Brad Keselowski has struggled mightily in 2025 through the first dozen races. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion has looked like anything but a champion, recording just four top 20s all year. He doesn’t have a single top 10 and unbelievably has nine finishes of 26th or worse.
Fortunately for the RFK Racing co-owner/driver, his teammates have performed better, including Chris Buescher, who has had a decent start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Through the first third of the season, the No. 17 car has recorded six top 10s, including one top five, where he finished fifth at Phoenix. He has four finishes of 24th or worse, including his worst race at Talladega where he finished 34th.
Compared to last year’s numbers through the first dozen races, there’s been a slight drop-off in performance for Buescher, who had scored the same number of top 10s (6), one more top five (two runner-up results at Phoenix and Kansas) but only two results of 25th or worse.
On Wednesday, the Texan stood 14th in the Cup Series point standings and two spots above the playoff cutline. On Thursday, he had dropped 10 spots and well below the cutline all the way down to 24th after NASCAR announced an L1 penalty for the team.
There have been rumors floating around and on Thursday NASCAR confirmed a major penalty for the No. 17 of @Chris_Buescher for violations of Sections 14.1.C: Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules; 14.5.4.G: Front Bumper Cover.
The team has been fined $75,000 and assessed with the loss…
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) May 15, 2025
According to the press release, the team had violated Sections 14.1.C: Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules and 14.5.4.G: Front Bumper Cover. As a result, the team has been fined $75,000 and assessed with the loss of 60 owner points, 60 driver points and 5 NASCAR Playoff driver and owner points. Crew chief Scott Graves has been suspended from the next two NASCAR Cup Series events, through Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The points deductions are undoubtedly hits to the No. 17 team but the loss of Graves is less painful considering one of the races he will miss is the upcoming non-points-paying All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro on Sunday.
And with this latest news, Keselowski has to be wondering when this horrible season is going to turn around.
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