While a win is the ultimate prize in any sport, memorable performances by athletes who give it their best shot are equally cherished.
NASCAR is quite distinct from a lot of other sports, not just in terms of the format, but also in its nature. The drivers are only partly responsible for the outcome of the race, as a lot of factors outside their control can determine the results.
Plus, the nature of the spot often demands aggression, and most drivers go a little too far with it every once in a while, with only a few rare exceptions.
One such exception is RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher. NASCAR driver-turned-commentator Kevin Harvick recently praised the 32-year-old racer on a recent episode of his podcast for the way he handled a gut-wrenching loss at Kansas Speedway.
Kevin Harvick’s Praise of Chris Buescher
Before getting into the Kansas race, Harvick spoke about his upcoming broadcast booth outing with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the zMAX CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro.
Harvick’s co-host Kaitlyn Vincie started the Kansas segment with, “Let’s talk now about Kansas because Kyle Larson is once again doing Kyle Larson things, winning both stages and the race. Dominant performance from pit crew executed, driver executed.”
When she asked Harvick what impressed him the most about Larson’s performance, the 2014 championship winner immediately replied, “All of it!”
However, before jumping into his praise for Larson, he mentioned the qualifying race on Saturday.
“It really started on Saturday, going out [Larson] dead last to qualify. And I felt bad for Chris Buescher.”
Kyle Larson DOMINATES Kansas & Reflects on Victory with Kevin Harvick be… https://t.co/TM2yPj9Qjo via @YouTube
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He then mentioned Buescher and Larson’s Kansas drama from last year: “Last year, the poor guy was sitting there celebrating. Kyle Larson gets declared the winner, drives back around to celebrate, and he’s got to drive his car back.”
Harvick praised Buescher’s sportsmanship, saying, “But he took it all in stride. I mean, Busher is the new-age ‘Iceman’. He’s always calm and cool. We’ve seen him wound up at Tyler Reddick, but I think he took it all in stride and that was definitely the story.”
In the end, Harvick added that he expected a better performance from Buescher, but the No. 17 driver nevertheless earned his respect with his actions.
‘Gut-Wrenching’ Finish at Kansas Speedway
Buescher had one of the most dramatic finishes of his career at last year’s spring race at Kansas Speedway. The RFK driver was almost declared the winner of the contest until he wasn’t. Upon reconfirmation, it was discovered that Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet was just 0.001 seconds ahead of Buescher’s Ford.
As for Sunday’s race, Larson secured the pole position, with Buescher right in the runner-up position. Larson’s dominance in the race began early on, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver was on the front line from the very beginning.
As Larson was leading the pack for pretty much the entire race, Buescher ran among the top 5 drivers in the initial laps and then in the top 10. However, he was unable to finish in the top 10 in both Stages.
Buescher finished Stage 1 and 2 in the 11th and 13th positions, respectively. However, he picked up the pace in the end and avoided any major wrecks. The No. 17 driver ended the contest with an 8th spot finish and bagged 29 points.