209 Laps Led, Avg Fin: 14.31
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Driver Points Ranking: 17;Â Owner Points Ranking: 17
Notable Results: Won playoff race at Watkins Glen, outdueling Shane van Gisbergen; Wrong end of NASCAR’s closest finish
If 2023 was a breakout season for RFK Racing, Chris Buescher was the face of that breakout. His Bristol Night Race win in 2022 was a preview for what was to come last year. 3 wins and a Round of 8 appearance set the stage for higher expectations for 2024.
While questions of Ford’s performance circled early in the season, Buescher brought the same consistency seen last year. Through the first 12 races, Buescher only finished outside the Top-20 twice. This included a 4 race Top-10 streak from Phoenix to Richmond. However, bad luck would strike the 17 team throughout the regular season to spoil their playoff aspirations.
Victim of the Playoff Format
For those who have distain for the current playoff format, Chris Buescher is a prime candidate to use to make a case against it. Through the first 26 races, Buescher’s average finish ranked him in the Top-5 of the Cup Series. His results were steady, but he failed to win a race so he naturally was kept out of the playoffs. He came close to winning, but heartbreak found him multiple times.
First off, Buescher ran strongly during spring Kansas. In a race where he made a 5-wide pass and led 54 laps, Buescher found himself on the wrong side of NASCAR history. When Kyle Larson and Buescher crossed the line, the 17’s icon flashed as P1 on TV. However, NASCAR’s photo-finish technology illustrated that Larson barely beat Buescher by .001 seconds.
Following up that heartbreak, Buescher experienced new pain at Darlington the next week. Grabbing the lead late, Buescher attempted to hold off Tyler Reddick. As the laps dwindled, it seemed certain Reddick would pass Buescher. However, a poor slide job attempt ruined both their races. While Kansas hurt, Darlington turned out to be costly. Not only did Buescher lose the race, his 30th place finish turned out to be the deciding points gap from making the playoffs.
2024 Grade: C+
More than simply missing the playoffs, 2024 was a slight step back for Chris Buescher. Every statistic took a small dip. However, it would be unfair to call Buescher’s 2024 poor. His average finish ranked 7th in the series while he scored double-digit Top-10s for the third straight season. What 2024 did illuminate further was how Buescher and the 17 team are not built for this format. Not only with the win and in, but stage racing as well.
Outside of not winning until the playoffs, if you need to point to a potential downfall for Buescher are his poor starts. Looking at his numbers, Buescher’s average starting position of 18.53 was his worst since 2020. Further, his average finish per stage demonstrates how the 17 usually runs stronger as a race develops. Buescher’s average Stage 1 finish clocks in at 17.39. Stage 2’s average sits at 16.25 while his average race finish was 14.31. On average, Buescher improves by 4.22 positions per race. For the entire season, Buescher gained 152 spots from start to finish.
2025 Outlook
After missing the playoffs this season, Chris Buescher and the 17 team need to focus on locking themselves in via a win. In 2024, Buescher had multiple regular season races where he had a chance to win. For 2025, those “almost” races need to turn into at least one trip to victory lane. Honestly, .001 seconds was the difference between 2024 being seen as successful versus disappointing.
With Scott Graves returning to the pit box, Chris Buescher should be in-line for another solid season. Consistency has been the name of the game along with at least one win. The key for Buescher is that the first win comes at the right time. RFK Racing still is on the cusp of being considered championship contenders. Buescher seems to be the driver who would be leading that charge.
Stage 60
Drivers: David Ragan, Cam Waters, & Joey Hand
2024 Stat Line:Â 3 Starts – 1 Top-5, 1 Top-10, 9 Laps Led, Avg Fin: 19.67
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Announced prior to the season, RFK Racing brought the 60 car to the Cup Series under the mantra Stage 60. All that was known to kick off the year was that the team would attempt the Daytona 500 with David Ragan. Ragan managed to qualify into the race via speed on the first night of Speedweeks. In the 500, Ragan avoided trouble until the final restart. At the tail end of the draft, the 60 car was collected when Ross Chastain slid back into traffic. For Stage 60, that would be the only oval start for the third RFK entry.
The other 2 starts that team made in 2024 were on road courses. Australian Supercars driver Cam Waters made his Cup Series debut at Sonoma. Although he struggled initially, Waters started to adapt well to the NextGen. Unfortunately, the chaotic nature of the mid-pack caught Waters and damaged his car, leading to a DNF.
Shortly after Sonoma, it was Joey Hand’s turn behind the Stage 60 entry on the Chicago Street Course. A lousy practice and qualifying session left expectations low for Hand on Sunday. However, he put together that team’s best race of the 3 starts. Winning Stage 2, the weather shortened event almost played into Hand’s benefit. He led during the final stage and valiantly attempted to fight off Alex Bowman. Although he lost the lead, Hand brought the 60 through the checkered with a Top-5.
2025 Outlook: Ryan Preece
Announced shortly after the season wrapped, Ryan Preece will be piloting the 60 car as a fulltime entry in 2025. Kroger jumped ship from JTG Daugherty (now Hyak) to sponsor all three RFK cars. For an in-depth analysis of the move, check out the Pit Pass Network article from the day of the announcement.
While Ryan Preece does not inspire much confidence initially, the man has proven he is plenty capable of competing in NASCAR. Plus, this RFK opportunity is arguably the best of his Cup career. Teaming up with Brad and Chris could only serve as a net positive. With that said, no one should be expecting that 60 car to win multiple races and make the Championship Four. The goal should be a modest one: Top-20 in points.
RFK Racing 2024 Grade: B-
2024 certainly did not push the momentum higher compared to 2023. Other than Brad Keselowski picking up a win, both RFK drivers failed to hit the same marks as they did last year. Although 2024 was still a solid season for the duo, the raised expectations were missed. However, a few minor changes in certain races and that narrative is completely flipped.
Despite the minor downturn, RFK Racing bolstered their team via the Kroger sponsorship and addition of a third fulltime team. Brad Keselowski seems to be a meticulous owner. It would be surprising if this expansion jeopardized the 6 and 17 teams. In numerous interviews, Keselowski repeatedly stated that he did not want to expand too quickly to spoil the growth of RFK. If RFK Racing is going to be a three-car team, then Keselowski and his fellow owners must feel they can handle it and still be successful.
For other 2024 Season in Review articles, click the link(s) below:
Robert Cwick: Team Penske, JTG-Daugherty
Griffin Fuller: 23XI Racing, Hendrick Motorsports
Daniel Smith (statistical reviews): Team Penske/Wood Brothers, Hendrick Motorsports
