Chris Buescher concluded the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season ranking 17th in the final standings, ending as the top driver not to make the playoffs. Competing for RFK Racing behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford, Buescher showed noticeable gains in qualifying performance, securing five top-five finishes and sixteen top 10s, but ultimately closed the season without a win, highlighting the main storyline for this Chris Buescher 2025 season review.
Improved Speed and Consistency Despite Playoff Miss
Although Buescher missed the Cup Series Playoffs for the second year in a row, his progression over the season was evident in the numbers and on the track. The Texan’s average starting spot improved markedly, jumping from 18.5 in 2024 to 12.5 in 2025. While he didn’t capture a pole this year, the No. 17 team started on the front row twice, notably at Kansas and Pocono, showing clear gains in single-lap speed. Buescher’s results closely paralleled his previous year, but his consistent presence at the front pushed him to lead 47 laps over the course of the season.
Close Calls and Notable Moments on the Track
Buescher’s strongest opportunity for victory surfaced at Michigan International Speedway, where he battled Denny Hamlin in a dramatic, fuel-strategy finale, narrowly coming up one position shy of a win after leading thirteen laps. This strong performance in the Blue Oval’s home state underlined his prowess at fast tracks. On the road courses, Buescher added to his reputation, placing third at Watkins Glen behind Shane van Gisbergen and Christopher Bell and delivering a fourth-place finish at the Charlotte Roval, once more highlighting his road racing skills.
At Talladega, Buescher’s hopes for a breakthrough win were dashed in the closing laps when, while leading the fall race, he was turned off the nose of William Byron and crashed heavily into the inside wall. Still, his ability to run at the front in critical moments underscored his competitiveness all year.
Remarkable Late-Season Performance
In the final ten races of 2025, Buescher finished outside the top 18 only twice, a mark of late-season consistency even as pressure for a win intensified. Reflecting on the persistent playoff stakes and the need for victories, Buescher commented:
“Fast race cars bring points with them. I think if we stick with this over the next handful of weeks, um, that part will come with it. Again, I think we figured for the last couple of months, it’s gonna be a must-win situation. I feel like these playoffs constantly do that, and you get to the end, and one or two slip in on points. But you gotta win races.”
— Buescher on playoff pressure in a post-race interview with Amazon Prime Video at Pocono.
The Road Ahead for Buescher and RFK Racing
Despite RFK Racing missing both postseason contention and a trip to Victory Lane in 2025, prospects for improvement remain strong. With RFK expanding to a three-car organization that now includes Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski as teammates alongside Buescher, the No. 17 crew benefits from additional resources and fresh perspectives looking forward to 2026. This past season’s second-half progress, paired with experience gained in the expanded team format, offers optimism that Buescher might again produce the kind of inspired drives last seen in his successful 2023 and 2024 campaigns, where he led more than 200 laps in each.
As Buescher enters another season with momentum and a stronger team infrastructure, he and his fellow drivers will likely be key figures to watch as the new year unfolds, with the promise of potential race wins and playoff contention on the horizon.
