NASCAR Makes Decision About Chris Buescher’s Playoff Eligibility

Getty Chris Buescher waves to fans at Darlington Raceway.

RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher missed the trip to World Wide Technology Raceway after testing positive for COVID-19. Now NASCAR has made a decision about his playoff eligibility.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the sanctioning body has granted Buescher a waiver that will keep him playoff eligible. He will be able to continue pursuing wins and points that could potentially keep him in the mix for the 16-driver field.

This was an expected move considering that NASCAR previously granted waivers to Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon in 2020 after they both tested positive for COVID-19. Corey LaJoie also received a waiver in 2021 for missing a race at Michigan International Speedway after testing positive.

Buescher is currently 24th in points with 275. He is three points behind Justin Haley and eight points behind Bubba Wallace. This essentially puts him in a must-win situation with 11 races remaining in the regular season.

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Buescher Has Averaged Top-20 Finishes at Road Courses

GettyChris Buescher will make his return to Sonoma Raceway on June 11-12.

Buescher will make his return to the No. 17 Ford Mustang after Zane Smith replaced him at World Wide Technology Raceway. He will take on Sonoma Raceway, a road course where he has five previous starts.

The driver of the No. 17 has never posted a top-10 finish at the California road course, but he has completed every race. He has a career-best finish of 12th overall in the 2018 race, and he has two 16th-place finishes in his past two starts.

The key for Buescher will be showcasing speed during qualifying, something that he has done multiple times in the past. He reached the final round of qualifying twice at Sonoma (2017, 2019) and secured starting spots in the top 10. Now he will try to secure another strong starting position in the return to Sonoma.

“As some have said in the past, I’m obviously very comfortable at road course racing, as it’s something I enjoy both learning and maneuvering,” Buescher said in a release from RFK Racing. “Sonoma is a fun track with the many different elements it offers, and we’ve been pretty good at road racing lately despite the many different tracks we visit. We’re looking forward to a productive weekend with our friends at Fifth Third back on board, and look to get them a solid finish after what was a disappointing Coke 600 end.”

Counting the starts at Sonoma, Buescher has suited up for 21 road course races during his Cup Series career. He has an average finish of 17.1 overall, and he has secured top-five finishes at the Daytona Road Course and the Charlotte Roval.

Buescher Has Won at an Upcoming Track

Securing a spot in the playoffs will not be a simple task, especially with the possibility of more than 16 winners in the regular season. Though Buescher does have a previous win at an upcoming Cup Series track.

Back in 2016, Buescher competed in his first full-time season while driving for Front Row Motorsports. He only posted two top-five finishes, but he secured his first career Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway after fog brought the event to an early end. Buescher was able to take part in the Chase, and he ended the year 16th in points.

One interesting twist is that there could be a repeat of the 2016 season. His most recent start, the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, ended with the No. 17 flipping multiple times after a piece of equipment dug into the infield turf. The last time Buescher flipped was during the 2016 Geico 500. He ended the race 37th overall, but he own his first career race later that season.

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