DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chris Buescher made it abundantly clear Tuesday morning during Daytona 500 Media Day that his primary focus this year is with Front Row Motorsports as the driver of the No. 34 Ford Fusion.
However, Buescher said he isn’t giving up on the opportunity to return to the NASCAR XFINITY Series this season too, even if it’s on a part-time basis.
“Still hoping we’re able to,” said Buescher. “I’d still love to. We haven’t gotten to the point where anything has come around to be able to do it.”
But, before Buescher decides that timing is right, his focal point is to make sure his role as rookie driver at Front Row Motorsports is safe and sound.
“So far so good. “It’s rather uneventful so far,” offered Buescher. “Single car runs is all we’ve done (at Daytona). We seem to have decent speed in our Love’s Ford and feel like once we get in the draft it’s going to change everything.”
It’s been a relatively quiet Speedweeks for Buescher. With sponsorship from Love’s Travel Centers, Buescher posted the 28th fastest time and will line up 15th in the first Can-Am Duel race on Thursday night.
With NASCAR’s charter system in full effect, Buescher will earn a start his first Daytona 500, but the Prosper, Texas native remains upbeat about his duel, but most importantly the “Great American Race.”
“We’ve got plenty of teammates to run and try to learn from,” added Buescher. “We’ve got a couple good friends out there and we’ll see how practice and the Duels go.”
“I was thinking about it the other day and it was four years ago, 2012 was the year we won the ARCA championship. We finished 20th here that day. We were running good and got into an incident there at the very end and I remember riding back up to Charlotte after that one and just realizing how big of an opportunity we had missed and still we were able to pull off a championship that season so it wasn’t all bad. It is only four years later and we are sitting here in a Cup car with Love’s Travel Stops and getting ready to run my first Daytona 500 so obviously the biggest race in our sport and we get to be a part of it.
“For the first time since I have been running in a NASCAR division down here I don’t have to worry about making the field on time. Everyone is aware of the one that bit me on the XFINITY side. We are in this race and get to go out there and run the Daytona 500.”
While Buescher is fine with spending time in just one series for now, he realizes the opportunity to dance with double-duty will help his program overall.
“Definitely, think so, it helps,” said Buescher of running both XFINITY and Cup on the same weekend. Seat time is seat time anymore. The more you can get the better off you are. I’ve made it pretty clear that if there’s an opportunity to run eight to 10 races, I’m all in.”
Of course, there’s one major focal point that has to develop in order to have Buescher’s request put into motion.
Sponsorship.
“Always,” added Buescher on needing the funding to run XFINITY again. “It’s (sponsorship) always going to be (needed).”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
