Brad Keselowski’s Prodigy Crowns Kansas Speedway With Top Honors, Hoping to Undo His Past Mistakes

“It’s the perfect place for the Next-Gen car,” said Denny Hamlin when sharing his thoughts on Kansas Speedway. The 1.5-mile intermediate facility has quickly built quite a reputation for itself in recent years. Known for its entertaining races, the tri-oval has featured six different winners in the last six races, highlighting one of those rare instances where NASCAR’s new car is finally playing to its strengths. However, with the action, drama, and controversy also comes an element of uncertainty, which the track is becoming known for.

He might not have won at Kansas yet, but Chris Buescher enjoys competing at the venue. The RFK Racing driver narrowly missed out on Victory Lane last year, but he’s hoping to redeem himself at the upcoming AdventHealth 400.

Chris Buescher is determined to flip the script

Heartbreaking. That’s the only way one can describe Chris Buescher’s runner-up finish at Kansas Speedway last spring. The No. 17 Ford had been dominant throughout the 268-lap race, steadily climbing grid positions to finish fifth at the end of Stage 1 and winning Stage 2. When the white flag was waved, the RFK Racing driver was in the lead, hopeful of securing his first win since the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400. But out of nowhere, Kyle Larson caught up in the final lap and stole the win by 0.001 second, the closest finish in Cup Series history.

But despite the disappointment, Chris Buescher had nothing but good words for the 1.5-mile track. Speaking to Steve Letarte on the NASCAR Inside The Race podcast, he said, “It has just created fantastic racing. It is my favorite mile and a half that we go to.” The 32-year-old went on to say, “Ultimately, it’s got options. From behind the steering wheel, that’s what you want. If you have a car that’s great at the bottom, but you can move up and find something, that’s great, right?”

Buscher was unlucky last year. Kyle Larson got some momentum on the backstretch and managed to get to the outside of the No. 17 Ford in Turn 3. What followed was a heated battle, as the pair made contact multiple times while racing side-by-side to the finish line. The narrow defeat cost the RFK Racing driver a spot in the playoffs, a heavy price to pay when he had done nothing wrong. But that’s NASCAR, where a result is defined by the finest of margins, a lesson he was forced to learn the hard way.

UNBELIEVABLE FINISH! KYLE LARSON WINS AT KANSAS. WOW. pic.twitter.com/O7K3pOnmTw

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 6, 2024

But that was in the past. The 2025 AdventHealth 400 is a new beginning, and Chris Buescher is determined to make amends. Keeping his eyes on the prize, the racer told Letarte, “One way or another, we’re gonna make it happen this time.” While both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson will be the usual favorites going into the race, the Texan will have a point to prove this time around. Will Buscher be able to break his 19-race winless streak this time around? Time will tell.

Buscher reflects on what went wrong last year

They say, ‘there’s no use crying over spilled milk’, but that’s easier said than done. When a driver loses a race by 0.001 second, it’s difficult not to analyze exactly what could have been done differently. It was a result that broke his season, but time offers a brand-new perspective. Looking back, Buscher can appreciate how close the finish was, but it still hurts to lose in such a fashion. “We basically have a trophy for being the closest loser in NASCAR, so it’s not a good trophy to put up on the shelf,” he said, and it’s hard not to feel sorry for the racer.

Analyzing what could have been done differently, Chris Buescher said, “Obviously, a lot of thought went into that one the week after. If we had it to do all over again, we probably would’ve run a little bit higher in (Turns) 1 and 2 and ultimately kept the momentum up there. I think that would’ve been the way to go; we had been really good at running the bottom at Kansas than most, and on that last run to the end, I thought we’d be able to keep the momentum up. Ultimately, it wasn’t the case there.”

Last week, Chris Buescher was competing on his home track in Texas, but Lady Luck wasn’t on his side in that instance as well. He was running third before a right-rear tire blew in Stage 2, which resulted in an 18th-place finish. If his No. 17 Ford can recreate that speed at Kansas Speedway, there’s no reason why the 32-year-old can’t flip the narrative and punch his ticket into the postseason. Do you think Buescher will break his winless streak this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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