1. Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski Are Running Like They Belong in the Postseason
Don’t look now, but multiple drivers from RFK Racing are racing like they belong in the postseason. The trouble, of course, is getting there.
A start to the season riddled by bad fortune and ill-timed luck has put Brad Keselowski in must-win mode to make the playoffs, as he is 30th overall in points. RFK teammate Chris Buescher is on a little more solid postseason bubble footing as the third-highest in the standings among drivers without a win. If the regular season ended today, he’d be in the playoffs.
Saying that Keselowski and Buescher are playoff-caliber is not just lip service. The proof has been in the pudding during the past few weeks. Buescher has three top-10 finishes in a row, and two have been top fives. And then there is Keselowski, who had a chance to win at both Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway before finishing 10th and ninth at those races, respectively. That may not seem like much, but it is when considering Keselowski went the first 12 races of 2025 without a top-10 finish.
What does all of this show? The Nos. 6 and No. 17 teams have begun putting full races together. And when you do that, the odds of a win are greater. With the way that Buescher, Keselowski, and even the third RFK driver, Ryan Preece, have been running, do not be surprised to see two drivers from this stable in the postseason.
2. Pressure’s Off for Chase Briscoe, James Small
When you are a race team in a transition year, you need to win to prove that things are on the right track; to prove that the crew chief-driver match is the right one. James Small, crew chief for Chase Briscoe, can likely attest to that pressure.
Next to a driver, perhaps the hottest seat in racing when times are not good is reserved for the crew chief. Like a head coach in football, the problems may not be of their doing, but since they are the ones in charge, criticism falls at their feet.
And given the fact that Small’s 2024 season saw Martin Truex Jr. fail to win in his farewell campaign, questions regarding Small and if he was the right fit atop the No. 19 pit box would have been understandable, especially when Briscoe was fighting for a playoff spot on points.
Those questions, however, were silenced by what Briscoe and Small did on Sunday (June 23) at Pocono.
It’s a tale as old as time. Winning cures all problems.
3. Kyle Larson’s Lull: Memorial Day Hangover or Coincidence?
Kyle Larson has finished no better than fifth in his last five races, with zero laps led in his last four.
Most drivers would gladly settle for only finishing fifth. The problem is, not many of those drivers have had a run of dominance on the same level as Larson. Just how long has it been since Larson has gone five races with no finish better than fifth? Try August of 2023.
Why the slump? In racing, so many things can cause lulls from week to week, but one cannot help but wonder how much the grind of the Memorial Day double had to do with the strain, not just physically, but mentally as well.
During the two weeks leading into the double, Larson started and finished fourth at Texas Motor Speedway before winning from the pole a week later at Kansas Speedway, so being able to run up front is no issue for the No. 5 team.
Did running the double produce a hangover? Nobody knows, but one cannot help but wonder.
The good news for Larson and the No. 5 team, however, is that they are a group that can dominate, and they have plenty of time between now and the postseason to bridge the gap between good and great.
4. Should a 23XI Regression Be Expected at This Point?
Remember how a few months ago the narrative on Bubba Wallace was his best points start to a season, one that would likely help him toward a postseason spot?
He’s still above the cut, but much of his advantage from earlier in the season is gone.
His 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick? A Championship 4 driver a season ago, he remains winless as well with just one top 10 in his last nine starts.
But should the step back here for both drivers be a surprise? Absolutely not.
It’s easy to look down from 30,000 feet in the air and say that 23XI should be able to put blinders on amid all of the litigation regarding NASCAR. That, however, is easier said than done, especially as long as all of this continues.
Nobody on this level of competition is going to make excuses about not performing at the highest level. It’s why people aspire to field organizations in this series.
But if 23XI indeed takes a step back as this season rolls on, it’d be disappointing, but understandable.
5. Will Someone Else Steal a Postseason Spot This Weekend?
Drivers hoping to race their way into the postseason by way of points have seen those odds sliced and diced with wins in the past two races by Shane van Gisbergen and Briscoe.
That window could close even tighter at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday night (June 28).
To start, tracks like Atlanta produce unpredictability, especially near the checkered flag. Think back to March of last year, when mere inches ended up being the difference between Daniel Suarez being in the playoffs and Kyle Busch coming up short.
There’s also this to factor in: Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland are not only within a group of drivers well below the playoff cut line, but each has also run well at superspeedways. McDowell, remember, is a Daytona 500 winner and Hocevar was in a position to possibly win at Atlanta earlier this year.
If you’re a driver banking on getting into the postseason via points, that chance may get even slimmer this weekend, and it’ll be due to this track’s new era of excitement.
Brad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.