What Chris Buescher is accomplishing in JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 37 car in 2019 is truly impressive.
Buescher had another solid night at Darlington Raceway on Sunday in the Bojangles Southern 500 and came home in 12th place. This marks Buescher’s 14th top-20 finish in a row, and Sunday as he heads into the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, he’ll be looking for No. 15.
In 2018, Buescher had 18 top-20 finishes over the entire 36 race schedule.
Through 25 races this season, his total is already up to 19 top-20 finishes, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Buescher has already matched a career-high for top-10 finishes in a season with four, and if he can lead just one more lap he will also match that career high with 12.
His career-best average finish heading into 2019 was a 21.0, which he scored a season ago. As it stands, Buescher’s 2019 average finish is currently 17.1. He is way ahead of pace.
The 26-year old driver has not only ratcheted up the level of consistency this season, but he has made less mistakes on the track and his team has brought bullet proof cars to the track week in and week out. The No. 37 machine has completed all but 37 of the 7,044 laps contested in 2019.
Now, he sits 20th in the standings. Aside from a 16th-place championship finish in his rookie season — by way of a fog-shortened win at Pocono — this would mark Buescher’s best-ever points position as well.
Buescher’s great season has even had a few missed opportunities along the way.
At Daytona in February and Talladega in April, Buescher was running inside the top-10 when he was swept up in melees. He also had a solid top-five to top-10 run going at Bristol in the spring before a loose wheel derailed him.
Keep an eye on Buescher Sunday at Indianapolis as he will look to keep making more noise.
