RFK Racing reciprocates Linkin Park's song's emotion to express Chris Buescher's playoff disappointment

Following Chris Buescher’s failure to qualify for the playoffs, RFK Racing expressed their disappointment with a post featuring somber lyrics from a Linkin Park song. Last season, Buescher capped off the regular season with victories at Richmond, Michigan, and Daytona. This year, however, he has faced a string of misfortunes that has sent his frustration soaring.

Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing and the second driver, recently ended his own 110-race drought by securing a victory at the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway in May 2024. Despite this triumph, there's a shadow over the team, as last year’s standout, Chris Buescher, did not advance to the playoffs.

Echoing the sentiment through the lyrics of Linkin Park's "In the End," RFK Racing shared a social media post featuring images of Chris Buescher's car in narrow defeats throughout the season. Highlighted among them was a snapshot from a Kansas race, where Kyle Larson narrowly bested him by 0.0001 seconds, marking the tightest finish in NASCAR history.

Additionally, the post included a photograph from an earlier race at Darlington, capturing the moment his tire blew following contact with Tyler Reddick, robbing him of a late lead in the Goodyear 400. The accompanying caption read:

"It's so unreal Didn't look out below Watch the time go right out the window Tryin' to hold on, didn't even know I wasted it all just to watch you go I kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually Be a memory of a time when…"

Chris Buescher entered the final race of the regular season at Darlington with a 21-point advantage for the last playoff spot, yet this buffer proved insufficient. Buescher fell short of the playoffs by six points following Chase Briscoe’s win. Had a repeat winner taken the checkered flag on Sunday night, the driver of the #17 Ford Mustang Cup car would have secured a spot in the 10-race playoff.

Despite finishing 11th in the point standings, Buescher did not qualify for the playoffs, as seven drivers ranked below him secured victories during the 2024 season.

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Chris Buescher criticizes the NASCAR playoff system for his loss

Despite delivering some of his best performances this season, Buescher did not qualify for the playoffs, leading to a mix of frustration and disbelief. In his post-race interview, the driver of the #17 RFK Racing car criticized the playoff system, which favors drivers who win races over those who consistently perform well. He commented:

"We felt like we did, for the most part, what we needed to do today. Got back in contention there at the end and got this finish out of it. Just didn't quite get it done again. Unfortunately, it's just the system we're all playing in. Everyone at RFK worked so hard, we've been so fast; we've outrun so many of these cars that I thought I would get a run for the Championship but that's the system."

Chris Buescher will next take to the track at Atlanta, aiming to win a race in the playoffs to salvage what has been a disappointing NASCAR Cup season.