LEBANON, Tenn. — Brad Keselowski recently discussed the modifications made by RFK Racing and the challenges faced with the intricacies and demands outlined in the NASCAR rulebook after an appeal partly reduced a penalty imposed on Chris Buescher’s team during the Kansas Speedway event.
During a session of practice and qualifying at Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400, Keselowski drew parallels between the NASCAR rulebook and the IRS tax code. He explained that the tangled web of regulations requires constant cross-referencing, often leading to oversights amidst the relentless 38-week race schedule. “You read this paper and then you got to reference this paper to reference this paper to reference this paper, and when your head’s down and digging and you’re running 38 weeks a year, oversights are going to happen,” he mentioned.
As co-owner of RFK Racing, Keselowski emphasized that these oversights are not just mistakes but areas for improvement. In response, the team recently restructured some roles and duties, aiming for better preparedness and a stronger awareness of compliance requirements.
The origins of NASCAR’s penalty against Buescher and his team on May 15 were due to unauthorized changes to the bumper of Buescher’s No. 17 Ford during the Kansas race. The sanctions included a deduction of 60 driver and owner points, five playoff points for both driver and owner, a fine of $75,000, and a two-race suspension for crew chief Scott Graves, affecting appearances in the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600.
These penalties were announced after Buescher secured an eighth-place finish at Kansas, which caused his standings to plummet from 12th to 24th in the Cup Series rankings. However, RFK Racing’s appeal yielded partial success. The appeals panel ruled that the team indeed breached regulations concerning the front bumper cover but not with the exhaust cover panel.
As a result, Buescher regained 30 points, nudging him up to 16th place in the Cup Series, which places him just below the playoff threshold and trailing his RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece by six points.