It is tough to be an RFK Racing fan right now. Earlier in the season, Ryan Preece registered his career-best finish, P2 at Talladega Superspeedway. But, a post-race inspection by the officials determined that the No. 60 Ford had unapproved shims in the rear spoiler, as a result, they were disqualified. From a 40-point day to a DQ, it was a bitter pill to take not just for Preece but for the entire RFK Racing organization. And this slump has been hit by another jolt that just might have derailed RFK Racing’s playoff hopes.
After the Kansas race weekend, the No. 17 Ford was taken by NASCAR for random inspection post-race and found that Chris Buescher’s car had violated a rule on the fastening of the front bumper. In response to this, NASCAR dropped the hammer on the #17 team. They docked Buescher and the team 60 points, suspended crew chief Scott Graves for two weeks and fined the team $75,000.
The Managing Director of NASCAR Cup Series, Brad Moran, explained the reason behind the penalty on the “Hauler Talk” podcast, hosted by Mike Forde and Amanda Ellis. “Unfortunately, the No. 17 did not meet the rule and had a larger area than what is permitted to be bonded into the nose piece,” Moran said. “They can work in that area, but they went too far would be the simplest terms of putting it.”
The RFK Racing driver dropped from 12th in the standings, 33 points above the cutline, to 24th, and now 27 points adrift of the safe zone. Even if Buescher somehow makes it to the playoffs, he will be docked an additional 5 playoff points, which is equivalent to one race win. Now we all know how important the playoff points are in the knockout stages. So essentially, the #17 team will start their title hunt if they make it on a deficit.
Update from RFK Racing: pic.twitter.com/XjoSMvmRZb
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) May 16, 2025
“We have made the decision for our crew chief, Scott Graves, to begin serving his suspension immediately. This approach helps us minimize further disruption to the team’s operation. Doug Randolph will step in as the crew chief for this weekend’s All-Star activities at North Wilkesboro.” RFK Racing shared a statement on social media.
As if the damage wasn’t enough on the day, one of the strongest running cars on the day, the No. 6 Ford driven by Brad Keselowski, crashed out late in the race. The veteran driver was chasing down the leader, Chase Elliott, after passing Kyle Larson, who turned out to be the race winner. So, that was indeed a double whammy for the RFK Racing team, missed out on a win and then hammered down by a big penalty. And this slump has got the fans worried, now that the opportunities for a comeback are getting slim with every passing week.
Will we see an RFK Racing team in the playoffs?
“Understandable, but with how the team is performing, this could very well be a death penalty in disguise,” a fan shared on Reddit, and unfortunately, this can be true. If we were to compare Buescher’s performance from last year after 14 races, it is more or less the same. But, he had speed to contend for the win in 2024. In fact, he finished runner-up at Phoenix and was edged out by Kyle Larson at Kansas by just 0.001 seconds. Clearly the points penalty is like a dagger in the heart for the #17 team, and the only way to stop the bleeding is by winning races.
This predicament even opened the doors for trolls and rival fans, who felt they were struggling to support the likes of Trackhouse Racing and Kyle Busch from RCR. Not that the other two teams are doing great with their season, none of them have qualified for the playoffs by winning a race. But seeing a rival manufacture team in the similar slump is somewhat relieving for them. “I thought I had it bad as a Track house/KB fan oof I am sorry boys.”
It is worth noting that Buescher didn’t advance to the playoffs last year. And arguably, he is the better driver in the RFK Racing driver lineup. However, with this penalty in place, he is likely to be in a must-win situation; a good points day isn’t going to cut it as 60 points is a huge gap. As he is cutting the gap, his rivals in the top 16 will create more buffer for them, leaving the #17 team with no option but to go for a win. “He lost more points to this penalty than he gained in the race. More than two races worth for him. They’re going to be in a must win situation before the end of the regular season.”
Some people think the dynamics have changed with this development at RFK Racing, and Ryan Preece is seen as the driver to take them to the playoffs this year. “I think the call was coming from inside RFK. This gets Preece into the playoffs for now,” a fan stated. Despite the DQ at Talladega, Preece is the only RFK Racing driver inside the top 16. He has bagged three top 10s and a P3 finish at Las Vegas. The #60 team has good speeds on the mile-and-a-half tracks, so Preece will be looking to continue this good form at the Coca-Cola 600.
Well, 2025 has turned out to be a nightmare season for Keselowski and his team. The good news is that NASCAR’s win and you’re in rule is still alive and who knows we might see a different version of the team for the remaining 14 regular season races.
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