Information By: BRANDON LEE / RFK RACING – CONCORD, NC
Darlington I Event Info:
Date: Sunday, May 12
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Format: 293 Laps, 400.238 miles, Stages: 90-95-108
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 10:35 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 11:20 a.m. ET, Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Race (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- RFK returns to the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ this weekend for the official NASCAR Throwback race. RFK is coming off top-6 finishes with both of its drivers in the September race last fall, and top-10 results in this race last spring.
- Chris Buescher is coming off one of the more heartbreaking scenarios in recent memory, a P2 finish in Kansas after initially being declared the winner. It marked the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
- The P2 result is RFK’s fourth runner-up finish of the season after Buescher also finished second in Phoenix, and Brad Keselowski earned P2 results in back-to-back races at Texas and Talladega.
- Jack Roush has 20 wins all-time at Darlington, including five in the NCS.
6 Team Info:
- Crew Chief: Matt McCall
- Partner: Castrol Throwback
Keselowski and RFK will pay homage to the Castrol TOM’s Toyota Supra GT, one of the most recognizable and most beloved cars from the early years of the Super GT series in Japan. The Castrol TOM’s Supra made its debut in the 1995 All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), and helped to firmly establish the GT500 class, which would eventually evolve into the fastest GT racing category in racing to this day.
17 Team Info:
- Crew Chief: Scott Graves
- Partner: Fifth Third Bank
- As part of the Fueled by Fifth Third Program, SteelPoint will ride on the decklid of the No. 17 this weekend with Buescher. SteelPoint has been committed to excellence in trailer manufacturing since 2008.
- SteelPoint Excellence: At SteelPoint, we’re committed to excellence in trailer manufacturing, setting industry standards in quality and durability since 2008.
- Full Range of Trailer Options: From equipment trailers to utility trailers and dump trailers to tilt trailers, SteelPoint has the right solution for your application.
- Longevity and Maintenance: Our trailers are designed to last and feature easy maintenance solutions, helping customers protect their investments and extend the lifespan of their assets.
- Beyond Manufacturing: At SteelPoint, we solve complex engineering challenges, offering innovative and efficient solutions tailored to our customers’ unique needs.
- Customer-Centric Approach: SteelPoint isn’t just about trailers; we focus on offering the most responsive customer experience, ensuring every client feels supported and valued.
Keselowski at Darlington
- Starts: 20
- Wins: 1 (2018)
- Top-10s: 11
- Poles: 3 (2015, 2020, 2021)
- Keselowski makes his 21st Cup start this weekend at Darlington, where he’s coming off three-straight top-10s, including sixth or better in each of last season’s events.
- With an 11.4 average finish at Darlington, Keselowski is coming off a fourth-place run last spring after starting 10th, and a sixth-place finish last fall after starting fifth.
- Keselowski won the fall race back in 2018, one of his six top fives overall at the track Too Tough to Tame. Overall he’s finished 15th or better in 12 out of the last 14 Darlington races.
- Keselowski does have three poles at Darlington – 2015, 2020, 2021 – with an average starting position of 10.7 and 13 starts inside the top-10.
- He also made seven Xfinity Series starts with one win (2018) and three top-10s.
Buescher at Darlington
- Starts: 13
- Wins: —
- Top-10s: 4
- Poles: —
- Buescher makes his 14th start at Darlington this weekend where he’s coming off back-to-back top-10s, including a P3 podium finish last fall. Buescher finished 10th in this race last spring, as all four of his Darlington top-10s have come in the last three years.
- He carries a 22.3 average starting position and is coming off his career-best qualifying effort – P8 last fall.
- Buescher also made four Xfinity starts at Darlington with a fifth-place run in 2015.
RFK Historically at Darlington
Cup Wins: 5 (Mark Martin, 1993; Jeff Burton, 1999, 1999; Greg Biffle, 2005, 2006)
Darlington Two-Step: RFK has twice won consecutive NCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver Jeff Burton. RFK also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.
Tale of the Tape: In 262 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 20 wins, 71 top-five and 124 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFK has led 4,600+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 92,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In NCS action alone, RFK has finished top-10 in 43 percent (77-of-176) of the races with 37 top-five results and five wins.
Kickin’ it Old School: Legendary RFK drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned the two most recent victories in 2005 and 2006.
Most All Time: It’s no secret that when Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999 and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.
RFK Darlington Wins
1993-2 Martin Cup
1999-1 Burton Cup
1999-2 Burton Cup
2005 Biffle Cup
2006 Biffle Cup
1993-2 Martin NXS
1994-1 Martin NXS
1994-2 Martin NXS
1995-2 Martin NXS
1996-1 Martin NXS
1997-2 Burton NXS
1999-2 Martin NXS
2000-1 Martin NXS
2000-2 Martin NXS
2001-2 Burton NXS
2002-1 Burton NXS
2002-2 Burton NXS
2004-1 Biffle NXS
2005 Kenseth NXS
2009 Kenseth NXS
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Kansas: Buescher finished P2 in heartbreaking fashion and the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. He won stage two and earned stage points across the board, while Keselowski finished 11th.
Points Standings (17: 11th, 6: 15th): Buescher used a great points day in Kansas to advance all the way to 11th, while Keselowski also jumped one spot to 15th.