The driver of the No. 34 Ford and Front Row Motorsports rookie led 12 laps amid wet and foggy conditions that persisted and delayed the 11:07 a.m. ET start time one hour after the race was a washout on Sunday.
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“I’m trying to remember every rain dance I ever learned,” Buescher said over his radio as he waited out the weather warning in his car.
It was Buescher’s first career Sprint Cup Series victory, and he became the first Rookie of the Year contender to win a Cup race since Joey Logano won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2009. That race was also shortened by rain.
“It’s a tough way to end the race for a lot of people,” Buescher said. “But it’s a great way for us.”
Brad Keselowski finished second and Regan Smith, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.
Polesitter Martin Truex Jr. led the first 16 laps before a competition caution. He hit the wall on Lap 19, then cut a tire on Lap 40, forcing him to head to the garage before returning on lap 59. He finished 38th.
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Things looked promising for Logano before Chase Elliott made contact with the No. 22 as he tried to pass him down low on Lap 104, sending both cars into the wall and prompting the sixth caution of the day. Logano went to the garage after leading a total of 38 laps, but returned to the race 23 laps down on Lap 128.
The seventh caution wasn’t far behind, coming with 28 laps to go as heavy fog obscured visibility of the three-turn, 2.5-mile track. The red flag followed and halted the race with 22 laps to go.
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After more than an hour of waiting, the race was finally called.
