Chris Buescher’s first NASCAR Truck race of the season ends in disappointment

Chris Buescher experienced a 'bummer' of a Truck Series race at Watkins Glen International. The RFK Racing driver was left to rue a faulty fuel pump that derailed his run.

Friday's race saw multiple drivers battle fuel pump issues. Ross Chastain dealt with a fuel pump failure and replaced it under caution, but a second failure took him out of the contention. Buescher seems to have suffered a similar setback, as he finished both stages outside the top-30 and ultimately placed 22nd in his maiden Truck race of the season.

Notably, 11 of the 36-car field ended up in a DNF, making Buescher's result a lowly finish in comparison. Reflecting upon the same, the 32-year-old summed up his day in an X post, writing,

"Fuel pumps were not our friend today. 👎🏻 Bummer because our truck had speed and I was having fun. Very grateful to @ThorSportRacing for this opportunity. Hope we get to give it another go 👊🏻"

Chris Buescher

@Chris_Buescher

Fuel pumps were not our friend today. 👎🏻 Bummer because our truck had speed and I was having fun. Very grateful to @ThorSportRacing for this opportunity Hope we get to give it another go 👊🏻

Chris Buescher is currently battling his RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece in the playoff bubble. They both are 23 points from the cutline, with Buescher currently inside the top-16.

Notably, Buescher heads into Sunday's race as last year's winner at the track. Here's what he had to say about racing at Watkins Glen. (via mytwintiers.com)

"It’s completely different than everywhere else we go. It’s so fast when you talk about road courses, there’s so much history in the area and the fan turnout is fantastic."

This time around, Buescher will likely face tough competition from the road course ace, Shane Van Gisbergen, who's looking to tie Denny Hamlin as the winningest driver this season.

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Chris Buescher reflects on battling Ryan Preece for a playoff spot

Last weekend at Iowa, Chris Buescher spoke to Frontstretch and opened up about his playoff battle with Ryan Preece. The two have put up a solid season under a mid-pack car, outclassing their teammate and former Cup Series champion, Brad Keselowski.

"I think at the end of the day, I don't think either of us expects to not race each other hard or or aggressively, but it's a matter of respectfully. And I think that's something that we've always been able to do no matter what the situation," Buescher said. [7:51 onwards]

Chris Buescher recently fell out of the top 10 in standings after a 22nd place finish at the Iowa Speedway. He was replaced by 23XL Racing's Bubba Wallace, who mounted a serious charge from two laps down to secure sixth in just 64 laps.

Ryan Preece, meanwhile, logged back to back top-5s at Indianapolis and Iowa, further underscoring the pace held by RFK Racing. He currently sits two spots behind Buescher with a 23-point deficit.