Brad Keselowski-owned RFK Racing makes major announcement following NASCAR’s heavy penalty

RFK Racing, co-owned by Brad Keselowski, has announced the decision to appeal NASCAR's L1-level penalty on the No. 17 Ford Mustang. The team looks to overturn the penalty, which could be a season-decider for Chris Buescher.

To recall, the sanctioning body penalized the #17 car for an illegal front bumper cover a little over a week ago at Kansas Speedway. The penalties include a 60-point driver/team deduction, a $75,000 fine, and a two-race suspension for crew chief Scott Graves.

RFK Racing shared its statement over the appeal on the L1-level penalty from the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas with a post on X.

“After a thorough review of the penalties issued to the No. 17 Ford Mustang, RFK Racing has decided to appeal NASCAR's decision,” the team wrote.

“We respect NASCAR's commitment to fair competition and appreciate the opportunity to engage in the appeals process.”

The first of the two-race suspension had taken effect in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Veteran crew chief Doug Randolph subbed in for Scott Graves in a race where Chris Buescher finished 10th. Teammate Brad Keselowski, who started from pole, also participated but was out on lap 176 after hitting the wall hard.

The appeal has yet to determine whether Graves could return to the #17 team for the next race happening at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600 will kick off at 6:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video on May 25, the media company's first NASCAR broadcasting gig.

Chris Buescher driving the #17 RFK Racing Ford at Kansas Speedway - Source: Imagn

As of this writing, Buescher sits in the 24th spot (after the penalty) in the points standings ahead of Brad Keselowski, who is having a nightmare season. He has amassed one top-five and six top-10 finishes after 12 races.

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“There’s been a lot going on”: Brad Keselowski on late appeal over penalty on #17 RFK Racing team

Brad Keselowski explained why the team had held off the decision for an appeal over the L1-level penalty on Chris Buescher. The RFK Racing co-owner and driver was busy traveling for media and sponsor duties. Thus, he couldn't get into the penalty as soon as possible.

The #17 team was penalized on Thursday (May 15), four days after the Kansas Speedway race. RFK Racing waited until Monday (May 19) before formally announcing the appeal following the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend.

The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion said (via NASCAR):

“There’s been a lot going on.”

“I mean, honestly, I was traveling most of the week with media appearances, sponsor stuff, and I haven’t got all of it dialed in yet to fully understand. We have till Monday to do so, and we’re going to exhaust that time period and evaluate everything by then,” he added.

RFK Racing drivers Brad Keselowski (left), Ryan Preece (middle), and Chris Buescher (right) - Source: Imagn

This year marks the return of RFK Racing's three-driver lineup, adding Ryan Preece to the mix. Unfortunately, the team has been struggling to fight at the front. It has a total of 10 DNFs ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend.