Chris Buescher Bio
Christopher William Buescher (born October 29, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing. Buescher is the 2012 ARCA Racing Series champion and the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. He is also the cousin of 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher.
Early Life and Background
Christopher William Buescher was born on October 29, 1992, in Prosper, Texas. He grew up in a family with deep ties to racing, raised alongside his parents, Jim and Donna Buescher. The Texas native began his professional racing career in 2005, driving Legends cars for Speedway Legends in his home state, where he won over one hundred events at a young age. Those early oval-track miles laid the foundation for a smooth transition toward NASCAR’s national touring series.
In 2008, Buescher moved to North Carolina to be mentored by NASCAR Cup Series driver David Ragan. The relocation also marked his signing as a development driver for Roush Fenway Racing, giving him access to top-level equipment and coaching during his teenage years.
Path to NASCAR
Buescher made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2009 and won his first ARCA race in 2010 at Toledo. In 2011, he earned ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year honors, signaling his rapid rise through the development ladder. The following year, he captured the 2012 ARCA Racing Series championship, becoming the only driver in series history to complete every lap during a championship season. He also made his NASCAR national-series debut in 2011 with two Nationwide Series starts for Roush Fenway Racing.
Chris Buescher Career
Early Career (2009–2012)
Buescher’s early professional years were spent balancing ARCA Menards Series competition with selected NASCAR starts. He returned to the Nationwide Series for seven races in 2013 while also running a limited ARCA schedule with Roulo Bros. Racing. The 2012 ARCA title served as the launchpad for his move into NASCAR’s top development series on a full-time basis.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2014–2015)
In 2014, Buescher moved full-time to the Nationwide Series, driving the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. After a learning-year rookie campaign, he scored his first career national-series victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio on August 16, 2014. The win confirmed that Buescher was ready to contend for a championship the following season.
Buescher returned to the No. 60 in 2015 as the series rebranded to the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He won twice during the year, at Iowa Speedway and Dover International Speedway, while racking up consistent top-five finishes. On November 21, 2015, he clinched the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, holding off Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon, and Regan Smith in the final standings.
NASCAR Cup Series (2015–Present)
Buescher made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2015 at Auto Club Speedway, driving the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports as a substitute. In 2016, he moved to the Cup Series full-time with Front Row Motorsports and won the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono, becoming the first Cup rookie to win at Pocono since Denny Hamlin in 2006. The victory was a career-defining moment, though he was eliminated in the first round of the Chase.
From 2017 through 2019, Buescher drove the No. 37 for JTG Daugherty Racing, earning occasional top-ten finishes. On September 25, 2019, Roush Fenway Racing announced that he would replace Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the No. 17 Ford starting in 2020, reuniting him with the organization where he began his development.
RFK Racing Era (2020–Present)
Buescher opened his RFK Racing tenure with a third-place finish in the 2020 Daytona 500 and steadily built momentum. In 2022, he snapped a 222-race winless streak with a victory in the Bristol night race, ending a five-year drought for the team. The 2023 season became his career year, as he won three races, including back-to-back victories at Richmond and Michigan, advanced to the Round of 8 in the playoffs, and finished a career-best seventh in points.
In 2024, Buescher finished second to Kyle Larson at Kansas by 0.001 seconds, the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, and later won at Watkins Glen. He continues to drive the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing with crew chief Scott Graves calling the shots. On June 16, 2026, Buescher signed a multi-year extension to remain with the team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Buescher is recognized for his smooth, consistent driving style and his ability to capitalize on alternate pit strategies. He has shown particular strength on intermediate ovals and road courses, scoring wins at Michigan, Richmond, Daytona, and Watkins Glen. His long-running partnership with crew chief Scott Graves has been central to RFK Racing’s resurgence, with Graves helping to deliver race-winning setups and disciplined pit calls.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his first Cup win at Pocono in 2016, a Bristol night-race victory in 2022 that ended a personal winless drought, and three wins in 2023 that fueled RFK Racing’s revival. His 0.001-second loss to Kyle Larson at Kansas in 2024 set a new standard for closest Cup finishes, while his 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen victory remains his most recent trip to victory lane.
Chris Buescher Career Wins
Chris Buescher has compiled wins across the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Cup Series. He is a champion in two of those three divisions, with his 2015 Xfinity title standing as the cornerstone of his resume.
Cup Series Highlights
Buescher has six career NASCAR Cup Series wins, 94 top-ten finishes, and one pole, according to his recorded Cup statistics. His first Cup victory came at Pocono in 2016 with Front Row Motorsports, and his most recent win came at Watkins Glen in 2024. He has also been a consistent playoff presence, reaching the Round of 8 in 2023.
Xfinity Series Highlights
Buescher won three NASCAR Xfinity Series races during his time with Roush Fenway Racing, including events at Mid-Ohio in 2014 and at Iowa and Dover in 2015. He added 36 top-ten finishes and the 2015 series championship to his developmental résumé. He last raced in the Xfinity Series finale in 2015 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Other Wins and Performances
Buescher captured 10 ARCA Menards Series wins, 43 top-ten finishes, and five poles, and he was the 2012 ARCA champion. In August 2025, he made a one-off NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Watkins Glen with ThorSport Racing in the No. 66 Ford, a notable crossover appearance in a third national series.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 6 | 94 | 1 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 3 | 36 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 10 | 43 | 5 |
Chris Buescher Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Buescher is the son of Jim and Donna Buescher and grew up immersed in the racing community. He is the cousin of James Buescher, the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, giving the Buescher family a notable presence across multiple NASCAR national series.
Personal Life
Buescher married his wife, Emma, in 2018 during the Easter weekend of the NASCAR schedule. In December 2022, the couple welcomed their daughter, Charley, and later adopted a child named Travis. The family lives on a micro-farm near New London, North Carolina, and they volunteer with the local humane society in Albemarle.
2025 Season Performance
Buescher opened the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with a tenth-place finish in the Daytona 500. After the Kansas race, the No. 17 team received an L1 penalty for a rules violation tied to front bumper foam reinforcement. Following an appeal, the penalty was amended, costing the team championship and playoff points, a US$75,000 fine, and a two-race suspension for crew chief Scott Graves.
Despite the points deduction, Buescher continued to deliver competitive performances, leaning on the consistency that has defined his RFK Racing tenure. With playoff eligibility complicated by the lost points, his path to the postseason depended on race wins and stage points. His partnership with Scott Graves remained the foundation of the team’s race-day execution.
Looking beyond 2025, Buescher’s 2026 campaign began with a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500, signaling that the organization remained a threat on superspeedways. With his contract extension in hand and a veteran crew chief pairing, Buescher entered the next chapter of his career as a steady contender in the NASCAR Cup Series field.
