Hours after reduced penalty and playoff boost, Chris Buescher holds a “must-win” stance for RFK Racing cars 

Chris Buescher shared his thoughts after NASCAR reduced the penalty handed to him at Kansas following the Kansas Speedway race. Speaking about how the decision worked in his favor, the RFK Racing driver insisted that recent developments have put them in a must-win situation.

Following the conclusion of the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway earlier in May, the sanctioning body docked 60 driver/owner points and five playoff points, suspended crew chief Scott Graves for two races, and fined them $75,000 for a front bumper cover violation.

This came after NASCAR took Buescher's car to the Research and Development Center, where they discovered the violation. The penalty hit the #17 driver gravely as it put him in a lowly 27th place in the standings, and without a victory, any chance of going into the playoffs seemed bleak.

However, NASCAR reduced the penalty after Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing reviewed it. They docked 30 instead of 60 points as Buescher's car violated one or more rules, but not all. Following NASCAR's decision, Buescher spoke to the media, and here's what he said to Steven Taranto on X (0:22-1:00):

"Yeah obviously, we're on the go today, and so that into and everything going down, but you know obviously I guess a little bit, little bit back obviously in a better spot, and we start talking about playoff situation ultimately, and the way we look at it, it's a must-win situation."

"I think we believe that in February, we get to Daytona, and it's a must-win situation, the way it goes down every year, and you end up getting one or two cars getting in (into the playoffs) on points, and you just can't count on it. It is too hectic right there," the RFK Racing driver added.

Chris Buescher is 16th in the drivers' championship with 274 points after 13 races. He has secured six top 10s and one top five while facing a DNF.

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What did NASCAR say about Chris Buescher's penalty reduction?

May 17, 2025; North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher - Source: Imagn

NASCAR released a statement after deciding on Chris Buescher's penalty from the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway. The sanctioning body said (via Motorsportswire.com):

"The panel concluded that NASCAR met its burden of proof regarding the reinforcement of the front bumper cover but did not meet it regarding the trimming of the exhaust panel cover. The rule book regarding the exhaust panel trimming lacked specificity on the amount trimmed or not trimmed. Accordingly, the Panel reduced the owner and driver points penalty from 60 to 30 points.”

So far, seven drivers have qualified for the 2025 NASCAR playoffs — Kyle Larson, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain. Unfortunately, no Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing drivers are on the list.