Chris Buescher Fights For Playoff Survival at Watkins Glen

Chris Buescher doesn’t do points racing. He said it. We believe it. And honestly, we love him for it. Yet here he was at Watkins Glen, smack in the middle of a classic NASCAR grind, chasing points like his playoff life depended on it, and in reality, it did.

With a sitting car No.17 on the playoff bubble, Buescher rolled into Watkins Glen knowing that nothing short of a win could rubber-stamp his postseason pass. But, as NASCAR races often go, what unfolded was chaos, strategy, tire wear, and just enough heart-pounding action to leave fans feeling like they’d ridden shotgun the whole way.

Taking Points Like a Boss

Stage points are a necessary evil when your playoff future is on the line. Chris Buescher, who admits he’s “not about that life,” was absolutely about that life on Sunday. A big play came in Stage 1 when he passed Alex Bowman, another bubble battler, for his second stage win of the season. That move wasn’t just bold. It was opportunistic, signaling to everyone in the NASCAR paddock that if Chris Buescher wasn’t winning today.

It was also clear he wasn’t planning on leaving without a solid consolation prize either. Scott Graves, his crew chief, put on a strategy clinic, gambling on an alternate approach that minimized pit stops and maximized track position. Did it work? Well, depending on who you ask, yes and no. Buescher clawed his way to a third-place finish but lamented post-race about what could have been had full-on aggression been the playbook.

“We had a fast race car,” Chris Buescher said post-race, looking reflective but maybe just a touch frustrated. “We made some big moves early, got the stage points, but fell off late. It’s tough, because while we’re thinking about the playoffs, I’m also sitting here thinking about how we didn’t win.”

The Day Shane Van Gisbergen Stole Everybody’s Lunch

By the way, if you were hanging your playoff hopes on a win at Watkins Glen, we pity you. Shane Van Gisbergen, the man, the myth, the road-course alien, was around this weekend. SVG practically owns the road courses at this point, and he showcased exactly why with a dominant performance that saw the rest of the field chasing fumes.

For the mere mortals, fighting for second place became the goal. Buescher had that spot within his grasp until Christopher Bell snuck in on the final lap, capitalizing on a fading No. 17 car. Buescher had to settle for third, which still feels heroic considering the mess of strategy games and track position flipping that went down during the race.

The Playoff Math

Now, here’s where the spreadsheet fans come in. Chris Buescher is 34 points safe from the playoff cutoff line. Is that a lot? Meh, not when two wildcard tracks like Richmond and Daytona loom large over the next two weeks. It’s also worth noting that Buescher has visited Victory Lane at both tracks, which should give RFK Racing fans some hope.

Still, with drivers like Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman desperate to throw Hail Mary plays for wins, “safe” feels like a misleading word. Buescher gets it, though. He’s been money in crunch moments before and gave us a bit of foreshadowing when he said, “Go to the next two weeks, be fast, and it should take care of itself.”

Can Buescher Rewrite His Playoff Destiny?

For those rooting for Chris Buescher, his playoff scenario is a stressful yet fascinating chess match. He’s been consistently excellent on road courses, and Watkins Glen proved no different, but now it comes down to handling unpredictable Richmond and the infamous roulette wheel that is Daytona. The stakes are as high as they get in NASCAR.

For now, Buescher deserves credit for his performance at The Glen. Third place, battling it out with big names like Blaney and Byron, is no small feat. But remember, Chris isn’t one to settle for nearly. With two more races to go, expect the gloves to come off as he barrels toward Richmond, ready to defy the odds. After all, Chris Buescher doesn’t do points racing unless he has to.