Buescher and team ‘want to go out fighting’ in NASCAR playoffs

A victory at Martinsville Speedway is crucial for Chris Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Racing team if they want to continue in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason. Crew chief Scott Graves fully embraces this situation, stating, “Our mission is clear – we need to go out and win. It’s a lot easier than worrying about a few points here and there.”

Graves believes that this straightforward approach will make race strategy simple. The team’s priority is to secure track position towards the end of the race, in order to increase their chances of success. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to set themselves up for a strong finish.

Buescher is currently at the bottom of the Cup Series playoff grid, with a deficit of 43 points from a transfer spot. Therefore, winning the race is the most realistic path for him to advance into the championship race. Buescher has previously triumphed on a short-track at Richmond Raceway in late July, giving him confidence heading into Martinsville.

This is Buescher’s second appearance in the postseason, and he has advanced further than ever before. In fact, it is the furthest a Roush car has gone in the playoffs since 2017, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made it into the second round. Buescher even outlasted his teammate Brad Keselowski, who was eliminated in the last round.

Although the team has exceeded expectations this season, Graves emphasizes that no one on the No. 17 team is satisfied with coming this far and stopping. However, their backs are against the wall due to poor finishes in Las Vegas (11th) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (21st). Graves states, “We want to go out fighting. If we’re going out, we want to go out fighting.”

Martinsville has been a favorable track for Buescher in the past. Despite facing some pit road issues in the last spring race, the team had a strong car. They believe they can perform well again this weekend and are looking forward to the challenge.

Throughout his career, Buescher has had 16 starts at Martinsville with one top-10 finish. His average finish is 19.4, and he has yet to lead a lap at the track. In the previous spring race, Buescher finished in 14th place.