CREW CHIEF: Scott Graves
TEAM: RFK Racing
POINTS: Seventh in Cup Series
WINS: Three (Richmond II, Michigan, Daytona II)
LAPS LED: 255
TOP 5s: Nine
TOP 10s: 17
STARTS FROM POLE: None
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Buescher set career-best marks with 17 top-10 finishes, nine top fives, three wins, 255 laps led, an average starting position of 14.8 and an average finishing position of 12.1.
Buescher only had one DNF all season — the spring race at Atlanta. This was one of only five finishes outside the top 20.
Buescher made the playoffs for the first time since his rookie campaign in 2016. He made it to the Round of 8 and put himself in position to win his way into the Championship 4. He fell short but ended the season a career-best seventh in points.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Buescher only won two stages in 2023. This moved him closer to the cutline in each round of the playoffs than other drivers who won multiple races. For comparison, Denny Hamlin won three races and eight stages. Martin Truex Jr. won three races, six stages and the regular-season championship.
The consistency wasn’t as prevalent during the playoffs. Buescher had two separate tire issues during the playoff race at Kansas that led to him finishing 27th. He finished 19th at at Talladega after being involved in a wreck that collected teammate Brad Keselowski.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024: Buescher has improved every year since moving to the No. 17 Ford in 2020. He has increased his number of laps led while incrementally increasing his number of top-10 finishes and winning four races. Winning three races again in 2024 will be difficult but Buescher will likely have multiple opportunities to be in contention.