Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 600 miles, 400 laps, Stage Lengths: 100-100-100-100
NASCAR Cup Series Practice – Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Saturday, May 29 at 11:05 a.m. ET on FS1, PRN
Coca-Cola 600 – Sunday, May 30 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Buescher at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Buescher makes his ninth Cup start at Charlotte on Sunday and sixth in the Coca-Cola 600. Overall he carries an average 19.8 finish at the 1.5-mile track.
- Buescher has a best finish of sixth in the Coke 600, which came in 2019 after starting 22nd. He backed that up with a 10th-place finish in last season’s marquee event.
- Buescher also made five start at CMS in the NXS for Roush Fenway from 2013-15, earning three top-10s with a best finish of sixth in 2014.
Luke Lambert at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Lambert will call his 15th Cup event at CMS Sunday and eighth Coke 600. Overall he has an average finish of 17.1 in 14 starts.
- His best Coke 600 came in 2017 with Ryan Newman with a ninth-place result. He and Newman put together a sixth-place qualifying effort just two years ago and has an average starting spot of 17.6.
QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Charlotte:
“This weekend is more than a race, it’s a time to remember and honor those that we’ve lost that give us the great freedoms we have in this country. I got a chance to spend some time with friends of Tristian Southworth, whose name will be on our windshield this weekend, and it’s even more special to talk with those who knew him and others who we’ve lost at such a personal level. We’re honored to have him riding along with us this weekend.
Last year we had a pretty decent run in the Coke 600, one that requires a lot of patience but obviously a lot of endurance in a long evening. Our goal is to keep this momentum rolling and put our Fifth Third Ford near the front Sunday night.”
600 Miles of Remembrance
To align with the nation’s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each car in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header of the car.
Buescher will carry Sergeant Tristian Southworth aboard his Fifth Third Ford this weekend. Southworth, a native of Walden, Vermont, was born Oct. 19, 1988, in Denville, N.J. He died Aug. 22, 2010, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with the Alpha Company 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Rowqean Village, Paktya Province Afghanistan.
He went to Walden Elementary School and graduated from Hazen Union High School in 2007. He played soccer, basketball and baseball throughout high school. He joined the Vermont Army National Guard during his junior year. Upon graduation, he spent one year at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009, he was activated for deployment to Afghanistan.
Tristan enjoyed all aspects of life. He loved to be around family and friends. He was always willing to help anyone in need. He loved children and German shepherds. He had a special love for the game of baseball and a strong need to serve his country.
Last Time Out
Buescher earned stage points at the end of the opening stage in Sunday’s inaugural race at COTA, before going on to finish 13th in the AutoTempest Ford, his eighth top-15 of the season.
Where They Rank
Buescher advanced one position in the points standings following COTA and is 13th through the 14 events.
On the Car
Fifth Third Bank makes its third appearance on board Buescher’s Ford Mustang this season. The company is celebrating its 10th season as a partner with Roush Fenway in 2021, as the partnership began back in 2012 with Matt Kenseth at the time.
Fifth Third will also carry the well-known Duke’s Mayo brand on the decklid of its Ford Mustang this weekend.
- Over the past 100 years, Duke’s has cultivated and celebrated its commitment to family recipes and bold, southern flavors.
- Duke’s Mayo is made using the same recipe since 1917 – and always naturally sugar-free.
- Duke’s has a growing line of products inspired by the brand’s southern heritage – made with only quality ingredients, and no high fructose corn syrup.
- Duke’s is a passion brand – our consumers have an emotional connection to us and express is in their daily lives.
- Twang is that little Southern-something that makes good things even better.
o Southern tradition + bold, tangy taste
· Duke’s Mayonnaise is the title sponsor of the Duke’s Mayo Classic to open the 2021 college football season and Duke’s Mayo Bowl postseason game played in Charlotte, N.C.
About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.
