Brad Keselowski knows a thing or two about parking his car in the victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2020, he won the Coca-Cola 600, a crown jewel race, and heading into this weekend, he was optimistic about overturning his misfortunes. “Trying to get a second one. I’m going to be greedy,” This was a bold statement he made ahead of the big race on Sunday, and he somewhat delivered on it.

The 2025 season has been a fall-off for the veteran driver and the #6 team. In the last three starts, Keselowski had finished 28th or worse, which included two DNFs. So he wasn’t a clear favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600, and that is exactly what happened. He couldn’t add a second 600 win to his name, rather, he had to settle for a P5 finish, which was his best result so far this year. Now, it’s not the case that RFK Racing hasn’t been competitive, but Keselowski and Co. have run into one issue after another.

Finally, the #6 team caught a good break on a day that started with a nightmare. And has to be the turning point if Keselowski wants to see him in the playoffs. Reflecting on the 600-mile race, the veteran driver even went on to claim that he had the race winning car, but once again, things just didn’t work out for them.

Speed is not an issue for Brad Keselowski and the #6 team

“This car was good enough to win. We just weren’t able to put all the dots together, and some of that falls on me for sure. We’ve been competitive, but it hasn’t all come together,” he conceded in a recent interview with Matt Weaver at  Coca Cola 600, adding, “This car’s got the speed to win. I need to go get it.” 

Keselowski was handed an early penalty for vehicle interference on the pit road during the stage 1 pit cycle after Kyle Larson spun. And on the restart, he was sent back to the field. But despite this roadblock, the driver kept his focus. In stage two, he got lucky and got rewarded for his effort with the free pass at lap 238. In stage three, the driver bagged a 13th-place finish, and in the final stage, the #6 car really came to life, finishing the race in P5. If not for the missed opportunities, who knows, Keselowski could’ve been doing better than finding himself in 32nd place in the points standings.

“We weren’t able to put all the dots together and that fall on me for sure.” The RFK Racing driver concluded. Only a few weeks back, he was in the right place at the right time, chasing down Chase Elliott at Kansas Speedway after passing race winner Kyle Larson. But, the tire on the #6 Ford Mustang blew up, and this sent him straight into the wall, disappointing end to what could’ve been a potential win. But, there’s still hope for the RFK Racing Team.

Take Ryan Preece, for example, he is the one leading the charge and is placed 14th in the points standings, on his path to battle for the playoff spots. He had P3 finish at Las Vegas and has three top 10s to his name already. Like Keselowski, lady luck hasn’t been smiling on Preece. Had he bagged the runner-up finish at Talladega, he would have been placed inside the top 10 in standings, in a comfortable position from the cutline. There are positives that the organization can work on, and with the win and you’re in still in play, they will be keeping their hopes up to make the cut for the top 16.

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RFK Racing is trying its best to keep Chris Buescher in playoff contention

While the other two drivers have made good progress on the track, RFK Racing’s star driver Chris Buescher has found himself in a sticky spot. With four top 10s and a top 5 finish, he is consistent, but one judgment from NASCAR official could decide his fate this year. After the Kansas race, his car was taken for a random inspection at the NASCAR R&D center, and they found issues with the front bumper cover.

Citing the violation of Section 14.1.C and 14.5.4.G in the rule book, NASCAR docked 60 driver and owner points, five playoff points, along with a $75,000 fine. Crew chief Scott Graves was also ejected for two races. Placed 23rd in the points standings, a 60-point deduction could be detrimental for the driver and his team. As RFK Racing are not a regular race contender, banking on points is looking like a path into the playoffs. Before the punishment, Buscher stood 14th in points standings, but he took a falland  is now 23rd.

This is why RFK Racing is betting all its hopes on the appeals process. “After a thorough review of the penalties issued to the No. 17 Ford Mustang, RFK Racing has decided to appeal NASCAR’s decision. We respect NASCAR’s commitment to fair competition and appreciate the opportunity to engage in the appeals process.” The team released a statement.

It is a tricky situation for the entire organization, and if this request gets overturned, it would be tough to see Buescher advance to playoffs, at least on points. We did see that JGR and Chase Briscoe won their appeal, so there is some hope for Buescher to regain the lost points.