As the halfway point of the NASCAR season nears, more speculation about the offseason is bubbling to the surface.
One driver whose future had been a topic of discussion around the garages had been Chris Buescher, who has been driving for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on a deal that was set to expire at the end of the season.
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RFK Racing squashed rumors on Tuesday, June 16, when they announced that they had agreed to a multi-year extension with the 33-year-old Buescher to keep him in the No. 17 Ford. Exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“RFK Racing has been home for most of my racing career, and that’s something I don’t take for granted,” Buescher said in a statement. “I’ve grown up with this organization, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the last several years. The direction we’re heading, the people we have in place, and the commitment throughout the company make me excited about the future.”
Buescher began his career in NASCAR by working in the RFK shop as a teenager. In 2009, he joined the team’s driver development program and in 2015 won a championship in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
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The native of Texas became a full-time driver in the Cup Series in 2016 and won at Pocono in his debut season. In all, he has six victories at the Cup level and 92 top-10 finishes. In 2023, he won three races and made the playoffs, and was voted NASCAR’s Most Improved Driver.
Buescher has finished in the top 10 in eight of 16 races this season and finds himself in position to make the postseason chase. He’s seventh in the point standings heading to this weekend’s road course race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. Buescher is currently the only RFK driver inside the top 16 cutoff line for the postseason Chase, as Brad Keselowski is 17th in the standings and Ryan Preece is 19th.
“Chris is everything you want in a race car driver and teammate,” said Keselowski, who is also a co-owner of RFK Racing. “His talent behind the wheel speaks for itself, but what really separates him is his professionalism, preparation and commitment to making everyone around him better. He’s been instrumental in the progress we’ve made as an organization, and we’re excited to continue building toward our goals together.”
Speculation has swirled about Buescher’s future with RFK because the team is losing one of its three charters next season, as one that it is leasing from Rick Ware Racing has been sold to Legacy Motor Club. RFK Racing president Chip Bowers has said that even if the team can’t acquire a third charter for 2027, it is still committed to running three full-time cars in the Cup Series, meaning one will have to run Open.
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A charter guarantees the car it is assigned to a spot in every Cup Series race regardless of qualifying, which generates a stable stream of revenue for the team. If RFK runs an Open car, that means the driver of that Ford will have to qualify to enter every race.
Buescher re-signing with RFK is the latest domino to fall in NASCAR’s upcoming silly season. The Wood Brothers announced last week that Josh Berry will not return to drive its No. 21 Ford next season, creating one open seat in the Cup Series. Another confirmed move is that Corey Heim will be driving the No. 35 Toyota for 23XI Racing next season, pushing current driver Riley Herbst out of that seat. Richard Childress Racing has to fill the seat of the No. 33 Chevrolet following the shocking death of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR’s RFK Racing, Chris Buescher agree to multi-year extension
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