“It didn’t all click when it needed to”: Brad Keselowski reflects on RFK Racing’s 2023 season

In a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Brad Keselowski, the co-owner of RFK Racing, reflected on the team's journey through the 2023 NASCAR season.

Keselowski purchased an ownership stake in Roush Fenway Racing in 2022, ultimately giving rise to the formation of RFK Racing. The inaugural season showed promise, but it was in 2023 that the team truly began to unveil its potential.

While RFK Racing only managed to score a single victory at Bristol last season, courtesy of Chris Buescher, this year was substantially better. Buescher won back-to-back races in Michigan before clinching the victory in the final race of the regular season in Daytona.

With both the RFK drivers, Buescher and Keselowski, in playoffs, it appeared that the brand-new team was coming to its own. However, Keselowski's elimination at the end of Round 2 and Buescher's in Round 3 put to bed all hopes of a potential title challenge from RFK Racing.

Brad Keselowski reflected on RFK Racing's performances in the 2023 season, saying:

"I think the overarching theme is, 'pleased not satisfied.' Pleased with the progress, not satisfied with where we're at."

The 39-year-old compared his team's performances from this year to that of last season. He said:

"I felt like there were times last year when we didn't look that great. And there were a lot of times last year, especially around the late summer [when] we looked like two of the best cars on the track."

Maintaining an optimistic approach for next season while being critical of his team's performances in the playoffs, Keselowski said:

"And it didn't all click when it needed to. That's part of racing as far as sports and life. If we can get all to click, we can be championship contenders with both cars.

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Brad Keselowski on the biggest challenge for RFK Racing moving forward

Although RFK Racing managed to reach playoffs in their second season ever, Brad Keselowski maintains a contrasting outlook when it comes to the team's performances. He said:

"Pleased that we're able to say that; we wouldn't have been able to say that last year. But not satisfied that we weren't able to realise it."

Highlighting the final few races of the season where neither driver could live up to their performances from the final stretch of the regular season, the 2012 Cup Series champion said:

"Especially in those final 8 races; or probably final four, six races. That's the challenge for us ahead. Getting us to a spot where we can 'realise' that result."

With an encouraging season now behind them, Brad Keselowski and co need to regroup, learn from their mistakes, and prepare for the upcoming Cup Series season.