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Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver Chris Buescher will miss NASCAR's inaugural race at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois on Sunday, June 5.
In a statement released on Thursday, June 2, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing cited that Buescher will not be driving his No. 17 Ford at Gateway this weekend, after testing positive for COVID-19.
Instead, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Zane Smith will be the one piloting the No. 17 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing.
Buescher is the first driver to be sidelined due to COVID-19 this season. The last time a driver tested positive was in 2021, when Corey Lajoie tested positive for COVID-19 before the Michigan race.
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Chris expects to be behind the wheels next week at Sonoma Raceway. While confirming Buescher's health condition, FOX's Bob Pockrass reposted RFK Racing's tweet on his Twitter account and captioned it:
"Zane Smith to drive for Buescher (COVID) this weekend."
The Gateway race marks Buescher's first missed race since his Cup Series debut. Buescher is currently sitting in position 21 in the driver's points standings with 275 points. He has only three top-ten finishes in the last 15 races, meaning booking a spot in the playoffs might be difficult for him to handle.
How Chris Buescher's performance in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season
Last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Texas native faced a rough day after he came into contact with David Suarez, leading to a messy wreck that left the No. 47 upside down on lap 347.
Despite the terrible crash, Buescher came out unhurt but short of points. For Chris Buescher, missing the entire race serves as another big blow for him as a driver hoping to get to the playoffs.
Despite missing the upcoming race, he might still be eligible for the playoffs through a medical waiver. NASCAR has previously awarded medical waivers to drivers who tested positive for COVID-19, and Chris Buescher won't be exceptional.
The season hasn't been that easy for the No. 17 and the entire RFK Racing team, but he has been pushing hard to make things go through. He has only visited the victory lane once during the Daytona Duel #2 before posting 16th place in the Daytona 500.
Chris Buescher has been an average performer with top 20 finishes and a few DNFs. Everyone wishes him a quick recovery, and we hope to see him in Sonoma next weekend.
