03/23/2022
Chris Buescher – COTA Advance
Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
PR Contact: Brandon Lee; blee@rfkracing.com; 704-783-5446
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 231.8 miles, 68 laps, Stages: 15-17-36
Practice – Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90
Qualifying – Saturday, March 26 at 11 a.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90
Race – Sunday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Weekend Format
• With practice and qualifying back on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup Series, with it comes a unique format. For COTA, teams will have the opportunity for a full practice session Saturday morning, immediately followed by qualifying to set the field.
• Qualifying will again be split into two groups with the top-five fastest cars in each group transferring to the final round. The final round of qualifying to determine the pole sitter will feature 10 cars, as all qualifying this weekend will include just one lap per car.
Buescher at COTA
• Buescher finished 13th a year ago at the inaugural COTA event after starting 28th.
• Overall he has 20 Cup starts on road courses with two top-five finishes, including a P3 finish on the Charlotte ROVAL in 2021, and a fifth-place run on the Daytona Road Course in 2020.
Scott Graves at COTA
• Graves and the No. 6 team finished 24th on the Austin road course a year ago. Overall he has five top-10 finishes in Cup on road courses, including a seventh-place run at Sonoma in 2019, and a pair of top fives with Daniel Suarez at Watkins Glen.
• Graves also has two Xfinity Series wins on road courses, including one at WGI with Carl Edwards in 2012, as well as a victory with Buescher at Mid-Ohio in 2014.
QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at COTA:
“Any time you get the chance to go back or near home is a great thing. I am fortunate to have a lot of family and friends still out in Texas that I’ll go and see this weekend, and appreciate all of the Texas support we do get. COTA was an oddball last year with our first visit there, then the weather had a huge effect on things. We’re confident in what we’ve done on road courses in the past, though, and are looking for much of the same come Sunday in the Fifth Third Bank Ford.”
Last Time Out
Buescher earned his second-straight top-10 finish and second of the season Sunday in Atlanta, sliding across the line backwards at the checkered flag for a seventh-place result. He was in and around the top-10 for much of the chaotic 500-mile race before ultimately securing his third career top-10 at the track.
On the Car
Fifth Third makes its 2022 debut this weekend in Texas, where it will debut its new scheme, accompanying’s Buescher’s return to his home state. Fresh off celebrating its 10th season as a partner with RFK in 2021, Fifth Third returns this season for five races in total in 2022, while serving as an associate in all events for the No. 17 team.
The bank will also feature Solo Stove this weekend on the decklid of the No. 17 machine as part of the Fueled by Fifth Third pass-through program.
• We design simple, ingenious outdoor products to help you create good moments that become lasting memories.
• Create good; We are driven by this mantra. Our fire pits, camp stoves, grill, and accessories are designed to help you get in touch with whatever is “good” for you. Whether it’s a primal moment in awe of a flame, the moment right after you’ve taken a hot sip of coffee in the mountains, or your kid’s face when they bite into a delicious s’more.
• We believe we are part of a shared humanity, and we are grateful to have these moments right in front of us to connect with those we love, to remember something meaningful inside ourselves, to appreciate nature in its stunning beauty.
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About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.
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