Chris Buescher scores big upset in fog-shortened race at Pocono

Rea White

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Chris Buescher scores big upset in fog-shortened race at Pocono image

NASCAR rookie Chris Buescher scored a huge upset Monday, winning the Sprint Cup Pennsylvania 400 when the race was shortened due to fog.

For the second time this season at Pocono Raceway, drivers raced on a Monday. While it looked like rain would be the issue for the day, it turned out to be intense fog that blanketed the track late in the race.

As the fog rolled in, leading to first a caution and then to the race being red-flagged with 22 laps to go. With drivers pitting on different strategies, Buescher was in the lead as the fog descended. He rode around in the lead under the caution, then was saved from needing to pit for fuel as NASCAR called the drivers to pit road to see if the fog lifted. With more rain in the area, coupled with threats of lightening and even a tornado warning, NASCAR was unable to restart the race, giving Buescher the win. 

“They made the call up on the box to pull it off," said Buescher, who is just outside of the top 30 in points, during the NBCSN broadcast. "This is going to stir up our entire year. … Now we’ve just got to make sure we’re top 30 in points."

Buescher has quietly been part of the high-profile rookie class that includes Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, both sons of former Sprint Cup drivers. It was Buescher, though, who led the class to victory lane.

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As he prepared to celebrate in a different victory lane, Buescher tried to put this win into perspective. 

“I was trying not to get my hopes up because I know how these things play out," he said. "Mother Nature can be really nice sometimes or can be really mean. If the sun would have come out it would have changed our whole day.”

Buescher added that the victory might take a while to sink in. 

"Honestly, it doesn’t even feel real right now," he said. 

MORE: Who is Chris Buescher?

According to NASCAR, the last race shortened by fog came in 1972 at Riverside.

The Pennsylvania 400 had already been postponed to Monday, then delayed another hour for track drying before drivers finally took the green flag shortly after noon ET. As the race got under way, drivers were intermittently radioing their teams about mist on the track. 

Martin Truex Jr. led from the pole position and was fastest on pit road in the opening stops during a competition caution on Lap 15. Most of the leaders opted to take two tires during that stop. Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski stayed out and led on the restart. 

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The June race at the track was also delayed to a Monday. Kurt Busch, who won that race, was sent to the rear at the start of Monday’s race for an unapproved adjustment, but moved into the top 25 in the opening four laps. 

Jimmie Johnson had trouble early and his crew spent the opening pit stop repairing a hole in the nose of the car. Johnson had been running 20th prior to the stop. 

Truex had a tire failure shortly after the pit stop and slammed into the wall hard , bringing out the race’s second caution period. It was the latest in a series of setbacks for Truex . Paul Menard was also in the garage after the restart with his Richard Childress Racing team working on a transmission issue. 

On Lap 33, Joey Logano moved into the lead. He won at Pocono in 2012. Busch, meanwhile, was continuing his march through the field, running 13th. 

Pit stops were a problem for drivers early in the race. Jeff Gordon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danica Patrick and Michael McDowell were all caught speeding on pit road during their second stops.

Keselowski, who was off cycle from the rest of the leaders, took the lead then Kevin Harvick overtook him on Lap 61. Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers was not at the track after being suspended by NASCAR for one race for a lug nut violation discovered after the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Aric Almirola, who was making his 200th career Cup start, and Jeb Burton made contact to bring out the caution on Lap 67. Almirola was passing Burton to the inside and then ran him up to the wall with the two making contact. 

With talk of showers in the area, drivers restarted on Lap 73 after some had pitted during the caution period. The first six had remained on the track, with Kyle Larson leading Austin Dillon on the restart. Logano was seventh on the restart and up to third a lap later.

On Lap 77, with rain threatening, Dillon was pushing Larson at the front of the field. Dillon made a run and Larson blocked him. The battle continued over the next three laps. Dillon moved to the inside. He took the lead briefly at the line, but barely. The two ran side by side into Turn 1, then Larson retook the lead.

Dillon still loomed on his rear. With Logano closing up on the pair, Dillon got in position to make his move once more, but Larson held the lead at the halfway mark of the race.

On the next lap, Dillon again nosed to the inside of Larson. They made contact as Dillon tried to slide by — and Logano stormed to the inside of both and took the lead on Lap 82. 

On Lap 83 the caution came out for rain at the track. Some of the drivers pitted, but leaders Logano, Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth were among those that remained on the track.

The race was able to restart on Lap 90, with Logano and Harvick leading the field. Logano held the lead, but Kenseth stole second on the restart. Hamlin and Kenseth had to give up their positions to pit for fuel on Lap 96. Two laps later the caution came out again as Truex hit the wall again.

Again only some of the field pitted. Larson did not pit and once more moved into the lead, with Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Edwards and Newman in the top five. Casey Mears took two tires and led those who pitted, in 15th. Logano and Harvick followed him. 

The caution came out once more as Chase Elliott and Joey Logano made contact, with Elliott pushing Logano into the outside wall. Rookie Elliott went to the garage for repairs on his car. 

The off-sequence pit stops continued, with Buescher taking the lead on Lap 129 and then holding it as the red flag came. 

 

 

Rea White