NASCAR: Chris Buescher clinches playoff berth with Richmond win

Chris Buescher earned his third NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday at Richmond. Making him a legitimate candidate for the 2023 playoff field.

After taking the lead on lap 347 of the 400-lap race from Martin Truex Jr. Buescher appeared to be cruising to an easy victory. Truex was using a different tyre strategy than Buescher and the other leaders, thus Buescher had little trouble passing him.

Buescher had to stave off Denny Hamlin and other competitors for the final three laps. Due to a late caution for Daniel Suárez spinning off Noah Gragson’s bumper.

Buescher accomplished it with ease thanks to a strong restart launch, as Hamlin was never able to pose a real threat.

In the third stage, Brad Keselowski and his Roush Fenway Keselowski teammate Buescher led the pack. However, Keselowski eliminated himself from contention for the victory with a poor pit entrance. The pit stop during the last green-flag stops of the race. Keselowski pitted a lap before Buescher, who then led by six seconds when he re-entered the race.

The tyre strategy is the sole interesting aspect of Richmond’s NASCAR Cup races. At this point, there isn’t much else to enjoy about it.

Since the beginning of the 2018 season, Sunday’s race marked the ninth in Richmond to have five cautions or fewer. The third caution of the day and the only one that wasn’t for the conclusion of a stage. That was the late caution for Suarez’s spinning car.

Additionally, it is the third Richmond race in that time frame with only three cautions.

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