At Darlington Raceway, RFK Racing faces another NASCAR Cup Series event after just missing the postseason cutoff at Daytona International Speedway. Still, teammates Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, and team co-owner Brad Keselowski continue to fuel RFK Racing 2025 playoff hopes, determined to leverage late-season performances and set the pace for a stronger run next year.
Buescher’s Near Miss Drives Aggressive Strategy
Chris Buescher came the closest among the RFK trio, falling just one position—and 31 points—short of making the 16-driver playoff field. As the team arrived at Darlington without the distinctive yellow championship markings, Buescher’s motivation remains as clear as ever: turning every upcoming race into a shot at victory. He remains focused on maintaining intensity and seizing opportunities in the remaining schedule.
“That’s the only thing there is to do,”
Buescher said Saturday morning.
“And ultimately, I mean, it’s what you wish you could do every week anyway. Obviously, there’s always a bigger picture (that’s) more important at times. But for us, it’s just go to the race track with everything we got, take chances, be aggressive on them and see if we can’t pull a few upsets through the next handful of races.”
—Chris Buescher, Driver
His campaign included four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, tying with several other drivers for the fifth-highest number of top tens this season. Averaging a 14.1 finish, Buescher ranked within the top tier for consistency, but a win eluded him. In a year boasting 14 different race winners, the absence of a victory ultimately cost Buescher a playoff berth, highlighting the importance of finishing first rather than simply running well.
“You take away the fact that we missed the playoffs, it’s been a solid year. We’ve been fast,”
Buescher reflected.
“We’ve had a few runner-ups and been in contention to win a handful, and overall, our average finish is well on up there. So I mean, it’s been a great year. We’ve had speed at a lot of different styles of race tracks. Obviously, everyone’s aware and we’re proud of that, but ultimately it’s that final metric that you’ve gotta win to make the playoffs and be fighting for a championship at the end. The old way just doesn’t work anymore. So with that, take that speed we’ve got and win this year, but also be ready to show up and win races early next year so that we get past all the talk that we’ve had to go through the last couple months.”
—Chris Buescher, Driver
Preece Surpasses Expectations in Rookie RFK Outing
Ryan Preece, piloting the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford in his first season with the organization, also came up short of the postseason. Working in tandem with crew chief Derrick Finley, Preece helped the expanded RFK operation—now three teams strong for 2025—outperform the expectations that often burden new efforts. While he did not claim a Cup Series win, his consistency helped lay a foundation for coming seasons.
“I feel like for a first-year team, we executed really well,”
Preece admitted.
“So outside of winning right now, I feel like we’re hitting a lot of the things that we need to hit on. And I would say the last 10 races is all about continuing to build momentum for next year. I mean, we’ve put ourselves in position to capitalize. Just didn’t work out.”
—Ryan Preece, Driver
Preece’s outlook emphasizes continued growth, with eyes on building momentum in the final stretch and laying the groundwork for 2025, keeping the focus on seizing chances that have slipped by this season.
Keselowski’s Rally Proves Team’s Potential
Brad Keselowski, a 2012 Cup champion and RFK Racing’s co-owner, saw his season begin with significant hurdles. In the initial 17 races, Keselowski’s placement was outside the top 30 in points after 15 events, yet a remarkable turnaround in the last nine regular-season races propelled him to 19th post-Daytona. The No. 6 team’s resurgence was highlighted by seven finishes of 11th place or better as the campaign drew to a close, signaling renewed velocity and competitiveness.
“We certainly started out this season in a really difficult place,”
Keselowski said.
“And over the last dozen races or so, I think we’re showing the potential that we have. And if we can keep that level of performance, we’re a lot better team than what our standings show.”
—Brad Keselowski, Driver and Co-owner
This late surge underscored not just resilience, but concrete gains in speed and execution, reflecting positively on the RFK approach as they prepare for a new season.
RFK Drivers Seek Conversion From Opportunity to Victory
The common theme among Buescher, Preece, and Keselowski is resolve amid adversity. Their experience and blunt assessments tie them together as a trio with old-school racing pedigree, committed to breaking their playoff drought with tangible results. The journey toward Victory Lane and ultimately the playoffs has been beset with near-misses and what-ifs, sharpening the sense of urgency among the drivers.
“We just need to convert the opportunities we’ve had to win into wins, and we haven’t done that,”
Keselowski explained.
“I don’t think there’s any big secret to that. I had a car good enough to win in Iowa. Circumstances didn’t play out in our favor, and we didn’t win with it. You could extend that to my teammates who’ve had similar situations where they’ve been close to winning and we weren’t able to convert. You have to convert.”
—Brad Keselowski, Driver and Co-owner
Whether it’s missed chances in Iowa, tough race-day luck, or strong runs that didn’t translate to victories, the lesson is clear: only checkered flags will secure their place in the playoff conversation.
Looking Ahead: Building on Current Momentum for 2025
With the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington on deck, RFK Racing’s drivers remain intent on salvaging wins, using remaining races as a proving ground for 2025. The team’s late-season improvements provide hope that RFK Racing 2025 playoff hopes will not just hinge on potential, but actual performance come next year’s Cup Series. Their focus now turns to translating speed and near-wins into critical victories that will end their playoff absence and return the storied organization to championship contention.
