Absolutely Ecstatic Chris Buescher Doesn’t Bite His Tongue Against Bristol Dirt With Hateful 7-Word Verdict

The inaugural Bristol Dirt Race in 2021 was the subject of speculation on its long-term feasibility. That was until NASCAR decided to repave the track with concrete for both Bristol races of the current season, starting with this year’s Food City 500 spring race on Sunday. In Bristol’s last three races run on concrete – The Bass Pro Shops Night Race, RFK owner-driver Brad Keselowski, has held the fourth-highest average finish, with an impressive 9.0, followed by his teammate, Chris Buescher, at fifth, with an average finish of 9.3. Buescher even won at the Bristol race [September 2022 – Bristol Night Race] in a season that saw Roush Fenway Racing finally join forces with Keselowski as co-owner, to form RFK Racing. Now the Ford Performance-backed team is one of the favorites heading into Sunday’s race.

Ahead of the upcoming race, Buescher expressed his delight regarding Bristol’s ‘concrete’ return, in a discussion with FOX. Why? On dirt, the numbers painted a different picture for the #17 andRFK Racing. Buescher’s average finish on the Bristol Dirt track was 15.7, barely placing him in the top 20. While Keselowski fared better, his average finish was only  13, keeping him out of the top 10 behind FRM’s Tod Gilliland with an average finish of 13. 

When Buescher was asked how he felt about “ditching the dirt” by SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio, the former Xfinity and ARCA Series champion had a pretty straightforward thought about NASCAR’s three-year experiment: “I’m not gonna miss it one bit.”

The 31-year-old Texan explained, “I am probably in the boat that’s the most excited about it being concrete, and you know, I try and tell everybody every time I talk about it that I don’t have anything against dirt, I’ve absolutely loved the small handful of dirt racing that I’ve done through the years, I absolutely love it.” 

He also provided a second opinion on Bristol dirt, stating, “I just don’t like it on Bristol and that’s just my take on it.” In the end, Buescher concluded by expressing his excitement, saying that he was indeed “stoked” to be going back to the concrete after a dominant P2 display at Phoenix last weekend. However, his team faces one problem.

A Pit-Crew Snag for the #17 Team

Before last week’s dual top-5 finish in the Shriners Children’s 500 for RFK Racing, Buescher faced spells of early-season bad luck. At the Vegas race, he saw his front right tire come off due to an unfastened lug nut. This resulted in NASCAR suspending two members from his pit crew. RFK submitted their appeal against it, and the pit members were brought back for the Phoenix race. However, there was yet another twist.

After helping Buescher earn his second consecutive top-5 finish at the infamous “dog-legged oval,” Keselowski and RFK went back on their appeal, citing “expense” issues, which resulted in NASCAR banning the #17 pit crew duo from races at COTA next week, and this week’s Food City 500. This could throw a potential wrench into Chris Buescher’s Bristol race.

It remains to be seen how much will this affect the team. But if Buescher’s brimming confidence, which was evident in last week’s post-race comments, is indicative of the future, RFK may very well start preparing themselves for another stellar showing at the “fastest half-mile in the world.”

Despite Phoenix Glory, Brad Keselowski and Co Set to Start Bristol Without Key Pit Crew Members