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.
It was homecoming weekend for Chris Buescher, as the Prosper, Texas native raced at his home track of Texas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Following the track’s repave in 2017, Texas has become a unique challenge for Buescher of the field.
“Since the repave, I have actually enjoyed Texas quite a bit,” Buescher said. “I liked it before, but we have run better with it the way it is. And I don’t really have an explanation why. The track being so different from one end to the other has been a big challenge for us set-up-wise.”
After starting 19th, Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 was a common mid-pack day for Buescher and JTG Daugherty Racing. For the sixth straight race in 2019, Buescher ran between 17th and 21st on average — this time, 19th across the 500-miler.
Scoring a stage point from 10th place in Stage 1, Buescher was unable to stay on the lead lap through the final 156 laps that saw only one caution. The green run kept Buescher from making substtantional ground, ending his day in 20th.
And with another race affected by the 2019 aero package, Buescher knew the fast cars would be near the front.
“I think we still see [that] the dominant cars are the dominant cars,” he said. “But we are just a lot closer.”
Scoring his fifth top-20 finish of 2019, Buescher feels the team is a step higher than at this point in 2018.
“We have gotten into the next group of cars,” he said. “I know the work we’ve put into it — and everybody back at the shop — has paid off.”
Though 20th is not a goal set by JTG, Sunday was a nice day for Buescher, who continues to flirt with the edge of the top 20 in driver points. The series next heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where Buescher finished fifth in 2016 and 19th last August.
Catch up on Mid-Pack with Zach HERE
List of 20th-Place Finishers in 2019
Daytona: Clint Bowyer
Atlanta: Daniel Hemric
Las Vegas: Austin Dillon
ISM: Matt Tifft
Auto Club: Paul Menard
Martinsville: Matt DiBenedetto
Texas: Chris Buescher
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.
It was homecoming weekend for Chris Buescher, as the Prosper, Texas native raced at his home track of Texas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Following the track’s repave in 2017, Texas has become a unique challenge for Buescher of the field.
“Since the repave, I have actually enjoyed Texas quite a bit,” Buescher said. “I liked it before, but we have run better with it the way it is. And I don’t really have an explanation why. The track being so different from one end to the other has been a big challenge for us set-up-wise.”
After starting 19th, Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 was a common mid-pack day for Buescher and JTG Daugherty Racing. For the sixth straight race in 2019, Buescher ran between 17th and 21st on average — this time, 19th across the 500-miler.
Scoring astage point from 10th place in Stage 1, Buescher was unable to stay on the lead lap through the final 156 laps that saw only one caution. The green run kept Buescher from making substtantional ground, ending his day in 20th.
And with another race affected by the 2019 aero package, Buescher knew the fast cars would be near the front.
“I think we still see [that] the dominant cars are the dominant cars,” he said. “But we are just a lot closer.”
Scoring his fifth top-20 finish of 2019, Buescher feels the team is a step higher than at this point in 2018.
“We have gotten into the next group of cars,” he said. “I know the work we’ve put into it — and everybody back at the shop — has paid off.”
Though 20th is not a goal set by JTG, Sunday was a nice day for Buescher, who continues to flirt with the edge of the top 20 in driver points. The series next heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where Buescher finished fifth in 2016 and 19th last August.
Catch up on Mid-Pack with Zach HERE
List of 20th-Place Finishers in 2019
Daytona: Clint Bowyer
Atlanta: Daniel Hemric
Las Vegas: Austin Dillon
ISM: Matt Tifft
Auto Club: Paul Menard
Martinsville: Matt DiBenedetto
Texas: Chris Buescher