Buescher: "We are throwing a wrench at peoples’ (Chase) brackets"

Why is he so confident?

“We really shouldn’t have been out of it,” Buescher said Friday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. “It has just been some circumstances that have gotten us a little off track. We have just had really bad luck on superspeedways this season.

“Trevor (Bayne) when we were on our way to Utah to do a road racing class earlier this week said, ‘Man, it just looks like you just need a whole lot of bad luck to get one day of good luck.’ It kind of turned out that way.”

Buescher, 23, elected not to pit during a late-race caution to take over the race lead and was declared the winner when inclement weather forced NASCAR to call the race Monday after 138 of 160 scheduled laps.

To use a race win to make the Chase, a driver must be in the Top 30 of points. Entering Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race, Buescher is currently 31st in points, six behind 30th place David Ragan.

The clock is ticking

Five races remain before the 16-driver Chase field is set following the Sept.10 race at Richmond, Va.

“I know we are throwing a wrench at a lot of peoples’ brackets for the Chase but it is going to be a pretty wild ride to the end and I am glad a lot of people are appreciative,” Buescher said of the congratulations he’s received from fellow drivers.

“There are a lot of guys that deserve their first win as well and they are getting there. We just happened to play the circumstances out a little better at Pocono.”

Buescher, who won the Xfinity Series championship last season with Roush Fenway Racing, said with the Cup series’ Chase format, “a win basically turns our whole season around.”

“It changes everything. It is no longer one win and you move up a spot or two in points. It is one win and you potentially have a spot in the playoffs of our sport,” he said. “We are not there yet because we have to get into that top-30 but with that win, it gets everybody excited to get to that point.

“We are going to get there. I have a ton of confidence in these guys. I love where our program was heading previous to Pocono. We have been on the right path and we will make up those points.”