February 27, 2023 | By Lee Spencer

Keselowski is "feeling the progress" at RFK Racing

FONTANA, Calif.—Brad Keselowski tweeted three simple words following the Pala Casino 400 on Sunday: Feeling the progress.

Given his results from 2022, his first season as a driver/owner with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, leading laps and finishing seventh at Auto Club Speedway likely felt like a win for the 39-year-old racer.

With 40 laps remaining in the event, both Keselowski and his RFK Racing teammate Chris Buescher were running in the top 10. The final pit stops shuffled Buescher back to 13th, but Keselowski claimed his first top 10 of 2023—and moved up to 10th in the NASCAR Cup standings.

“It was good,” Keselowski said. “We didn’t have the best start to the day. I don’t think either Chris or my car was driving that good. But we made good adjustments throughout the race. Just hung with it to the end and got some respectful finishes out of it.”

For the former Cup champion turned team owner, the transition to RFK hasn’t been easy. Last year, Keselowski scored just one top-five and six top-10 finishes. For the first time since 2010, Keselowski failed to win. For the first time since 2010, he missed the Playoffs. For the first time since 2010, the third-generation racer didn’t tally multiple top fives or double-digit top 10s.

Buescher carried the banner for RFK with his win in the Bristol Night Race, three top fives and 10 top 10s. However, 2023 started with the RFK Fords missing the Busch Clash for a second-straight season. Could they find redemption at Daytona as they did in 2022 when the drivers won each of their Duel qualifying races?

No. But Buescher finished fourth behind three Fords in the first Duel. Keselowski matched the result in Duel 2. Their qualifying efforts aligned the drivers on Row 5 for the Daytona 500 and enabled the teammates to remain close throughout the race.

Together they were a formidable duo. Keselowski finally appeared competitive in the No. 6 Ford. Not only were he and Buescher able to draft their way to the lead in the Great American Race, but Keselowski led a race-high 42 laps. Unfortunately, he was wrecked on the last circuit in overtime and finished 22nd.

Buescher’s 32 laps led were the second most laps of the race. He finished fourth—his third top-five in the Daytona 500. Both drivers carried the momentum from Daytona into California.

“This was good,” Keselowski said. “We needed solid days that we could build off of. We really earned this one today. We didn’t just fall into it—and I’m proud of that.

“Last year we saw a lot of improvements and now we carried them forward here. So that’s nice.”

The NASCAR Cup tour rolls into Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend where Keselowski has three wins, eight top fives and 12 top 10s in 19 starts. What are his expectations going into Sin City?

“A win,” Keselowski said with a chuckle. “We want to keep building and keep getting better.”