DARLINGTON, S.C. — Entering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Chris Buescher had a gap of 21 points over Bubba Wallace for the final playoff spot.
Buescher essentially did everything he needed to do to advance. He ran around the top 10 for most of the day, and outside of contact with Todd Gilliland in the closing laps, stayed out of trouble.
That said, only one circumstance could plummet the 31-year-old outside the provisional 16-man field – another new winner.
And that’s exactly what happened.
There was simply no way around it for the Prosper, Texas native. With 25 laps to go, Chase Briscoe made a daring three-wide move down the backstretch to jump from fourth to the lead. Meanwhile, a restart later, Kyle Busch thrust his way into second, shaping up a 15-lap duel for the win.
Because both drivers were without wins, Buescher ran hopelessly. Either way, his cushion would get axed. Briscoe ultimately held off Busch for the victory. With Harrison Burton’s win last week at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Raceway, it’s the second new winner in as many weeks.
“We felt like we did, for the most part, what we needed to do today,” Buescher said. “We got back in contention there at the end and got a decent finish out of it. We just didn’t quite get it done again and we’re on the outside looking in.
“It’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year. Everyone at RFK has worked so hard. We’ve been so fast. We’ve outrun so many of these cars that are gonna get to run for a championship, but that’s the system and we didn’t work it right.
“It’s frustration and disbelief all together.”
Buescher certainly had opportunities for victories this season, including the spring race at Darlington. Battling Tyler Reddick – who secured the regular-season title – for the victory, Buescher got put in the fence and came home second. And just a week before that at Kansas Speedway, he lost out to Kyle Larson in the closest finish in NASCAR history.
Had there not been a new winner, Buescher would’ve advanced by 21 points. While Wallace won the pole and finished second in Stage Two, Buescher finished 10 spots better after the 23XI Racing driver was caught up in a late crash.
Wallace misses the playoffs a year removed from the spectacular summer that led him to his first career postseason bid.
“I was so tight there and got back there in traffic in a spot we hadn’t been all day and got caught up in someone else’s mess. It’s unfortunate,” Wallace said. “I hate it for our guys. Hats off to the 14 (Chase Briscoe). I thought I did something yesterday, they one-upped us and showed up when it was game time so that’s pretty badass, so congrats to them.
“Just wasn’t good enough for 16th this year. I hate that. It stinks saying that, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort for all of us on the 23 car.”
Entering 27 points below the cutline, Ross Chastain misses the playoffs after consecutive bids in 2022 and 2023. A Championship 4 driver two years ago, the Trackhouse Racing driver had several crucial moments – including incidents at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Michigan Int’l Speedway – that led to the disappointment.
Chastain ran mid-pack most of the night at Darlington but gambled under caution with 30 laps to go and stayed out. As expected, he couldn’t hold the lead, but another quick yellow allowed him to pit for fresh Goodyears. Chastain came home with a top-five and missed the playoffs by 27.
Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs captured the only two playoff spots on points.