The "Big One" collects James Buescher at Talladega ARCA 250

[NickHolt]

JAMES BUESCHER/NO. 51 PHOENIX RACING ENTRY POST-RACE REPORT

 

VENUE: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY (2.66-MILE TRI-OVAL)

 

CIRCUIT: ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY RE/MAX AND MENARDS (RACE 5 OF 20)

 

RACE: TALLADEGA ARCA 250 (94 LAPS, 250 MILES)

 

DATE: APRIL 23, 2010

 

START: 7th

 

FINISH: 30th

 

RACE RECAP:

 

- James Buescher and his Phoenix Racing team took to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Thursday for two practice sessions and qualifying. After two solid practices, Buescher was confident heading into the qualifying session to determine where his No. 51 entry would start the 94-lap race. In his most recent ARCA Racing Series event at the 2.66-mile tri-oval, Buescher put his car on the pole, but on Thursday, the young gun came up a little short, placing his Phoenix Racing car in the seventh position.

 

- On Friday afternoon, the Talladega ARCA 250 began under sunny skies, with Buescher on the inside of row four. By the completion of lap one, Buescher had quickly gain three positions to claim fourth-place. The front pack moved into a single-file line until the first caution waved on lap 19.

 

- Only a handful of lead-lap cars elected to come to pit road allowing the field to restart on lap 22. Buescher slid up into the high line, looking to move to the front of the pack. Without much drafting help, the No. 51 slide back a few positions to seventh-place as the second caution slowed the field on lap 24.

 

- As the field used varying pit strategies, the majority of the 42-car field came to pit road under this caution for tires and to top off with fuel. Since Buescher remained on the track, the Texas native restarted on lap 33 from the third position.

 

- Buescher, with older tires than the rest of the field, continued to run up front, but the 20-year-old moved from the low to the high line searching for the right lane to be positioned in. Unfortunately, Buescher fell back to 18th-place on lap 43, but still had plenty of time to make his charge back to the leaders.

 

- Using patience to regain the positions lost, Buescher began his assault back towards the front competitors. Quickly Buescher claimed his spot back inside the top-15, but on lap 50, the “big one” happened, which included a total of eight cars. Buescher’s spotter didn’t offer much guidance to help the youngster through the smoke that hindered the front windshield of the No. 51. Doing his best to make it through the spinning cars, Buescher almost made it when he received front-end damage as he ran into a fellow competitor. The damage sustained to the Phoenix Racing car affected the aero-dynamic package, ending the day for Buescher and relegating the team to a 30th-place finish.

 

Dakota Armstrong won the Talladega ARCA 250. Patrick Sheltra, Tim George Jr., Craig Goess, and Mikey Kile completed the top-five finishing positions.

 

FAST FACTS:

 

- The caution flag waved for a total of four times, accounting for 28 of 94 laps.

 

- Buescher and his Phoenix Racing team will return to NASCAR Nationwide Series action this Friday, April 30, 2010, for racing under the lights at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Live coverage from the Virginia short track can be seen on ESPN2, beginning at 7 PM Eastern.

 

JAMES BUESCHER QUOTE:

 

“I had a really good Phoenix Racing car this weekend for the ARCA race. It was the same car that I finished fourth with in February and won with in 2009 at Daytona, so we knew it was a good piece to bring back to the track. We ran up front there for awhile and it really felt good. I moved lanes a few times to see how my car would react when we got down to the final few laps, but unfortunately we didn’t make it that long. When that big one happened I couldn’t see out the windshield because of the smoke and all I heard was ‘Good Luck.’ So, I tried my best to get through the cars but there wasn’t much I could do. It’s really disappointing because I know we had a car to compete for the win.”