Second-Straight Runner-Up Result for No. 6; Buescher Finishes 25th
LINCOLN, Ala. (April 21, 2024) – Talladega Superspeedway delivered yet another chaotic ending Sunday afternoon as Brad Keselowski finished a close second in the Castrol Edge Ford, while Chris Buescher finished 25th in the Fastenal Ford.
The P2 finish marks Keselowski’s second consecutive runner-up result (P2 in Texas a week ago). He’s the first RFK driver since Carl Edwards in 2011 to finish runner-up in consecutive races.
6 Recap
Keselowski – a 6-time winner at Talladega – was in prime position as the laps wound down Sunday afternoon. He had help from fellow Ford teammates and had the position on the bottom lane on the final lap. But, a pair of blocks by the No. 34 – the latter ultimately causing a multi-car crash at the line – allowed the No. 45 to gain the advantage and the victory in the high line.
“The Fords were really working well together,” Keselowski said after the race. “We cleared the Toyotas on the bottom lane and it was pretty clear it was going to come down to the three of us. I backed up, Noah gave me a great push and I went to make a move on Michael and he covered it, and I went back the other way and got another push from Noah and there was nowhere to go when Michael came back down. I hate that for him, he’s a good guy, I hope he’s alright. That’s just kind of the way this stuff goes, but, all in all it was a really solid day for us, for Ford and Castrol. It’s another second. It’s a solid day, but not the win we wanted.”
Surprisingly, the final 26 laps ran uninterrupted as the finish was determined under green-flag conditions, despite double-digit cars crashing. Keselowski led two different times for a lap each.
He earned stage points with a P8 finish in the opening stage as fuel saving dominated the storyline of the 188-lap race. He went on to finish 23rd in stage two and was content with position at the tail of the field until around 30 to go when he jockeyed back into the top five.
The No. 6 was P3 in the race’s final yellow at lap 156 and pitted one final time for fuel in that caution, before restarting fifth with 26 laps remaining. From there, the field held it together until the tri-oval at Talladega before chaos ensued and Keselowski heartbreakingly finished second.
17 Recap
Buescher had a more uneventful afternoon in the Fastenal Ford, but also earned a top-10 stage finish in stage two. He put together a career-best qualifying effort on Saturday, lining up eighth on the grid for Sunday’s race.
Midway through stage two, Buescher drove to the point – one of four times on the day he led – and led the field with five laps remaining in the stage before crossing the stripe seventh.
From there, Buescher never regained the track position needed as the final laps remained calm until the final tri-oval, resulting in the 25th-place result.
Up Next
Dover Motor Speedway hosts race No. 11 for the Cup Series next weekend. Race coverage Sunday is set for 2 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
