In the 2023 NASCAR series, curveballs have been coming thick and fast in the last half-dozen races. With Shane van Gisbergen zooming in from V8 Supercars to snag a victory in Chicago and Chris Buescher’s unexpected triumphs at both Richmond and Michigan, fans and pundits alike have been left scratching their heads.

Especially when one considers the hurdles Ford has been leaping since the start of the season, recent wins have definitely been surprising. Yet whispers inside NASCAR suggest that not everyone’s convinced about the authenticity of these wins. So, what’s got NASCAR insiders casting shade on Brad Keselowski and his crew’s moment in the sun?

“Didn’t necessarily see winning,” opines a NASCAR insider while discrediting the win for team Brad Keselowski

In the NASCAR world, Brad Keselowski’s team victory raised more than a few eyebrows. Most aficionados had their money on the usual suspects like Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski himself. Few expected an underdog to steal the show.

Chris Buescher‘s win, thus, was less of a pleasant surprise and more of a bolt from the blue. Yet, it seems a recent revelation by a NASCAR insider, Brett Griffin, adds a bit more spice to the mix. Discussing Ford’s recent successes, Griffin noted, “Good for Ford, right? You got guys winning it. I didn’t necessarily see winning. I mean, we talked about it takes a hot minute to figure out how to win; Chris Buescher had one win in the cup; it was a fuel mileage win; it wasn’t legit; and then goes on to win back-to-back races.”

Griffin’s insinuation is clear: Buescher’s strategy was all about keeping an eagle eye on his fuel gauge, waiting for others to pit, and seizing the lead. The wins by Tyler Reddick in Stage 1 and Brad Keselowski in Stage 2 only reinforce Griffin’s point. Moreover, on his podcast, Griffin dropped a few more pearls of wisdom, emphasizing that Ford still has some gears to shift if they want to consistently finish among the frontrunners.

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Griffin sheds light on Penske cars and their struggles

Although Brett Griffin raised eyebrows by questioning the authenticity of Brad Keselowski’s driver’s recent win, he didn’t stop there. He went on to note that despite Ford’s recent hat trick, many of their teams are still fighting tooth and nail on the track. He believes Ford is missing a beat in the speed department.

Griffin observed, “Obviously, they need more speed in a lot of their cars. I mean you look at some of the Penske cars are struggling every week, 22 and 12 are just flat out slow. 14 was good yesterday; he needed a good run, and he put up a top-10 run. It is homestate, which is cool, but he’s been racing every week; B. J. McLeod is only big at ovals, so big test, will see what those look like when we get into the playoffs, because obviously we are at road course and a pit race between now and then.”

NASCAR enthusiasts might nod in agreement, noting the uphill battles faced by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano just to stay in the top 10. But the million-dollar question remains: Was Buescher’s win not on the up and up?

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