11/04/2024
Keselowski Leads 170 Laps, Finishes P9 in Martinsville
Keselowski Leads 170 Laps, Finishes P9 in Martinsville
Buescher Finishes 30th
RIDGEWAY, Va. (Nov. 3, 2024) – Brad Keselowski led 170 laps – the most of any car – won stage two and went on to finish ninth Sunday afternoon in a drama-filled 500-lap race at Martinsville Speedway. The King’s Hawaiian Ford led twice – once for 61 laps and later for 109 laps – to lead all drivers.
Teammate Chris Buescher was on the wrong end of the track position battle throughout the day and finished 30th.
6 Recap
Keselowski’s day began from the 18th position following Saturday’s qualifying session. Just one caution split the opening stage as the No. 6 was into the top-15 by that yellow at lap 77. He restarted 13th following his first pit stop of the day, and drove up to 10th by the time the stage ended (lap 130).
Another strong pit stop in the stage break gave Keselowski the ninth spot to begin stage two. Two cautions flew within a 13-lap span as the stage got going, with Keselowski shuffling between 8th-11th. He was scored 11th at lap 184 but this time remained on track, gaining track position up to third.
After restarting P3 at lap 191, Keselowski worked to second on the next restart, then took over the lead at lap 203. He led the rest of the stage from there, earning the stage win. Another strong effort on pit road maintained him the lead as the field restarted for stage three (lap 270).
He went on to lead 109 consecutive laps at that point, eventually taking to pit road at lap 373 for scheduled service on the King’s Hawaiian Ford. After that four-tire stop, he was back up to third with 103 to go when the caution flew again.
The team then put on fresh right side tires, sending Keselowski back out fifth for the restart with 94 to go. One final caution flew at lap 408 as the No. 6 fired back off sixth. But, Keselowski’s machine faded in the final green-flag run as he clawed back to ninth to secure a top-10.
17 Recap
Buescher was on the wrong side of track position from the start as he rolled off 26th. He unfortunately went down a lap early, then hit pit road at lap 75 under green. The race’s first yellow flew just a pair of laps later, trapping Buescher behind the leaders.
From there, it was an uphill battle to regain laps and pit around timely cautions. Buescher went on to finish 30th.
Up Next
Phoenix Raceway hosts the final race of the 2024 season next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3 p.m. ET on NBC, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.
###
