WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) - The first-ever NASCAR Playoff race at Watkins Glen International is in the books as Chris Buescher captures the checkered flag at WGI for his first win of the season.
Stage one of Sunday's race was nothing short of entertaining as Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin were all involved in a collision just beyond the bus stop in the first lap of the race, causing Blaney to be done for the day.
Pole winner, Ross Chastain led for most of stage one until entering pit road with a couple of laps remaining, so Martin Truex Jr. came away with the stage one win. However, Truex would finish the day in 20th.
Chastain came out on top in stage two which included spinouts by Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez. Denny Hamlin finished the stage in 10th, earning a playoff point.
The final stage and 50 laps were filled with action. With under 20 laps remaining, Kyle Buescher passed Joey Logano after turn one to take the lead. Then the caution flag came out with 10 laps to go after Harrison Burton's left rear tire started to burn and left debris on the track. Soon after with 7 laps remaining following the restart, William Byron and Brad Keselowski were involved in a crash at turn four after Keselowski was nudged by Logano. With three laps to go, another caution was thrown after Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch collided just before the esses. Due to the caution, the race went into overtime.
In the overtime period, Shane Van Gisbergen took the lead in turn one after the restart as he and Buescher battled it out in the final lap with Buescher catching up and moving in front at turn five. Buescher would cross the finish line in a tight finish to make his way to victory lane.
"I'm sitting there pacing him there that last lap I was like man we're catching him a little bit here and I saw him getting free and we got down in that bus stop really really deep and I watched him hit that curb and get that big slide and I knew that was my shot so I went to try and go left and covered that crossed over, was able to get to the bottom and run away, but such a huge moment for RFK, this buildsubmarines.com Mustang," Buescher said. "We had so many other folks, suppliers to build subs and so many of our partners so it's a big moment for everybody."
Buescher has had a lot of close finishes this season, so he is thrilled to finally capture his first win of the season.
"To finally get the big win I think was appreciated by all of us at RFK but we've been so good at road courses, this whole group," he said. "What that's been for us is second, fourth, fifth, third, and it has not computed to a win so to finally get a road course win, that's a big relief for me personally."
Next week's race in Bristol will be the final race of 16 before the field is cut down to 12. Below are the current NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings.