By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
Though it was only a 20th-place finish, Sunday at Watkins Glen International was a special day for driver Chris Buescher.
Driving the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing in the Go Bowling at The Glen, Buescher reached a career milestone when he took the green flag for the 100th time in his Cup career for 90 laps in upstate New York.
With one win, four top fives and eight top 10s in his career to date, Buescher is proud to have completed the first of hopefully many 100s of starts in his Cup career.
The gratitude, however, faded pretty quick for the man who sits just 24th in driver points through 22 races in 2018. Starting Sunday’s race 20th, Buescher lacked top-12 speed to make too much forward ground.
Finishing eighth in Stage 1, Buescher was unable to maintain that position in the final two stages, falling to finish 20th at the checkered flag.
Entering the weekend, Buescher and team expected more. With an 11th-place run at Watkins Glen one year ago, Buescher also grabbed a 12th at the sister road course of Sonoma earlier this summer, making Buescher a dark horse for potential road course top 10s.
His teammate AJ Allmendinger, too, was surprisingly quiet Sunday on a track he’s mastered in recent years. The No. 47 qualified well in eighth but suffered early damage and only managed a 15th.
The playoffs may be out of sight for Buescher but we return to Michigan International Speedway this weekend where Buescher scored a sixth-place finish at one year ago. Then, the circuit heads to Bristol Motor Speedway where he earned a surprise top five back in 2016 for Front Row Motorsports.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Mid-Pack With Zach: Chris Buescher, JTG Daugherty Racing
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
Though it was only a 20th-place finish, Sunday at Watkins Glen International was a special day for driver Chris Buescher.
Driving the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing in the Go Bowling at The Glen, Buescher reached a career milestone when he took the green flag for the 100th time in his Cup career for 90 laps in upstate New York.
With one win, four top fives and eight top 10s in his career to date, Buescher is proud to have completed the first of hopefully many 100s of starts in his Cup career.
The gratitude, however, faded pretty quick for the man who sits just 24th in driver points through 22 races in 2018. Starting Sunday’s race 20th, Buescher lacked top-12 speed to make too much forward ground.
Finishing eighth in Stage 1, Buescher was unable to maintain that position in the final two stages, falling to finish 20th at the checkered flag.
Entering the weekend, Buescher and team expected more. With an 11th-place run at Watkins Glen one year ago, Buescher also grabbed a 12th at the sister road course of Sonoma earlier this summer, making Buescher a dark horse for potential road course top 10s.
His teammate AJ Allmendinger, too, was surprisingly quiet Sunday on a track he’s mastered in recent years. The No. 47 qualified well in eighth but suffered early damage and only managed a 15th.
The playoffs may be out of sight for Buescher but we return to Michigan International Speedway this weekend where Buescher scored a sixth-place finish at one year ago. Then, the circuit heads to Bristol Motor Speedway where he earned a surprise top five back in 2016 for Front Row Motorsports.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)