Buescher holds on for hard-fought third at Watkins Glen

Chris Buescher, who is dancing dangerously with the NASCAR Cup Series playoff cut line, needed a win Sunday at Watkins Glen International to ease his way into a post-season spot.

“We had a fast race car again and just definitely took the opportunity to capitalize on some big stage points there early,” said Buescher, who led at the end of the first stage. “Still got back up into second there and was making some pretty good headway, but just used it up really hard trying to get by a couple cars and get to that track position and fell off pretty hard there at the end.”

Buescher lost second place to Christopher Bell on the final lap. 

The RFK driver led five laps on a day otherwise controlled by Shane van Gisbergen, the winner, and pole winner Ryan Blaney, who led 35 laps but finished sixth.

Buescher has finished in the top 10 in the past four races at the Glen.

Races at Richmond and Daytona Beach remain on the regular season schedule, and Buescher will enter Richmond in the 16th and final playoff spot.

“I’m an avid person against points racing, but I do understand our situation at this time,” he said. “We went for those stage points there, and it still put us in a good spot to be in contention here and really still be fighting for a win, just not close enough. But to head into the next two weeks – at race tracks that we’ve won at – it’s certainly not the best place to be [in points], but to put some more points on the board, ultimately that just comes from fast race cars.

“Go to the next two weeks, be fast and it should take care of itself.”

In line with everyone else not named Shane van Gisbergen, Buescher couldn’t pull off that victory in the Go Bowling at the Glen, but the Ford driver held on for a strong third-place run and enters the final two races of the regular season 34 points above the cut line.