"It’s catastrophic to miss the playoffs" - RFK owner Brad Keselowski comments on Chris Buescher's playoff bubble fight

RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski recently emphasized the importance of getting his teammate Chris Buescher into the playoffs. The No. 6 Ford driver also highlighted the potential negative consequences of failing to advance into the postseason for the organization.

With seven races remaining in the regular season, Chris Buescher currently sits in 15th place in the playoff standings, holding a 56-point advantage over the cutline. Alex Bowman occupies the final playoff spot with a 51-point advantage. Bubba Wallace is the first driver out of the playoff picture, trailing Bowman by 51 points.

Brad Keselowski, the co-owner of RFK Racing, is optimistic about Chris Buescher's playoff prospects. However, he also elaborated on the consequences of failing to have a driver advance into the postseason, describing it as "catastrophic".

Keselowski explained that failing to qualify for the playoffs would prevent them from attracting sponsors and recruiting talent, while the poor results in the standings could also affect their relationship with the manufacturer.

"From an owner's perspective, I mean it's catastrophic to miss the playoffs. Whether it's your sponsorships, OEM relationships, your ability to recruit and retain talent in the shop or on the road, the pit crew. It's a really, really big deal," he told Bob Pockrass.

As a team co-owner, Keselowski is determined to provide the #17 Ford driver with the best equipment to secure a playoff spot. He remains confident about having both cars in the playoffs.

"Anytime you're not in, you're stressed about it. We know that even though he's got a couple car gap to the cut off, couple new winners and that's gone very fast. We feel that pressure to get him in, feel the pressure to make sure he gets the right equipment and resources around him. We're doing all we can and I'm confident he can get it done," Keselowski added.

While Chris Buescher and the #17 Ford team continue to rack up points, Brad Keselowski has booked his ticket for the playoffs with a win at Darlington, breaking his winless streak.

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Brad Keselowski admits Chris Buescher "hasn't caught a break"

Although the #17 Ford driver hasn't won a race this season, he has put together strong performances worthy of a victory. Buescher has finished in the top five on five occasions, including a second-place finish at Kansas Speedway, where he lost the race by the closest margin ever recorded in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Brad Keselowski highlighted Chris Buescher's recent upturn in form, highlighting his three top-5 results in the past four weekends. He told Pockrass in the same interview:

"Chris has had some really great races, he's on a good stretch right now of competitive runs... If you look at Sonoma, New Hampshire, even looking back to Charlotte where we ran really well. And at Kansas where he got as close to winning as you physically can."

"He's on a stretch of races, where he could win any week, he's doing the right things but hasn't caught any breaks," he added.

Chris Buescher heralded RFK's rise last summer with three victories in five weeks before the playoffs. He is exhibiting a similar pace this season but is yet to make a trip to the victory lane.