It’s RFK Racing‘s world and we’re all residing in it.
Chris Buescher concluded the 2023 NASCAR Cup Sequence common season with the very best five-race stretch of his profession, scoring three wins together with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway. Making Saturday’s win all of the sweeter was his boss Brad Keselowski ending proper behind him after each labored collectively within the time beyond regulation scramble, scoring the organisation’s first 1–2 end since Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the 2014 Meals Metropolis 500.
After each missed the playoffs in 2022, the primary 12 months below the RFK identify, the duo carry all of the momentum into the 2023 playoffs; though winless, Keselowski scored prime tens in Buescher’s three wins together with main probably the most laps within the first at Richmond and a fourth within the second at Michigan. Keselowski additionally gained Stage #2.
“Definitely talked about it after even Richmond itself, however certainly after Michigan. Talked about type of hitting our momentum on the proper time,” mentioned Buescher in his post-race press convention. “That is one other massive step in the best route. I feel initially, this was as a lot an RFK win and Brad’s win because it was ours. That was the precise push we wanted for your complete two laps coming again to the checkered. Wouldn’t be sitting up right here with out him and us executing that approach. It’s what we’ve tried to do after we’ve gone speedway racing. Type of dedicated to it at a whole lot of locations. Right here, on the 500, led all the best way with three or 4 to go, ended up getting separated.
“We’ve labored arduous to search out ourselves in these conditions. We’ve wanted to capitalise and shut the deal on the final two % of those races. We had been lastly in a position to try this tonight.
“Enormous second to do it right here at Daytona, to shut out the common season this manner. Certainly a giant second for us, nice momentum. I hate even saying it, however in all probability good for factors and what we obtained forward of us as nicely. Acquired some actually enjoyable race tracks arising for us that we’ve been actually enthusiastic about even earlier than getting that checkered flag tonight.”
Fords had been the highest producer all through the race. After Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Chase Briscoe gained the pole with team-mate Aric Almirola alongside him, Blue Ovals led a mixed 110 of 162 laps amongst eight drivers. Briscoe, needing a win to qualify for the playoffs, led probably the most at 67 however was eradicated by a daunting crash together with his SHR ally Ryan Preece with three laps remaining that triggered Preece to get airbourne on the backstretch earlier than violently flipping a number of instances.
Preece was taken to Halifax Medical Middle for analysis earlier than being discharged on Sunday. He posted on social media the earlier evening, “If you wish to be a race automobile driver, you higher be robust.”
The wreck was one in every of solely two that came about, and the three complete warning flags (the opposite was for the tip of Stage #1) had been the fewest in a Cup race at Daytona because the pre-stage-era 2003 Pepsi 400 had two. Nonetheless, the primary crash was additionally terrifying as twelve automobiles had been taken out on lap 96 in a large pile-up triggered when Christopher Bell‘s push on team-mate Ty Gibbs triggered chief Ryan Blaney to hook proper into the surface wall; Blaney hit the surface wall in flip 4 with such power that it triggered the SAFER barrier to bend to soak up the impression.
Though initially shaken, Blaney mentioned he was “alright. It’s only a massive hit. I’m glad it had a SAFER barrier on it. That was giant. It’s a giant testomony to the brand new entrance clips. That might have damage much more if we didn’t have the brand new entrance clip on it, in order that was a optimistic about that, however nonetheless fairly arduous.”
Gibbs being concerned additionally knocked him out of playoff rivalry. Coming into Daytona, he was the primary automobile under the cutline in seventeenth and wanted Toyota colleague Bubba Wallace to have a poor exhibiting whereas he gained or completed excessive sufficient. Wallace, who was thirty-two factors forward of Gibbs, completed sixth in Stage #1 to power everybody behind Gibbs within the standings to win with a purpose to qualify.
Almirola and Chase Elliott supplied the most important threats to Wallace’s prospects because the latter fell again in time beyond regulation, however wanted to get by the already-clinched Kevin Harvick and RFK drivers. Harvick took the white flag with Elliott in tow, just for Almirola to offer Buescher and Keselowski the draft to tug forward.
Wallace completed twelfth to clinch his maiden playoff look
“It’s ass-backwards. You come to Daytona, and also you focus a lot on controlling the issues that you would be able to management. My cussed ass by no means needs to take heed to folks telling me that. I lastly did that, and we’re locked in,” commented Wallace. “What an unbelievable feat for our #23 staff. I had a heart-to-heart with my staff after Atlanta; after qualifying, I mentioned if we obtained our shit collectively, we are able to do nice issues within the playoffs. I’m so happy with the staff from prime down, very grateful.”
Whereas Elliott won’t race for the motive force’s championship, he and his backup drivers Josh Berry, Corey LaJoie, and Jordan Tayor helped the #9 get the ultimate spot within the proprietor’s playoffs over Wallace’s #23. Wallace was concerned in an identical scenario in 2022 when his 23XI Racing staff obtained their #45 into the proprietor’s playoffs with Kurt Busch and Gibbs, which pushed Blaney’s #12 out of that championship regardless of him being within the driver’s playoffs, and Wallace took over the #45 for the remainder of the season.
“Hate the season has labored out prefer it has,” Elliott said. He missed seven races attributable to damage and suspension. “The excellent news is the automobile obtained in within the proprietor’s factors. That’s a giant deal. Credit score to Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and all people for persevering with to work and scratch and claw whereas I used to be out to maintain our staff alive and to offer ourselves an opportunity. That’s a giant deal, in all probability a lot larger than lots of people realise, to our staff.
“Wanting ahead to those subsequent ten (races). Attempt to make a bit of noise on that aspect of issues and simply attempt to prepare and ready for subsequent 12 months. I respect all people’s help by way of this season. Hasn’t been what I might need by any means, definitely going to be some classes taken from it, and I feel we’ll be higher for it on the opposite finish.”
