DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In less than a month, Chris Buescher has become a contender for the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Buescher won the regular-season finale Saturday night in overtime at Daytona International Speedway, eliminating fan favorite Chase Elliott in the battle for the last remaining playoff berth and sending Bubba Wallace into the postseason for the first time.
Buescher and Brad Keselowski finished 1-2 for RFK Racing, the first such showing for the team since 2014. It was Buescher’s third victory since late July, making him a championship favorite no one could have expected five weeks ago.
“We’ve certainly got momentum on our side right now,” Buescher said after taking another checkered flag in the No. 17 Ford.
Because Buescher had previously won this season, Wallace landed the 16th and final playoff spot on points. He finished 12th in Saturday’s race.