Four. The number of races that remain in the 2024 Cup Series regular season and the number of remaining playoff spots. Despite the limited number of events left to qualify for the postseason and drivers resuming racing activity after the sport’s two-week Olympic break, RFK Racing hotshot Chris Buescher does not believe that there will be extra aggression out on track.
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However, he does think that drivers will need to shake the rust off to regain their form as the sport heads to Richmond Raceway this Sunday. “I think it’ll take a little bit to get everybody’s mind back right, whether that’s gonna be hitting pit road in a clean way, restarts, making mistakes,” he told the press.
He further elaborated on how drivers struggled in the corners earlier this year coming off restarts at Richmond. He believes it will be the case this time around as well and added, “I don’t know if that’s just a mental thing that everybody’s got to get back in a rhythm of some sort …but I think you will see mistakes made that wouldn’t be very typical of our field.” Buescher remains winless this season and sits 17 points above the playoff elimination line.
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However, the regular season does not end at the World Center of Racing i.e. Daytona International Speedway this year. That honor will go to Darlington Raceway. The four drivers who are set to qualify on points as things stand are Martin Truex Jr., Buescher, Ty Gibbs, and Ross Chastain. Bubba Wallace could also be seen in contention as the 23XI driver sits right below the cutoff with a seven-point deficit.
It remains to be seen if the aggression levels on track are different and if they produce a new winner during the upcoming four events. On a realistic scale, Daytona has far better chances of producing a surprise winner than Darlington, Michigan, or even Richmond Raceway, owing to the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing. However, what could work in Buescher and the cutoff drivers’ favor is the upcoming tire choice this Sunday, adding another twist to an otherwise straightforward race with high tire falloff.
Is Buescher nervous about getting into the playoffs?
The #17 Ford Mustang driver has come frustratingly close to a victory multiple times this season. The 31-year-old would have already secured a playoff seat if prior opportunities worked in his favor. He is still in need of a win with only four more races to go.
“I’m not nervous about it,” he says bravely. “It’s something that we’re going to pay a little bit more attention to as we run down into these final four here, but I’m pretty adamant about it.” Buescher won three of the four upcoming races last year – Richmond, Michigan, and Daytona, which could speak to why he is confident heading into the remaining regular season.
The Texas native does not plan to change his strategies in the upcoming events. His teammate and team co-owner Brad Keselowski has already expressed strong faith that both the team’s entries will get through to the playoffs this year. It remains to be seen if the #17 crew and driver can rise up to the occasion. The upcoming 400-lapper will be the first of his four chances to do so.
