NASCAR: Chris Buescher clinches playoff berth with Richmond win

By wazup on July 31, 2023 Comments Closed / 86 views

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - JULY 29: Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on July 29, 2023 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) — Chris Buescher now has NASCAR Cup Series wins in back-to-back seasons. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Chris Buescher got the third NASCAR Cup Series win of his career Sunday at Richmond and is officially a member of the 2023 playoff field.

It looked like Buescher was driving to an easy win after passing Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on lap 347 of the 400-lap race. Buescher had no issues getting by Truex, who was on a different tire strategy than Buescher and the rest of the leaders.

But a late caution for Daniel Suárez spinning off Noah Gragson’s bumper meant that Buescher had to hold off Denny Hamlin and others for a three-lap run to the finish.

Buescher did that easily with a good launch on the restart as Hamlin couldn’t ever mount a serious challenge.

Buescher and his Roush Fenway Keselowski teammate Brad Keselowski were the class of the field in the third stage but Keselowski took himself out of contention for the win with a bad pit entry and pit stop during the final green-flag stops of the race. Buescher pitted a lap before Keselowski and ended up six seconds ahead after Keselowski rejoined the track.

Buescher was going to make the playoffs without a win

Buescher entered Sunday’s race 13th in the points standings and over 100 points ahead of the driver in 17th in the points standings. Unless his performance cratered over the final four races of the regular season or there was an unlikely flurry of first-time winners, Buescher was going to be a part of the 2023 playoff field without a win.

He should put up a better postseason fight in 2023 than he did in 2016. Buescher made the playoffs seven seasons ago thanks to a fog-shortened win at Pocono while driving for Front Row Motorsports. He finished last among playoff drivers that season and his best finish in the first round of the playoffs was a 23rd.

While Buescher isn’t a title threat, he’s a threat to at least advance a round or two. He has four top-five finishes and nine top-10s through the first 22 races of the season and is the defending champion of the Bristol fall race. Don’t be too terribly surprised if Buescher is the surprise driver among the final eight in this year’s postseason.

Richmond needs a boost

The only appealing part about NASCAR Cup racing at Richmond is the tire strategy. There isn’t much else to like about it at this point.

Sunday’s race was the ninth Richmond race since the start of the 2018 season to have five cautions or fewer. The late caution for Suarez’s spinning car was the third of the day and the only caution that wasn’t for the end of a stage.

It’s also the third Richmond race in that span to have just three caution flags.

For a track nicknamed “The Action Track,” Richmond hasn’t had much action lately for myriad reasons. While the significant tire wear at the 0.75-mile oval creates an intriguing strategy aspect to the races, that’s about all Richmond has going for it. The track races more and more like an intermediate track with each passing race. And that’s not a great thing for a Cup Series that’s still looking to put on appealing shows on short tracks with the current car design.