Chris Buescher returns to Roush Fenway Racing for 2020 season

The 2019 NASCAR season was one of many highs and lows for the Roush Fenway team, partnered by Acronis.

Popular veteran Ryan Newman returned to the Ford marque where he began his journey in the series and enjoyed a string of good results, culminating with the former DAYTONA 500 winner making the playoffs after a sterling drive at Indianapolis.

For 2020, Newman will be joined by another former Roush Fenway driver in the form of Chris Buescher, who first joined Roush Fenway as a development driver in 2009 before making his NXS debut for the team in 2011.

In 2015, Buescher really came of age, dominating the series to deliver Jack Roush’s eighth NASCAR Championship. Talking to Roush Fenway, Buescher says that returning to the team to pilot the No. 17 Ford in 2020 will feel like coming home.

“Jack was the one that gave me my initial break,” Buescher said. “For him to agree to take someone in that really didn’t have a whole lot of merit outside of short track racing nor the checkbook to do so – he really took a chance on me and helped me build my career up. It’s cool to be able to come back in house to do what I always planned on doing. Now it’s just time to live up to it and get the job done.”

Joining Buescher at the No. 17 NASCAR Cup Series program in 2020 will be Luke Lambert, who will serve as crew chief. And, for Buescher, working with Lambert, Newman and Scott Graves again is something he is very much looking forward to.

“I have a little bit of knowledge about Luke and Ryan from an RCR alliance that we had a couple of years back,” added Buescher. “I’ve worked with Scott (Graves) for several years. There are no strangers on this team, which should help everyone be acclimated pretty quickly. I think the way we’re doing it should ease that time period and shorten it so that we can really hit the ground running.

“After watching Ryan and Scott last year, I learned that consistency is really key,” Buescher said. “Finishing strong at the end of these races is where it comes into play. Honestly, the attitude really is still the same as it was in 2015 – by the end of the race you better be putting your best foot forward. At the end of the day, you have to finish these races and you have to finish them strong.”