Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski Achieve Goal With 1-2 Finish

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing finished the NASCAR Cup Series regular season on the highest of notes Saturday.

Chris Buescher continued his red-hot run with a victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, which marked his third win in his last five races. Buescher earned the checkered flag thanks in part to a late-race shove from RFK teammate Brad Keselowski, who finished second.

While Keselowski acknowledged the runner-up is “the first loser,” he was more than pleased to log a 1-2 finish with his running mate before the playoffs.

“A few weeks ago, sitting down, we were going over goals and visions we value, one of the things we brought up was 1-2 finishes, and it’s been a long time since this company had a 1-2 finish … that means a lot to me,” Keselowski told reporters, per The Dayton Beach News-Journal. “Today was just another feather in our cap, and we’re really proud.”

By winning Saturday, Buescher exceeded the career win total he took into the 2023 Cup Series season.

“It’s hard to explain, it’s awesome though,” Buescher told reporters. “To be sitting here again so quickly, what a heck of a start into the playoffs right now. It’s been a long time coming, a lot of work.”

Both RFK drivers will compete in the postseason, as Buescher (No. 4) and Keselowski (No. 9) each finished within the top 16 of the final regular-season standings. The first of 10 NASCAR playoff races will be Sunday at Darlington Raceway where drivers will compete in the Cook Out Southern 500.