NASCAR: Chris Buescher clinches playoff berth with Richmond accumulate

Chris Buescher got the third NASCAR Cup Series accumulate of his occupation Sunday at Richmond and is formally a member of the 2023 playoff self-discipline.

It looked cherish Buescher became once using to a easy accumulate after passing Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on lap 347 of the 400-lap bustle. Buescher had no concerns getting by Truex, who became once on a totally different tire strategy than Buescher and the reduction of the leaders.

But a slack caution for Daniel Suárez spinning off Noah Gragson’s bumper meant that Buescher needed to hang off Denny Hamlin and others for a three-lap trot to the enact.

Buescher did that effortlessly with a official launch on the restart as Hamlin may per chance perchance well per chance now not ever mount a severe order.

Buescher and his Roush Fenway Keselowski teammate Brad Keselowski had been the class of the self-discipline in the third stage but Keselowski took himself out of opponents for the accumulate with a rotten pit entry and pit pause all by technique of the final inexperienced-flag stops of the bustle. Buescher pitted a lap sooner than Keselowski and ended up six seconds ahead after Keselowski rejoined the track.

Buescher became once going to manufacture the playoffs with out a accumulate

Buescher entered Sunday’s bustle thirteenth in the aspects standings and over 100 aspects sooner than the driver in 17th in the aspects standings. Except his performance cratered over the final four races of the normal season or there became once an unlikely flurry of first-time winners, Buescher became once going to be a a part of the 2023 playoff self-discipline with out a accumulate.

He may per chance perchance well moreover merely aloof put up a better postseason wrestle in 2023 than he did in 2016. Buescher made the playoffs seven seasons ago thanks to a fog-shortened accumulate at Pocono whereas using for Entrance Row Motorsports. He completed closing among playoff drivers that season and his most effective enact in the main round of the playoffs became once a twenty third.

While Buescher isn’t a title threat, he’s a threat to at the least approach a round or two. He has four top-5 finishes and 9 top-10s by technique of the main 22 races of the season and is the defending champion of the Bristol fall bustle. Don’t be too terribly surprised if Buescher is the shock driver among the many final eight in this year’s postseason.

Richmond needs a boost

The applicable appealing part about NASCAR Cup racing at Richmond is the tire strategy. There isn’t grand else to cherish about it at this point.

Sunday’s bustle became once the ninth Richmond bustle since the originate of the 2018 season to hang 5 cautions or fewer. The slack caution for Suarez’s spinning car became once the third of the day and the correct caution that wasn’t for the stop of a stage.

It’s also the third Richmond bustle in that span to hang finest three caution flags.

For a track nicknamed “The Circulate Note,” Richmond hasn’t had grand action now not too lengthy ago for myriad reasons. While the predominant tire wear at the 0.75-mile oval creates an fascinating strategy facet to the races, that’s about all Richmond has going for it. The track races an increasing number of cherish an intermediate track with each passing bustle. And that’s now not a huge thing for a Cup Series that’s aloof making an strive to placed on appealing reveals on short tracks with the sizzling car develop.

Cook dinner Out 400 final results

1. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

2. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

4. Joey Logano (22), Group Penske Ford

5. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

6. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

7. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

9. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

10. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

11. Streak Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

12. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

13. Streak Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Ryan Blaney (12), Group Penske Ford

15. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

16. Tyler Reddick (Forty five), 23XI Racing Toyota

17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

18. Alex Bowman (Forty eight), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

20. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

21. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

22. Michael McDowell (34), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

23. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

24. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Todd Gilliland (38), Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

26. Austin Cindric (2), Group Penske Ford

27. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

28. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

29. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

30. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

31. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

32. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Daniel Suárez (ninety 9), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

34. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Dwell Speedily Motorsports Ford