DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Chris Buescher 17 RFK Racing Body Guard Ford waves to the crowd prior to the running of the 68th NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 15 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260215946500

Apr 27, 2026, 5:03 PM CUT

RFK’s Chris Buescher Credits Erik Jones’ Push in Strong Talladega Showing

No one knows the pain of finishing runner-up better than Chris Buescher, who came agonizingly close to a win at Talladega on April 26, ultimately crossing the line in second place for the fifth time in his career. The No. 17 RFK Racing driver controlled the front of the field for 22 laps and looked poised for victory until a last-lap pass by Carson Hocevar shuffled the order.

After the race, Buescher focused on the vital role drafting partners played in his performance. He gave significant credit to Erik Jones for keeping the No. 17 at the front during the high-speed chess match. “I'd say Jones was pushing us really well when he was behind us. They had a lot of speed, and he was really good with his pushes. Hats off to him,” Buescher remarked.

However, just when everything was going well for them, momentum shifted when Hocevar sent Jones off-track with just five laps to go.

“Unfortunately, lost him there before the end, and that hurt our chances, surely knowing that we were being grouped up on,” he explained. Without a dedicated car on his bumper to help fend off the charging packs, Buescher admitted, “It was a lonely feeling up there at times.”

TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 26: Chris Buescher 17 RFK Racing Kroger/Jack Link s Ford and Carson Hocevar 77 Spire Motorsports Chili s Ride the Dente Chevrolet race side by side during the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Jack Links 500 on April 26, 2026, at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, AL. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: APR 26 NASCAR Cup Series Jack Links 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2604263646

The final blow to his winning chances came when he had to shift into a defensive mindset against other competitors. “Ricky was doing a good job pushing, and I knew he was going to make a move… obviously, it came early and had to defend it, and just lost a lot of momentum in the process,” Buescher noted.

While the runner-up finish showed great speed, the loss of his primary pusher in the final moments proved to be the deciding factor.

Alex Bowman finds much-needed relief at Talladega

While Chris Buescher felt the frustration of a close second, Alex Bowman walked away from Talladega with a sense of accomplishment. After missing four races this season due to vertigo and sitting 36th in the standings, his third-place finish marked his first top-five since last summer. For Bowman, simply navigating the chaos without an accident was a major win.

“Things went our way there and obviously called the strategy correctly… Feels good to get a solid finish,” Bowman stated. He focused his energy on supporting his manufacturer in the final laps. “I was just wide open pushing Carson the best I could trying to give him that run, and also to try to get Chevrolet in Victory Lane… just try to push like hell and glad it worked out.”

Beyond the result, he admitted the physical and mental toll of recent crashes has been heavy. “The bigger relief for me is not to crash at a place like this,” he said. “I don't have many big hits left in me and I'm tired of crashing.”

Bowman is still 36th in the standings, while Buescher moves up four places to 7th position.

Written by

Sanskriti Pastor

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason