"It's not how I grew up" - Chris Buescher unbothered by NASCAR’s crackdown on Austin Dillon, vows no change in driving style

Chris Buescher, the driver of the No. 17 Ford for RFK Racing, has made it clear that NASCAR's recent crackdown on Austin Dillon will not affect his driving style. Buescher confirmed that he will stick to his current racing style and has no plans to make any alterations.

Despite winning the recent race at Richmond, Austin Dillon has been eliminated from the NASCAR playoffs. NASCAR ruled that his victory would not count towards playoff eligibility due to his last-lap contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. As a result, Dillon's team was penalized with 25 points, dropping him to 31st in the standings. Additionally, his spotter was suspended, and Logano was fined $50,000.

While speaking to Bob Pockrass during a recent media interaction, Chris Buescher addressed the situation and stated that it will not influence how he and his team approach their races. The 31-year-old remains focused on securing victories and will not allow external factors to influence his approach.

"It's obviously talk of the town, right? But it's not going to change anything for how we're approaching these races. It's not going to approach or change our driving style how we are going to look at these things....Ultimately, it's the same thing talked about that, you know, throughout the year... but it's not how I grew up," Buescher said.

"We want to go to these racetracks and figure out how to go put it in victory lane and how to have a good hard race on the way to the end. So we had a blast here with the race last year and really looking forward to giving that another go," he added.

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Chris Buescher eyes playoff spot after tough Richmond race

Chris Buescher, the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is on the edge of making the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after a tough race at Richmond Raceway.

The American made his Cup Series debut with Front Row Motorsports in 2015 and captured his first win at the Pennsylvania 400 (Pocono) the following year. His most recent victory came at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Daytona) in 2023.

Buesche is currently 13th in the standings with 584 points to his credit. He has achieved five top-5 and 9 top-10 finishes so far this season. He started strong at Richmond, but pit road issues hindered his performance throughout the race. With only three races remaining to clinch a NASCAR Cup Series playoff berth—Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington—the pressure is on.

For now, Buescher remains optimistic about his chances at this Sunday's home track race at Michigan International Speedway, where he was victorious last year.

"Michigan is very important to everybody around here...Being a home track for Brad, home track for Jack, and then Ford’s backyard as well, it’s a big deal. And so we go to that race track, we know there’s a little added pressure,” Buescher said.