VENUE: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES (RACE 25 OF 25)
DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2009 (134 LAPS, 201 MILES)
BUESCHER AT HOMESTEAD: Buescher has made one career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as he competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ season-finale event last year (2008). Piloting the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports entry, Buescher started from the 10th position and finished in 18th-place, while completing 100% of the laps competed in his Truck Series debut.
CHASSIS INFORMATION: This week, crew chief Jamie Jones and the No. 10 MaxxForce International Ford team will unload Circle Bar Racing chassis CB-16. This will be the fourth race for this particular Ford F-150, as Buescher drove it to a 20th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway, a 13th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and most recently a 17th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
LAST CHANCE: As the white flag waves on the 2009 season, Buescher currently sits third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings and has one more opportunity to gain ground on his fellow competitors. The youngster is only 15 points behind second-place Tayler Malsam, while first-place Johnny Sauter has all but wrapped up the title with a 58 point lead. Buescher has claimed Rookie of the Race honors four times this season (Martinsville 1, Milwaukee, ORP, Martinsville 2).
COMING TO THE WHITE FLAG: Through the first 24 races of the 2009 NCWTS season, Buescher and his No. 10 MaxxForce International Ford team have recorded one top-five finish and three top-10 finishes, along with 13 top-15 efforts. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate has completed 92.8% of all laps competed (3594 of 3873). Buescher currently sits in the 14th position in the NCWTS Championship point standings, 115 markers behind 13th-place Terry Cook.
DID YOU KNOW?: One year ago as the 2008 Truck Series season was coming to a close, Buescher made his series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Texas native has since competed in every race across the country and will complete his first full-time season in NASCAR this weekend.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: As another season closes when the checkered flag waves on Friday night, Buescher will look ahead to his future plans in NASCAR. Previously announced earlier this month, Buescher will pilot the No. 1 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing full-time in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series, in addition to competing part-time in the Truck Series for Turner Motorsports.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: As the Truck Series headed to the Valley of the Sun last week, Buescher returned to a track which the rookie had previously competed at twice in his career – Phoenix International Raceway, the site of his first NASCAR start in 2008. Buescher started the Lucas Oil 150 from the 21st position and steadily moved into the top-15, where the No. 10 MaxxForce International Ford F-150 consistently ran for the majority of the race. Unfortunately, with three laps remaining in the event, Buescher and a fellow competitor made contact, which sent the youngster into the wall and relegated the Circle Bar Racing team to a 23rd-place finish.
STAY UP TO SPEED: The Ford 200 from Homestead-Miami Speedway will take the green flag Friday, November 20th at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 7:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 7:30 P.M. Eastern. In addition, NCWTS Practice can be seen on SPEED, Thursday evening at 6:30 P.M. Eastern, as well as qualifying, Friday at 5:00 P.M. Eastern.
BUESCHER (On racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway):
“Homestead is a cool place to race at. I made my first Truck Series start there last year and I was able to learn a lot about how to get around the track. Going back for a second time is always something that helps during practice because we can focus on getting our truck handling the best it possibly can. Hopefully my MaxxForce International Ford guys and I can finish out 2009 with a strong run, contending for the win, just like we started the season in Daytona.”- James Buescher Racing Press Release