Chris Buescher feels he could’ve finished higher than P4 at Sonoma if not for Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell ‘messing up’ his race

Chris Buescher's P4 finish at Sonoma Raceway was not the full potential of what he and the car could do in wine country, owing to his run-ins with Ryan Blaney, as elaborated by the driver himself.

Despite his issues, the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver managed to mirror his second-best result of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season after a P4 finish at the season-opening Daytona 500.

Having also finished in P3 earlier in the season at Talladega Superspeedway, the #17 Ford Mustang racer elaborated on how Michael McDowell and Blaney's tussle on the track cost him and his crew vital time during the final stages of the race. Blaney, the #12 Ford Mustang driver, was seen spinning as the feud between him and McDowell came to its tipping point.

Buescher elaborated in a post-race interview on how getting stuck behind Blaney cost him to degrade his tires faster on a day when the tire falloff was high. Hoping to have challenged for the lead otherwise, the 30-year-old said:

"Just a couple of laps on tires is okay and then we got jammed up behind the #12 (Ryan Blaney) there, him and the, I don't know who it was getting after each other, retalliation ended up really messing up our race. Lost a chance to go fight for the lead."

While Buescher managed to finish well inside the top-5 during the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Ryan Blaney's day was full of spins and a general lack of pace.

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Ryan Blaney left frustrated after NASCAR's visit to Sonoma Raceway

The driver of the #12 Ford Mustang fielded by Team Penske, Ryan Blaney's outing during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 did not go as per plans. After having multiple spins during the 350-mile-long event, run-ins with Front Row Motorsports' Michael McDowell left the Hartford Township, Ohio native livid.

The 29-year-old was seen accusing McDowell of blatantly 'dumping' him in a post-race exchange between him and a media official. Here is what he said in a quick exchange, highlighting his frame of mind after the race:

"He dumped me. I dont know. Quit trying to create controversy."

While Michael McDowell has not spoken about the controversy from his point of view, expect more of this story to come as the week unfolds. With a one-week off from racing for the drivers and teams, NASCAR is set to return to Nashville Superspeedway next for the Ally 400.