NNS Rookie of the Year Candidate takes helm of historic No. 60
PHOENIX, Az. (Mar. 1, 2014) – When Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) rookie Chris Buescher takes to the track at Phoenix International Raceway this week, not only will he be making his season debut, but he will step into a long line of success behind the wheel of RFR’s iconic No. 60 NNS Ford.
Buescher, who did not make the field for the year’s first race in Daytona under the new qualifying format, is eager to put his talents to the test in the desert.
The No. 60 entry boasts the most wins in NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) history, having been driven to victory lane a grand total of 90 times by celebrated drivers Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin.
“It’s really a great honor to be able to step in the No. 60 at Roush Fenway,” said Buescher, who in 2012 became the youngest champion in ARCA Series history. “I understand the standard that has been set and I know the history of the guys that have had the chance to be in that car before me, and what they have been able to accomplish.
“I am looking forward to the consistency of racing each week and I will do everything I can to not only hold up to the history of that car, but to help build on it.”
Both Biffle and Edwards drove the car to NNS titles (Biffle in 2002 and Edwards in 2007 and 2011), while Martin drove the No. 60 to victory lane on 39 times, tallied 20 poles, led 6,904 laps and scored 94 top-10 finishes, despite only competing in 129 events during that span.
While Buescher has big shoes to fill, he showed flashes of brilliance in his limited time behind the wheel last season. He scored his first career top-10 finish; a seventh-place run in his first ever trip to the treacherous short track of Bristol Motor Speedway. He put on a show at Kansas Speedway in the fall, tallying 42 quality passes despite getting wrecked twice, and still battling back to a 16th place-finish. In seven starts he only finished outside the top 17 once, including a seventh-place finish at Michigan in the spring.
NOTES ON CHRIS BUESCHER
· 2012 ARCA Champion (youngest ever at the time)
· Finished top-seven twice in seven NNS starts last season
· Finished seventh in first career visit to Bristol Motor Speedway
· Made NNS debut in 2011; finished 17th at Richmond and Darlington in relieve of Trevor Bayne
· Has 10 career ARCA victories
· Hails from Prosper, Texas
NOTES ON RFR’s NO. 60 NNS FORD
· 90 NNS victories; most in series history
· 2002 Driver Championship with Greg Biffle
· 2007 Driver Championship with Carl Edwards and 2011 Owners Championship.
· 39 NNS wins with Mark Martin with 6,904 laps led in limited action from 1992-2000.
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series’ with championship drivers Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ryan Reed and Chris Buescher. Having celebrated 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and its award-winning marketing campaigns for “RFR Driven”, “Let Ricky Race”, Pillow Pets, RickyvsTrevor.com, “25 Winning Years” and Google+. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.
