Chris Buescher enters Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 Cup Series race carrying one of his best statistical profiles yet. Out of 24 races in 2026, he currently sits at 10th with 9 top 10s, 4 top 5s, and an average finish of 13.4, which is his best average since joining RFK Racing. His efficiency on restarts has improved exponentially as he’s gained a net +57 points on restarts this season, which is crucial heading into Loudon, where compression can erase long-run advantages in a split second.
Even though the numbers are trending upward, Buescher kept his tone measured when discussing NASCAR’s current rules package during pre-qualifying media availability at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He explained that the design creates more movement, increased handling variability, and a wider range of opportunity to build runs. But the real verdict arrives once the field settles into race conditions, which is something he knows all too well. “We hope it does all those things,” Buescher said, but you don’t know until you get into the race,” he continued.
The conversation then shifted to Daytona and whether he liked having the regular-season cutoff given his history of running well there. Buescher didn’t mince words. He admitted he’d disliked it in the past and was candid that he wasn’t comfortable with it now. He cited Daytona’s volatility as making it difficult to anchor a playoff cut. “It’s a racetrack with an immense amount of variables. Speedway racing means you’re at the mercy of what others do well or don’t. To put that as a cutline has always been problematic in my mind,” he explained.
However, the tone shifted significantly when Sarah Talker of YourNews Media and Total Apex Sports pressed the core of Sunday’s challenge. She touched on how he planned to handle early-race traffic because the field at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is notorious for compressing quickly. Buescher then outlined the weekend’s strategic hinge point. He pointed directly to tire falloff, a variable that has defined Loudon’s rhythm every season. Across the last three races at the track, average falloff has hovered around 1.2 seconds over a 40-lap run, and Buescher’s own long-run pace has ranked 9th among full-time drivers.
He believes this is a key factor. Next, the discussion turned to what happens if it rains. Buescher made it clear that he doesn’t want it, even though he has had successful runs in the past on a wet track before earning a P5 finish in a rain-ridden 2024 race at Loudon. “We can manage it,” he said. “But I don’t want it to rain.” As the session wound down, Buescher reflected on Loudon’s technical demands. It’s one of the few tracks where he’s been consistently able to run alone without getting swallowed by traffic.
His average green-flag speed has climbed steadily and ranks 11th for the 2026 season, based on his last three finishes at the track: 7th, 10th, and 6th. It has been more of an opportunity than a liability. He closed with a nod to his early days and the people who shaped his mindset and approach behind the wheel. The sentiment was clear: the foundation built early still informs how he races now, especially on weekends like this one where every detail matters.
Original article
Comments