Earlier than Sunday’s race, each Buescher and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski had been in good place to make the 16-driver NASCAR Cup playoffs based mostly on factors.
However the efficiency of each drivers Sunday – and particularly Buescher’s win – additionally hints on the group’s potential, particularly because the victory locks Buescher into the playoff area.
“We’ve talked about that as a group, that clearly it must be at the back of our minds as a result of we’re in a great place in factors. We’ve labored laborious to have that consistency,” Buescher defined. “However we’re not indestructible the place we had been at, {that a} win would deal with the whole lot.
“That’s our sport: successful fixes the whole lot. It fixes the factors speak. It fixes morale. It fixes unhealthy weekends. Every part will be modified by successful.”
Race winner Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Ford Mustang
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Images
Profitable can be one of the best ways to advance within the collection playoffs and now that Buescher’s No. 17 Ford group has received in back-to-back seasons, the potential exists for him to be greater than a spoiler within the playoffs – he might properly be a title contender.
“It’s superior that we’re within the playoffs. That was a part of our purpose in the beginning of the season. At RFK we talked about successful races, making the playoffs, and with the ability to be a contender within the playoffs,” Buescher stated. “We don’t wish to be a placeholder by any means, both.
“After I have a look at the races we have now within the first half of the playoffs, particularly, I really feel actually assured that we generally is a contender and we will transfer ahead.”
Buescher’s first win at RFK final fall at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway was an vital one for the 30-year-old native of Prosper, Texas, however Sunday’s had a bit one thing additional.
“It absolutely is a giant win this time realizing that this offers us a playoff eligibility. The Bristol win, the night time race final 12 months, high of my bucket record. Ecstatic to win that race,” he stated. “The factor that was lacking was the truth that we weren’t within the playoffs.
“Now we get to go win one other Bristol race, that sends us into the subsequent spherical, that offers us an entire additional degree of confidence going into these final 14 races on the season.”
4 races stay earlier than the playoffs start Sept.3 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and RFK nonetheless sees alternatives each for Keselowski to lock himself in with a win and for Buescher to enhance his seeding.
“We have now Michigan arising – must be fairly good. Two street programs, which has been actually sturdy for RFK and myself,” Buescher stated. “I’ve actually loved these and really feel like we have now an opportunity to win extra races earlier than the cutoff.
“It lets us go into these and possibly be a bit bit extra aggressive or take a bit bit extra probability on technique. We get to go race the way in which we discuss racing on a regular basis.”
