Chris Buescher was leading late during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, but the No. 17 couldn’t close the deal for his first win of 2024.
Instead, Buescher was passed by Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson in one fell swoop, and it was the latter who held on for the win, as the No. 5 ended up in victory lane. Truex Jr. eventually ran out of gas, but Buescher was passed by Michael McDowell as well, so the No. 17 ended up P3 on the afternoon.
That’s not too shabby, especially since Buescher needs all the points he can get if he wants to make the playoffs without a win. After the race ended, the RFK Racing wheelman took some time to describe his mindset as Truex Jr. and Larson zeroed in on him during the closing laps at Sonoma.
“Honestly, it was the No. 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) we were trying to hold off. Just didn’t really think about the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) until the very end,” Buescher explained, regarding the final laps of the race, via FOX’s Bob Pockrass. “So I was trying to keep the No. 19 behind us, and he was just kind of slowly creeping up on us. You know, it was going to be tough no matter what. We fell off just a little bit harder on the long runs. Lost some rear grip.
“But ultimately, given where our weekend started, that was a huge build in the right direction, and I’m really proud with that result. Greedy, and want a little bit more, but really strong day at the end, just knowing where we started.”
At least Buescher can find some solace in how far the No. 17 team came over the weekend. As Buescher stated, the No. 17 wasn’t exactly a factor right off the truck, but they worked at it throughout the weekend, and gave their driver a steed capable of winning at Sonoma.
While a third-place finish is nice, it has to feel like another near-win for Buescher and his team. They’ve experienced it multiple times throughout the season, and until they get to victory lane, they’re not going to feel safe about their spot in the playoffs, not with drivers like Austin Cindric coming out of nowhere for a win.
Perhaps Iowa will be the spot where Chris Buescher finally gets the job done. He’s right there, and it would mean a great deal for the No. 17 to break through and get that elusive win, locking him into a playoff spot in the process.
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