Chris Buescher Captures Win at Watkins Glen, Marking 4-In-A-Row for Ford Performance

Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher won Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen, completing a 4-in-a-row streak for Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines. This weekend’s win marked Buescher’s first win of the season, 143rd NASCAR Cup Series win for car owner Jack Roush, and sixth since the forming of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

“Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Scott, Chris, and everyone at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on the race win at Watkins Glen,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “What an incredible drive and finish by Chris Buescher. The No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team worked their way to the front of the field for the win at the Glen.”

“That’s such a good BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang. This team is so great. Our long run speed was just phenomenal. I thought we lost it there on that last one and to stay right there with him. That was the spot he was better than us and he missed it, so I tried a crossover. He went to cut and just hard racing there. It’s just such an awesome finish. To be that good for so much at the end of the race, all race, to get a win is good. We came here to be a spoiler and we’re gonna do that,” commented Buescher.
Sunday’s race marked the first time that Watkins Glen International has hosted a playoff race. Four Ford Performance drivers started from the top-10: Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P5, Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P7, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Noah Gragson in P9, and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell in P10.

The action-packed race started with a crash just past the bus stop on lap 1, involving multiple playoff drivers. Several cars pitted before the end of the first stage, shaking up the finishing order. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe finished the stage in P3 along with Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P5. An accident on lap 38 of 40 in the second stage caused it to end under caution with four Ford Performance drivers finishing in the top-10: Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P3, Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton in P6, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece in P7 and P9.

The final stage of the race was filled with action. With under 20 laps remaining, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher passed Joey Logano after turn one to take the lead. Shortly after, the caution flag came out for debris left on the track following an incident. With 7 laps remaining, a crash in turn 4 brought out a caution. With three laps to go, another caution was thrown after two cars collided just before the esses, causing the race to go into overtime. During the overtime restart, Shane Van Gisbergen passed Chris Buescher for the lead but became loose on entry to the bus stop chicane allowing Chris Buescher to close in on him with his No. 17 RFK Racing Ford. The two drivers made contact in the carousel, but Buescher surged ahead to make the race-winning pass, crossing the finish line 0.979 seconds ahead of Van Gisbergen.

Five Ford Performance drivers finished in the top-10: Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in P6, Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell in P7, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece in P9, and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P10.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. Joey Logano, driving for AM Racing, finished in P9.

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series both compete this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

RYE PR