NASCAR Possibly Caught Issuing False Penalty as Brad Keselowski’s Expose Leaves Him Scratching His Head

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champ and co-owner of RFK Racing, was grinding through a brutal 2025 season with no top-10s and three DNFs in his No. 6 Ford. Then, at Kansas Speedway’s AdventHealth 400 on May 11, his teammate Chris Buescher delivered a gritty eighth-place finish, a ray of hope to keep RFK’s playoff dreams alive. Keselowski, juggling driver and owner roles, felt the team’s momentum building. But NASCAR had other plans.

A random post-race teardown at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, uncovered an illegal front bumper cover on Buescher’s No. 17 Ford, reinforced past the two-inch limit. The L1 penalty hit like a freight train: a $75,000 fine, 60-point deductions for driver and owner standings, five playoff points gone, and a two-race suspension for crew chief Scott Graves. Buescher crashed from 12th to 24th, 27 points below the playoff cut, dragging RFK’s hopes down with him.

Keselowski refused to fold. Diving into the details, he spearheaded RFK’s appeal, arguing the tweak gave no real edge. On May 28, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel—Tom DeLoach, Cary Tharrington, and Kevin Whitaker—slashed the points penalty to 30, lifting Buescher to 19th, just 12 points from the cut. But it looks like the RFK Racing team is back in the crosshairs of the officials, and this time around, Keselowski is arguing foul play after his top 10 finish at Michigan International Speedway.

Brad Keselowski was left dumbfounded after NASCAR slapped his No. 6 Ford with a pit road speeding penalty during the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan on June 7. Taking to X, he vented his confusion: “Still not sure how we got speeding penalty from Sunday. Our incar telemetry shows 59.4mph where NASCAR’s system showed 60.9mph.” That 1.5-mph discrepancy cost him big, turning a gritty climb from 27th to a top-10 finish into a frustrating what-if.

Starting 27th, Keselowski scrapped his way to 21st by Stage 1’s end, but early pit stops for fuel set him back. The speeding call late in Stage 2 was a gut punch, dropping him to 24th to end the stage. Despite the setback, Keselowski’s resilience shone in the final stage, weaving through restarts to land 10th, just behind teammate Ryan Preece and ahead of Erik Jones. All three RFK drivers—Buescher grabbed second, cracked the top 10, a rare bright spot in a season where Keselowski’s 32nd in points and five DNFs.

Still not sure how we got speeding penalty from Sunday. Our incar telemetry shows 59.4mph where NASCAR’s system showed 60.9mph. https://t.co/gOVFwI8D8i

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) June 10, 2025

Keselowski was gutted on unable to make the most of the opportunity after the race. “We had a really good car. I felt like we had a top-two or top-three car and just didn’t get to see it through. I’m really disappointed. We kind of crushed ourselves on the pit road with the speeding penalty. Every time we pitted, we would lose a lot of spots. I’m not really sure on the speeding penalty. I felt I was way slow.” He had his doubts about the speeding penalty, and after checking the data, he believes that the speeding penalty by the NASCAR officials didn’t make sense to him.

Was NASCAR deliberately trying to stop Ford cars from running up front at a track that is known as their stronghold? The Irish Hills is RFK Racing’s home, and these doubts were further sparked by Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland’s comments on Keselowski’s post. “I got one right infront of you at the same time, by a lot… didn’t even think I was close.”

Well, there’s not much the two drivers can do but question these calls by NASCAR. The next task on their assignment is an international race in Mexico City, and this race will present its own set of challenges.

Mexico’s high-altitude challenge looms

Brad Keselowski’s got bigger fish to fry as he heads to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for NASCAR’s first international points race on June 15. The 2.429-mile track, blending road course and oval elements, sits at high altitude, posing a cooling nightmare for cars. Keselowski is weighing NASCAR’s new cooling options, knowing engine performance could make or break his race. “It’s a unique challenge,” he told reporters, stressing the need for smart setup tweaks to keep his No. 6 Ford running strong.

“You know the high altitude is a big factor. Effectively, as you get higher altitude, the cars run hotter, don’t cool as well, and NASCAR very wisely opened up some options. We need to get on track to validate science, but it looks pretty certain that we’ll go for the high-end package this time. But, you know, maybe not. That’s why we practice.” The veteran driver explained the complexity of racing in Mexico.

Interestingly, Keselowski is the only active Ford Driver who has been to Mexico City when the Xfinity Series raced there. But given how well Chris Buescher runs on road courses, he is likely to lead the RFK Racing contingent this weekend. But the #6 team will look to bag points, continuing on the positive momentum they’ve built in Michigan.

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