Seven times since Chris Buescher won at Watkins Glen in 2024, an RFK Racing Ford has crossed the line in 2nd. The losses now cover nearly every kind of NASCAR race. Brad Keselowski has been beaten by a final lap push, a late caution, fresher tires and a last corner pass. Buescher has watched fuel strategy and drafting help decide races he had a real chance to win.
That is what makes RFK’s drought so frustrating. These are not slow cars stealing track position and hoping the race ends early. RFK leads laps, wins stages and controls long stretches of afternoons. Its drivers keep reaching the moment when the trophy feels close enough to touch.
Then the race changes. One partner spins. Tire advantage grows. A restart traps the leader in traffic. RFK has rebuilt itself into a weekly threat, but the final few laps keep exposing the same painful truth. Getting to the front and keeping control of it remain 2 different skills.
Darlington Turned a Dominant Afternoon into Another Loss
At Darlington, RFK did not simply appear near the front. It took over the race.
Keselowski, Buescher and Ryan Preece ran 1st, 2nd and 3rd during Stage 2. The No. 6 swept both stages and led a race high 142 laps. Buescher added 41 laps out front before contact during a late pit entry damaged his finish.
The softer Goodyear tire made long run speed impossible to hide. Jeremy Bullins and the No. 6 crew protected Keselowski’s track position, while Keselowski managed the right rear tire well enough to stay in command. Tyler Reddick still had more speed when it mattered.
Reddick made his final stop on Lap 246 while sitting about 7 seconds behind. By Lap 266, he had erased the gap and passed Keselowski. Another 27 laps remained, giving the No. 45 enough time to drive away and win by 5.847 seconds.
Keselowski climbed from the car with sweat and grime marking his face. A cane waited nearby as he eased out of the No. 6, still dealing with the leg injury that had complicated the start of his season. He had just led more laps than anyone else and won both stages. None of it changed the finishing order.
“2nd place, 1st place loser, but that’s OK,” Keselowski said after climbing from the car at Darlington.
His words sounded calm. The scene told the harder story. RFK had executed almost everything correctly, yet the fastest car still hunted down its leader and left him walking away with another 2nd place result.
Talladega Took Away the Help Buescher Needed
Talladega asked RFK to solve a completely different problem.
Preece won Stage 1. Buescher led 22 laps. Together, the 3 RFK cars combined to lead 43, and the organization again looked capable of controlling the finish.
After the final pit cycle, Carson Hocevar, Buescher and Alex Bowman sat at the front. Passing became difficult once the field packed itself into 2 tight lanes. Buescher stayed close enough to attack, but he needed a strong push and precise timing to clear the No. 77.
Erik Jones supplied that help until he spun with 5 laps remaining. The loss of Jones changed Buescher’s options. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lined up behind him for the final charge, but Stenhouse began making his own move as they came off Turn 4.
Buescher never cleared Hocevar. The opening closed before the No. 17 could turn its run into a clean pass, and Hocevar held on by 0.114 seconds.
Darlington came down to tire life over 27 laps. Talladega came down to a drafting partner and a few hundred yards. RFK reached the same place in the results through 2 entirely different routes.
The Pattern Was Already Building in 2025
Those 2 losses did not create RFK’s closing problem. They simply gave it 2 new shapes. The trail runs back through 2025, when Keselowski came within a final move of winning at Atlanta, Bristol and Phoenix.
Atlanta delivered an early warning. Keselowski led late, but RFK’s cars became separated in the lead pack. Chase Elliott arrived with Alex Bowman pushing from behind, creating a 2 against 1 fight on the final lap. Keselowski tried to cover both lanes. Elliott carried the stronger run into Turn 1 and took the lead.
Bristol tightened the margin again. A late caution erased Keselowski’s advantage and created a jammed restart. Christopher Bell escaped the traffic, while the No. 6 charged back to his bumper on the final lap. Keselowski attempted to move Bell in Turn 3, but the contact landed too square. Bell kept control and reached the line first.
Phoenix offered the cruelest version. Keselowski stayed out on older tires during overtime and surged into the lead on the white flag lap. Ryan Blaney found more grip through the final corners, slipped underneath and won by 0.097 seconds.
Each race demanded a different final answer. Atlanta required drafting numbers. Bristol required a cleaner restart and a better final corner attack. Phoenix required enough grip to survive 1 more set of turns. RFK did not repeat the same mistake. It kept discovering new ways for a victory to disappear.
The Rebuild Is Over, but Closing Remains the Test
RFK expanded to 3 full time cars in 2025 when Preece joined Keselowski and Buescher in the No. 60 Ford. The move gave the organization more information, more drafting support and another car capable of scoring stage points.
All 3 cars have shown legitimate pace. Darlington proved they could run together at the front on a tire management track. Talladega showed how quickly that strength can vanish when damage separates the group and leaves 1 driver without enough help.
RFK is no longer a rebuilding project asking whether it belongs near the leaders. The team unloads fast cars, wins stages and forces established powers to account for it. Now comes the harder step.
To win, RFK must stop relying on a perfect final sequence. It needs enough pace to build a cushion at tracks like Darlington. At drafting races, it must keep its cars connected long enough to control both lanes. During late restarts, the crews and drivers need to protect track position before chaos decides the result.
Those margins are small. After 7 runner up finishes, they have become the entire story.
RFK has learned how to reach the front. Its drought will continue until it learns how to control the finish.
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FAQs
Q1. Why has RFK Racing struggled to win recently?
RFK creates winning chances, but late tire runs, restarts and drafting moves keep deciding races against its drivers.
Q2. How many runner up finishes has RFK Racing recorded since Watkins Glen?
RFK has finished 2nd 7 times since Chris Buescher’s 2024 Watkins Glen victory.
Q3. What happened to Brad Keselowski at Darlington?
Keselowski led 142 laps and won both stages, but Tyler Reddick passed him late and won by 5.847 seconds.
Q4. Why could Chris Buescher not pass Carson Hocevar at Talladega?
Buescher lost key drafting help late, and his final run never became strong enough to clear Carson Hocevar.
Q5. Is RFK Racing still rebuilding?
RFK now fields 3 competitive cars and regularly races near the front. Its next challenge is converting that speed into victories.
