Ford Performance NASCAR: Buescher Posts Fourth Top-10 Finish to Lead Ford in Coca-Cola 600

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang -- “That was a heck of an effort by our team and Roush Fenway to get our Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang from a 27th-place starting spot to eighth.  We knew why we were there when it happened, but to have that drive forward and get up to the top 10 and ride around there all night, and be able to make up spots on long runs, I’m proud of that.  It’s a good night.  It’s a long race.  We executed really well on pit road.  Everybody did a really nice job, so I’m proud of that.”

HOW DID YOU GUYS DO AS FAR AS KEEPING UP WITH THE TRACK FROM DAY TO NIGHT?  “I would say I expected it to tighten up and we ended up freeing up.  I think it was more of a product of what our balance was before, so that’s something to keep in mind because I didn’t want to adjust it.  I was afraid it would tighten up and get too tight, but we really needed to do that, so I got us behind on one of those runs, but, again, I’m just proud of this group and everybody from Fastenal and Fifth Third and Castrol and Ford -- everybody that’s on board with us and making sure that we got what we need to go racing.  We’re starting to chip away at it and knock down some of these top 10s.”


IT’S YOUR FOURTH TOP 10 FINISH AND IT’S LOOKING LIKE YOUR BEST SEASON TO DATE ON THE CUP LEVEL.  “Yeah, we’re absolutely on our best season.  This will be our best season, no doubt no matter what happens from here, but it’s only optimism from here on out.  I think we’ve found a lot of baselines that have really helped us start better.  Our execution has been really good.  Everybody has just really put their heads down through the off-season and found speed in these race cars and it’s showing.  On top of that, we were right around the 6 all day, too.  We were both competitive today in the race.  I know our qualifying effort wasn’t stellar, but our race effort was strong.”



BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Keystone Light Ford Mustang -- “That was a blue collar night for sure. Jeremy and the guys on the Keystone Light team got us the best we were all night there at the end and we almost got a top-10.” 

Ford Finishing Results:

8th -- Chris Buescher

10th -- Kevin Harvick

11th -- Brad Keselowski

13th -- Ryan Blaney

17th -- Joey Logano

18th -- Matt DiBenedetto

20th -- Michael McDowell

21st -- Cole Custer

22nd -- Aric Almirola

23rd -- Chase Briscoe

25th -- Anthony Alfredo

27th -- Ryan Newman

31st -- B.J. McLeod

35th -- Josh Bilicki

Ron Fleshman

RIS NASCAR Editor.  Has been with RIS since the middle 90's. Writes on each of the three main series of NASCAR.

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Volume 2021, Issue 5, Posted 11:43 PM, 05.30.2021