Brad Keselowski spoke out about two recent penalties that have significantly affected RFK Racing in the current NASCAR season. The Senegal-based team faced these setbacks due to misunderstandings of complex regulations rather than intentional rule-breaking, Keselowski explained. As a result, the organization has implemented changes to prevent similar issues in the future.
Details on Penalties and Their Impact on Playoff Standings
Over the past five weeks, RFK Racing has been hit with two penalties costing a total of 69 points and five playoff points, which is critical for teams striving to maintain playoff positions with half the regular season still ahead. The first penalty came after Ryan Preece’s second-place finish at Talladega in late April, when the car failed post-race inspection due to a spoiler violation. NASCAR officials found Preece’s car had three shims instead of the two allowed, resulting in a 39-point deduction.
Shortly after, Chris Buescher’s team received a penalty related to an infraction discovered in the front bumper cover during a check at NASCAR’s R&D Center after the Kansas race. Initially, the team was docked 60 points and five playoff points. However, after an appeal, the points penalty was reduced to 30, though the playoff points penalty stood firm.
Understanding and Addressing the Complex NASCAR Rulebook
Keselowski was clear that the penalties were not due to attempts to exploit the rules but stemmed from insufficient understanding of NASCAR’s detailed regulations.
“The situations at hand were not items I would call ‘pushing too much’ as much as I would call just not having enough regard to understanding the rule book and all of its complexities,”
he said in a conversation with NBC Sports.
He added,
“Ultimately, that burden falls on us and we have had those conversations internally. I think everyone knows what is expected of them moving forward.”
On how RFK Racing plans to improve its approach to managing these intricate rules, Keselowski likened them to the complexity of the IRS tax code, involving numerous cross-references that require constant attention.
“When you’re head down and digging, running 38 weeks a year, oversights are going to happen. From our perspective, that’s not an excuse.”
He also shared specific actions taken within the team:
“I can’t really speak to other teams and how they handle it. I can speak to ours and we made a small restructuring this week to be better prepared and more mindful of what it takes to be in compliance. We just changed a few roles and responsibilities.”
Current Playoff Race and Consequences for RFK Racing
Heading into the upcoming race at Nashville Superspeedway, Ryan Preece currently holds the last playoff spot, while Chris Buescher sits just outside the playoffs, trailing Preece by six points. The penalties and organizational changes thus come at a crucial time as the season approaches its midpoint, with teams battling to secure favorable positions.
The adjustments Keselowski mentioned are critical in ensuring RFK Racing’s competitiveness in the closing portion of the season, aiming to avoid further point losses that could derail their playoff ambitions.
