05/31/2023
RFK Advance | Gateway
Gateway Event Info:
Track Info: World Wide Technology Raceway, 1.25-mile oval
Date: Sunday, June 4
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Madison, Illinois
Format: 240 laps, 300 miles, Stages: 45-95-100
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 10 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:45 a.m. ET, Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- The NASCAR Cup Series heads to WWTR for just the second time after the inaugural Cup Series event there a year ago.
- Jack Roush has five wins at Gateway (4 Xfinity, 1 Truck), while Brad Keselowski is in line for a milestone start this weekend, and Chris Buescher makes his first-ever appearance at the 1.25-mile oval.
6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: King’s Hawaiian
- The No. 6 car will feature branding from Casey’s General Store this weekend as King’s Hawaiian and Casey’s promote the new BBQ Brisket Sandwich. Casey’s serves communities across 16 states in more than 2,400 store locations.
- Crew chief Matt McCall, in his second year with RFK and Keselowski in 2023, will be atop the box for his 300th NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend. McCall has been full-time in the NCS since 2015 and has worked with Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and now Keselowski in that span.
17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal
Keselowski at Gateway
Starts: 1
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Keselowski makes his second Cup start at Gateway after finishing 20th there a year ago in the Cup Series’ debut at the track.
- The 2012 Cup Champion also makes his 500th start in the Cup Series on Sunday. He will join a list of 45 other drivers to have eclipsed the 500-start mark, and becomes the sixth active driver to reach the feat joining Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.
- Keselowski made five Xfinity Series starts at Gateway from 2007-10 as he earned the last NXS win there in 2010. Overall he finished top-10 in three Xfinity races with three races in the No. 88, and the final two in the No. 22.
- Keselowski also made three Truck starts at WWTR with a P2 finish in his last start in 2010.
Buescher at Gateway
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Buescher is in line for his first-ever start at WWTR this weekend in any series.
- He missed last season’s inaugural Cup race at Gateway after being sidelined for COVID-19.
- Zane Smith filled in the No. 17 and made his Cup debut, finishing 17th in the race.
RFK Historically at Gateway
Overall Wins: 5 (Greg Biffle, 1999, 2002; Carl Edwards, 2006, 2008, 2010)
- Biffle One of the First to Win at Gateway: Greg Biffle established himself as a winner early in the days of NASCAR visiting Gateway, winning his second-ever truck race there in 1999. He led 30 laps in the No. 50 machine after starting fifth for one of his 17 truck wins all-time, and one of nine on that season.
- Edwards 3x Winner in Illinois: Carl Edwards went to victory lane on three occasions at Gateway, all two years apart beginning in 2006. He led 26 laps in the 2006 race, then went on to lead 79 laps in 2008. He went on to win again in 2010 after starting eighth, capping off his trifecta at the 1.25-mile track.
- Tale of the Tape: RFK has 49 starts at Gateway across the Xfinity and Truck Series, tallying five combined wins with 28 total top-10s. Four of those victories came in the Xfinity Series from 2002-2010, with the lone Truck win coming in 1999.
RFK Gateway Wins
1999 Biffle Trucks
2002 Biffle Xfinity
2006 Edwards Xfinity
2008 Edwards Xfinity
2010 Edwards Xfinity
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Charlotte: Chris Buescher won stage two and was in prime position for the finish before getting hit on pit road Sunday in the Coke 600. He ultimately came back from that to finish eighth for his sixth top-10 of 2023. Keselowski endured similar unfortunate luck on a couple of different occasions, ultimately finishing 19th after a promising start.
Points Standings (6: 9th, 17: 12th): Keselowski remains ninth in points entering the weekend in Illinois as positions 8-11 are separated by 23 points. Buescher jumped up a spot and is 12th with 20 points surrounding drivers 11-14.
By the Numbers at Gateway
Race Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn Miles
2 0 0 0 0 490 0 31.0 18.5 612.5
25 4 10 18 2 4845 276 8.6 9.4 6056.3
24 1 3 10 4 3660 83 9.4 16.0 4575
51 5 13 28 6 8995 359 11.5 14.2 11243.8
