11/17/2015
Buescher Finishes 13th at Phoenix International Raceway
AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 15, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher battled a No. 60 AdvoCare Mustang that was too tight to fight through the field in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Buescher ultimately crossed the finish line in 13th, maintaining his lead in the driver point standings with just one race left in the 2015 season.
“The team worked really hard to get this AdvoCare Mustang fast, and we were good for the short run, but after that it just went away in a hurry,” said Buescher. “I thought this was the best car we’ve had and it probably was overall, but something about this place doesn’t work for us very well.”
After making it to the third round of qualifying on Saturday morning, Buescher earned a seventh-place starting spot for the 200-Lap, 200-Mile race at Phoenix International Raceway.
Early in the race, Buescher dropped to 13th, radioing to the team that his Mustang had started the run a little free, but the handling improved as the run progressed. After an early caution, crew chief Scott Graves opted to leave his driver on track, telling him it was too early for a pit stop.
The No. 60 AdvoCare Mustang lined up 12th, settling into the top-15 as the green flag run continued. Buescher radioed to his team that his Mustang had become too tight in the center, a theme that would be common for the remainder of the race.
Buescher visited pit road for the first time of the day on Lap 63 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. A strong pit stop gained Buescher two positions, putting him in 13th for the restart on Lap 66.
By the time the next caution flag flew, Buescher found himself in 15th, with a Mustang that was again much too tight. On Lap 114, Graves called Buescher down pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help the handling. As Buescher exited the pits, Graves asked him to save fuel in an effort to make it the rest of the race without another pit stop.
Buescher battled for position inside the top-15 for the remainder of the race, fighting a car that was still too tight. With enough fuel in the tank, the No. 60 crossed the finish line in 13th. Buescher holds an 18-point lead in the driver point standings over Chase Elliott, as the NASCAR XFINITY Series heads into the season finale next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NEXT UP:
Ford EcoBoost 300
1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Fla.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015
2:45 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN
RACE SUMMARY
Chris Buescher
Started: 7
Finished: 13
