Buescher Scores Back-To-Back Wins After Holding off Truex
After the conclusion of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, here are the takeaways in order of significance:
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has made a significant comeback. Chris Buescher is rapidly establishing himself as an elite driver. Ford’s dominance at the Irish Hills continues. Chase Elliott faces the challenge of winning in the next three races to secure a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The winner of Sunday’s race was not the fastest car.
In an extended, tension-filled, and suspenseful green-flag battle to the finish, Chris Buescher showcased his prowess by fending off a hard-charging Martin Truex Jr. to claim his second consecutive Cup Series victory.
With Brad Keselowski, the co-owner of the team, finishing fourth and Buescher clinching victory, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing can rightfully claim the title of the top Ford team in the Cup garage, at least for the present.
After a rain delay postponed the race from Sunday to Monday, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet was notably absent from the track due to a crash on Lap 35 the previous day. This setback increased Elliott’s deficit to the Playoff cut line to 55 points, making it a likely necessity for the 2020 series champion to win one of the upcoming three races to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Just eight days after his triumph at Richmond Raceway, Buescher displayed remarkable consistency, effectively defending his position against Truex’s fast No. 19 Toyota, which was arguably the swiftest car on the track. Despite Truex closing in during the final laps, Buescher managed to secure victory by a margin of .152 seconds.
Reflecting on his win, Buescher mentioned, “This Castrol Mustang was so good in practice, qualifying… Gave me a great car again. Had to work for that one too, hard racing at the end. Martin was very clean with me. I appreciate that. Get to go to Victory Lane two weeks in a row. That’s pretty awesome.”
Truex’s best opportunity arose with 13 laps to go. Buescher momentarily lost ground off Turn 4, allowing Truex to pull alongside. Truex even moved ahead to the inside, but Buescher tenaciously kept Truex at his side for nearly two laps. Buescher strategically maintained control, forcing Truex to yield as he navigated lapped traffic, ultimately establishing a lead of 10 car lengths.
This cushion enabled Buescher to retain his lead against Truex in the closing 11 laps. Truex, who had swept the first two stages of the race, praised his team’s effort and acknowledged the challenges of overtaking the leader with equal tire conditions.
While Buescher secured the victory, other notable finishers included Kyle Larson in fifth, Daniel Suarez in sixth, Ross Chastain in seventh, Kevin Harvick in eighth, Ryan Blaney in ninth, and Erik Jones in tenth. Ty Gibbs claimed the 11th position, earning the 16th and final Playoff-eligible spot and overtaking Michael McDowell by three points. McDowell trails Gibbs by three points, with Suarez five points behind.
With Buescher securing his second win and a place in the postseason, other single-race winners this season also clinched Playoff berths on Monday, including Christopher Bell, Chastain, Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Christopher Bell, who won the pole at Michigan, displayed resilience after damaging his car with a wall spin on Sunday, eventually finishing in 13th place after multiple pit stops for repairs.
