KANSAS CITY (May 6, 2024) – Chris Buescher finished second Sunday in what was likely the most heartbreaking scenario possible, a photo finish that is now known as the closest in NASCAR’s history.
The No. 17 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang led 53 laps in total, won stage two, and took the white flag as the leader, but was scored second when all angles were reviewed by NASCAR late Sunday night at Kansas Speedway. Teammate Brad Keselowski finished 11th in what was an up-and-down afternoon for RFK altogether.
“It sucks to celebrate on the backstretch and then pull up to the front straightaway and be told no,” Buescher said following the race. “I don’t know how everything transpired honestly. Not right now. It sucks in a lot of ways. Second hurts, a whole lot worse than third. To be that close a couple of times this year now and not be able to get the win, the speed is great and we did a good job today and was a good recovery from the end of Stage 2 there, but we don’t have a trophy right now.”
6 Recap
Keselowski and the No. 6 team experienced a rollercoaster race, one that was initially delayed by rain the area for several hours. Once the green flag eventually dropped just past 5 p.m. local time, Keselowski fired off 30th. He quickly began a surge through the field though, gaining 16 spots alone in the first stage to finish 14th at the end of the opening 80 laps.
Stage two ran caution-free as the Consumer Cellular Ford remained inside the top-15 the duration of the run, ultimately crossing the stripe 13th at the end of the stage (lap 165). From there, a flurry of cautions flew – three within 20 laps – as Keselowski lost spots on pit road due to various issues.
He fought back inside the top-15 by lap 199 when the yellow waved for the sixth time. With varying pit strategies playing out over the final 100 laps, Keselowski ultimately worked his way into the top-10 with a handful of laps remaining. The race looked to run green until the end, but a caution with five laps remaining changed everything.
Scored fourth at the time, Keselowski joined the field on pit road, taking four fresh tires with nearly 10 cars in front taking just two tires. That put the No. 6 just outside the top-10 on the final restart, and he went on to cross the line 11th.
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