Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lamber
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400.5 miles, 267 laps, Stage Lengths: 80-80-107
Hollywood Casino 400 – Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Return Trip to Kansas Next Up for NASCAR Cup Series
· NASCAR returns to Kansas Speedway this weekend for the second time in three months for a 400-mile race Sunday afternoon, the first event in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs.
· Sunday’s starting lineup will be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later in the week.
· Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.
Buescher Historically at Kansas
· Buescher makes his 10th Cup start at Kansas on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 19.4 with two top-10s. Most recently at the track, Buescher was caught up in an incident this summer finishing 33rd.
· His best run of sixth came in the fall 2017 event, and he ran 10th in the 2019 spring race.
· He also made three Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, with a best finish of sixth in 2015 in the No. 60 entry for Jack Roush.
Luke Lambert Historically at Kansas
· Lambert will call his 16th Cup race at Kansas on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 19.9 with two top-10s.
· He led Ryan Newman to a sixth-place run in 2014, and followed that with a seventh-place finish two years later in a five-race stretch where the two finished no worse than 12th (2014-16).
· Most recently, Lambert led Daniel Hemric to the pole in this race a year ago, adding to his impressive 14.5 average starting position.
· Lambert also called one Xfinity event with Elliott Sadler in 2012, finishing fourth after starting seventh.
QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Kansas:
“I’m excited to get back to a 1.5-mile track and put together a solid day Sunday. Kansas is a really fast track, all the way around, and makes for some exciting racing throughout. We’ve had a stretch of some consistent finishes as of late, and we’re looking forward to getting back on track in the Fastenal Ford this weekend.”
Last Time Out
Buescher found himself in position for a top-10 late in Sunday’s event from the ROVAL, before finishing 20th after a late pit road penalty. Despite the penalty, he powered his way forward in the closing laps to secure a top-20 finish.
Where They Rank
Buescher is 20th in driver standings through 32 events.
On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.
Eaton, Milwaukee, Norton and Shurtape will ride aboard the No. 17 as Fastenal Racing’s featured suppliers Sunday in Charlotte.
- Eaton, a leader in power management technologies, will be on the TV panel.
- Milwaukee Tool Company, a leader in power tools since 1924, will ride on the hood.
- Norton Abrasives, a Saint-Gobain brand, will ride on the TV panel.
- Shurtape, serving a variety of markets from painting and packaging to HVAC and transportation, will ride on the b-post.
Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.
About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.
