Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing has elected to appeal the L1-level penalty assessed to the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse following the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.
The penalty, which was announced by the sanctioning body on May 15, includes a 60-point deduction to both driver and owner points, a fine of $75,000, the loss of 5 Playoff Points, and a two-race suspension for long-time crew chief Scott Graves.
In assessing the penalty to RFK Racing, NASCAR had determined that the No. 17 team had issues with the front bumper of their racecar when it was brought to the NASCAR R&D Center for a mid-week teardown after Kansas.
Ahead of last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, RFK Racing elected to have Graves begin serving his two-race suspension, while still deciding whether they wanted to appeal the infraction.
After careful deliberation, RFK Racing released a statement on social media Monday, which confirmed that they would be appealing the L1-level penalty handed down by NASCAR.
“After a thorough review of the penalties issued to the No. 17 Ford Mustang, RFK Racing has decided to appeal NASCAR’s decision,” the statement reads. “We respect NASCAR’s commitment to fair competition and appreciate the opportunity to engage in the appeals process.”
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) May 19, 2025
Heading into the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the exact halfway point of the regular season, Buescher sits outside the top-20 in NASCAR Cup Series point standings, about 25 points below the cutline.
In the history of NASCAR’s elimination-style post-season format, no driver has ever made up a points deficit of more than 20 points to advance into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at this point of the season.
At this time, it’s unknown when the National Motorsports Appeals Panel will hear the case of RFK Racing, as it pertains to overturning the penalty.
