Chris Buescher survives nervous moments at Richmond to make Chase
Without question, the biggest surprise in the 16-driver field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is rookie Chris Buescher.
Buescher, a 23-year-old rookie from Prosper, Texas, made the Chase by winning a rain-shortened race at Pocono Raceway last month and then holding on to finish 29th in points at the end of the 26-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season.
Making the Chase required both winning a race season and being in the top 30 in points at the end of the regular season.
That Buescher could make the Chase as a rookie with the small, low-budget Front Row Racing team was a major shock. It's not that Buescher's talent was in question; after all, he won the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship last year. But he drives for a team of Davids in a Chase full of Goliaths.
Buescher certainly had some nervous moments Saturday night in he Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, but in the end, he finished 24th to clinch his Chase spot. And he and Chase Elliott became the first two rookies to make NASCAR's playoffs since Denny Hamlin in 2006.
"It's obviously a big night for Front Row Motorsports and (team owner) Bob Jenkins for a small team like we are to be able to pull it off and get that win at Pocono and find ourselves in the Chase right now," Buescher said. "It's pretty special."
Indeed, it is.
But it didn't come easily on a night where the was a track record of 16 caution-flag periods.
"It was a crazy race," said Buescher. "I can't believe how many cautions we had. We got involved in one of the accidents, had a tire go down, just a very eventful day. Just so proud to be here."
Indeed. And now the real fun begins.
"It's been a wild ride," Buescher said.
And for the driver and his team, it's only getting started.
