Chris Buescher at Driver Intros before the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Aspen Marcheschi | The Podium Finish)
Brooklyn, Mich. – Chris Buescher of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing clinched 2nd place after an eye-opening FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Sunday proved to be action-filled as the 2.0-mile length track displayed the full potential of the current generation of Cup Series cars.
Two years ago, Buescher won at this same track and was hoping to repeat the same results for the Ford Manufacturer team. It was a goal with many obstacles, with the weather being one of the opponents. Rain was in the forecast on Sunday, so much so at points, as concerns of the race being moved to a later date started to rise. Luckily, everything worked out, with no precipitation and overall decent weather for 400 miles of competition.
With one potential issue resolved, the practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday for the No. 17 Kroger Ford Mustang Dark Horse were focused on hard work and making the necessary adjustments. During the qualifying session, the team achieved promising results, securing a 7th-place starting position for the driver from Prosper, Texas.
“This is Ford’s backyard. This is Jack‘s (Roush) backyard. This is Brad’s (Keselowski) backyard. This is everybody’s (previously stated) home track, except for (Ryan) Preece’s and mine.” Buescher told Jasmine Sharpe of The Podium Finish in an interview ahead of Sunday’s big race.
Brad Keselowski’s role as a co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has proven to be a success. The racing organization was in desperate need of innovation and revitalization after its decline from being a powerhouse in the 2000s. Keselowski joined the team in 2021 after vacating Team Penske, bringing a much-needed boost to an organization that hadn’t visited victory lane in four seasons. Chris Buescher’s victory in the 2022 Bristol Fall race, followed by his wins in Michigan during the 2023 season, reinvigorated the team and established them as serious contenders once again.
Ford, as a manufacturer, was born, founded, and built in nearby Detroit. Jack Roush, the founder of one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history, has embraced them for decades now, bringing in historical drivers such as Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, and Ryan Newman to build up an overall legendary race team. A win for Ford in its home territory is always a desired goal.
Having the pieces set in place, Sunday afternoon’s race commenced without problems. 15 laps in, Buescher surged up to 3rd, passing Denny Hamlin. Three laps later, he passed pole winner Chase Briscoe for 2nd, honing in on William Byron and his No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. The duo duked it out for several laps, extending their gap to the rest of the field. Buescher swung past Byron on Lap 36, cruising to his first stage victory of 2025.
Chris Buescher during Saturday morning practice session ahead of the 2025 FireKeepers Casino 400. (Photo Credit: Aspen Marcheschi | The Podium Finish)
Stage 2 saw the No. 17 starting in the top 10 to begin the 75-lap stage. The green flag restart displayed the field racing in a style akin to tracks like Daytona and Talladega, as bump drafting, swerving, and using three lanes at points made for great entertainment. For Buescher, he fought hard to keep his car from being wrecked out, slipping back to 12th when the caution waved at Lap 60.
Things were not finished, with the restart waving Lap 66, only to have another crash unfold and bring out another caution on Lap 67. The red flag was displayed on Lap 68, after multiple cars were involved and the wall in Turn 2 was being repaired, in which Alex Bowman and Cole Custer sustained severe crashes. In the chaos, Buescher fumbled back past 20th, keeping his car safe from possible damage.
Once the red flag conditions were lifted, the restart on Lap 71 saw his fellow teammate and team co-owner of Keselowski in the No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse start up close to the front, combating several cars for position. It wasn’t long until yet another caution on Lap 73, with Buescher unable to make ground back up.
A long green flag run occurred after Lap 78 from the restart, causing Buescher to claw his way through the field. His Ford took on the challenge, making it to the Top 15 before the 2023 Cup Series champion of Ryan Blaney, spun out attempting to come off pit road on Lap 109. This caused the yellow to wave, as Buescher brought his vehicle in for fuel and four fresh tires. Plenty of the field did the same, with the ending of the stage being less than 20 laps away.
As yet another restart came out on Lap 114, it gave way for six green laps to run before the end of Stage 2. Several cars came into the pit, slipping Buescher up a couple of spots before the start of Stage 3 on Lap 127. Yet again, the pack of cars dueled for positions, giving the audience a show and the spotters a jaw-straining job to do. Buescher zipped and zagged around the competition, maneuvering through the chaos with practical ease.
As Buescher made it up to 8th when the Lap 146 caution occurred, the RFK Ford Mustang was showing its full potential and capabilities of winning. This was the last yellow for the race, making the rest of the event a long run green. This was exactly what Buescher needed, as he drove with aggression and strategy.
Climbing up, Buescher tangled with his adversaries throughout the last run, keeping his car nimble while not overusing the tires. This helped him to finish in 2nd, just one spot short of race winner Hamlin. The finish was not anything to be unhappy about.
“Our racecars have always been fast each week,” Buescher noted post-race after finishing runner-up to Hamlin.
While frustrated at being so close to winning, Buescher is looking ahead to next week at Mexico City.
“With a road course coming up, I’m excited and know how strong we can be there. I’m ready to tackle that challenge.”
Buescher has shown speed in the past on several technical road courses such as Circuit Of The Americas and Chicago Street Course, which display the challenges of both driver and car.
“I feel good in general. Like road racing a lot, it’s (Mexico City) is a new one, which puts us all on a pretty even playing field.”
Questioning Buescher about using the racing simulator for the new course, he brought in some great insight about the twists and turns of the 15-turn, 2.417-mile road course.
“Have had a lot of time in the simulator with it. All of our teams have. The biggest thing we’re able to do with the simulator is to be prepared to race the actual tracks.”
While there are apprehensions about the Mexico City race, the driver of the No. 17 seems prepared and confident overall. Whispers of rain being a possibility for the weekend add another layer of challenge.
The Viva México 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez will air live on Amazon Prime Video on Sunday, June 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET, with radio coverage provided by the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
