Enthralling the NASCAR World With a 1–2 Finish Last Season, Can Chris Buescher Claim the Daytona 500 Title?

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season witnessed many standout performers. Eventual champion Ryan Blaney broke his streak of Round of 8 eliminations to claim a maiden title, while 2024 recruit Shane van Gisbergen stole a win at the Chicago Street Race. However, one name that should have been discussed among the surprise packages in 2023 is Chris Buescher.

The RFK Racing driver marked Ford’s resurgence last year. After claiming back-to-back wins at Richmond and Michigan, Chris Buescher added a fresh wave of energy to the team that resonated with the consistency of No. 6 driver and owner Brad Keselowski. Buescher is also the Daytona International Speedway’s defending champion, with a Coke Zero Sugar 400 win. After a splendid year, it is worth pondering if he could replicate his heroics at the upcoming Daytona 500.

Chris Buescher could be a dark horse for the Great American Race

In 2022, Brad Keselowski’s addition to the team as a driver/owner promised a change in fortunes. While their initial struggles as a team persisted that year, Chris Buescher managed to find a win at Bristol later. The win came too late, as the ship to the playoffs had already sailed. However, it was a huge confidence booster for the team.

Continuing the momentum immediately in the following season, Chris Buescher drove to a P4 finish in the Daytona 500. But in mid-2023, when it seemed like, despite the improvements, a win wouldn’t arrive, Chris Buescher stormed to win at Richmond and Michigan. That stretch began Ford’s dominance in 2023, and the RFK Racing duo carried their form to the regular season finale at Daytona.

Despite starting 11th, Buescher kept gaining positions to race beside his partner Keselowski, who ended stage 2 in P27. The No.17 Ford driver stayed ahead of the 2012 champion on the restart after Ryan Preece‘s violent crash and eventually took the win home.

Returning to the 2024 Daytona 500, the buildup doesn’t look so convincing. Chris Buescher failed to qualify for the Busch Light Clash main event and had nothing to show for his off-season preparation. But the Texas native has always been about doing justice to the right equipment in a well-prepared car. He could be a threat, considering his recent experiences at the Daytona International Speedway.

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Buescher’s success at Daytona is recent

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The sample space to judge Chris Buescher’s performance at the Daytona International Speedway is considerable. Having raced at the venue in 19 starts, he has five top-5s, seven top-10s, and a win last year. The No.17 driver has struggled in qualifying sessions, which is why his average starting position is 18.4. Execution has sometimes been a problem for him, as his average finish drops to 19.9.

With Ford supplying the Dark Horse Mustang for 2024, maintaining a lead will be easy for RFK Racing. Chris Buescher has led 44 laps in 19 starts, with a big chunk of them coming in 2023. After his previous win, he continued to march forward and even raced in the Round of 8. For RFK Racing, having two of its drivers in the Round of 12 was a massive upgrade from its inaugural year.

Even Chris Buescher’s abilities shone at Daytona after 2021. Since 2021, Buescher has raced in the venue six times and has an average finishing position of 19.8 and an average start of 11.1. Two top 5s and 2 top 10s make up for his struggles in the previous Daytona races. Hence, it is safe to say that Buescher is a formidable contender for the 2024 Daytona 500.

His fellow drivers have also held him in high regard with respect to his driving skills. With the Round of 8 target achieved, a championship race might be RFK Racing and the No.17’s target.

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