It was overtime in the Cup playoff race at Watkins Glen when Shane Van Gisbergen put the bumper to Chris Buescher to snatch away the race lead. He held a slim advantage on the final lap, but touched the Armco on entry to the bus stop chicane. This unsettled his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, allowing Buescher to close in on him with the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford.
Buescher wasn’t about to waste the opportunity, shoving his nose to the inside as SVG pinched him. The two drivers made significant contact into the carousel and Buescher surged ahead. Van Gisbergen closed back in for one last dive into the final corner, but slid sideways and nearly crashed. He maintained control, but had to settle for second as Buescher captured the checkered flag.
“Our long-run speed was just phenomenal,” said a grinning Buescher after the race. “Thought we lost it there on the last one. That was the spot where he was better than us and he missed it. Tried to cross-over, he went to cut, but just hard racing there. Just such an awesome finish. To get a win is good. We came here to be spoilers and we’re gonna do that.”
He added that it “certainly” alleviates some of the frustration with missing the playoffs, calling it a “huge” win for himself and the team. This is Buescher’s sixth career win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Carson Hocevar finished third in a career-best finish, pole-sitter Ross Chastain was fourth, and Zane Smith finished fifth. Chase Briscoe, Michael McDowell, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-ten.
Race rundown
The race started in chaos with a multi-car crash on the opening lap, collecting several drivers in the bus stop chicane. Among those with damage were playoff drivers Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Brad Keselowski. It started when Corey LaJoie got into the side of Kyle Busch, sending him spinning. Blaney was unable to continue, finishing last.
Chastain dominated from pole position, leading over half the race, but he was among those who chose to pit early while playoff drivers stayed out for valuable points. Martin Truex Jr., who came into this race 19 points below the cut-line, won the opening stage.
A similar story appeared to be unfolding in the second stage, but when Daniel Suarez spun into the gravel, it completely changed the strategy for several drivers. Chastain and Van Gisbergen were unable to get to pit road before the yellow flag and were forced to stay out until the…
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