Strong Run Goes Up In Smoke For James Buescher

Topics:  James Buescher, Governor’s Cup 200

Chris Knight
Country Joe Racing
August 28, 2007

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (August 28, 2007) – - There’s no doubt that James Buescher was in place to score his fifth consecutive top-10 finish in Sunday’s Governor’s Cup 200, but an engine failure 66 laps from the finish took Buescher from the hunt and instead delivered a soggy finish.

Buescher entered The Milwaukee Mile weekend on the heels of a strong run at Bristol Motor Speedway in the USAR Hooter’s Pro Cup Series with the 17-year old phenomenon looked to swing that success over to “The Magic Mile.”

To no surprise, the Country Joe Racing team was strong off the bat during the lone practice session of the weekend. During the hour and fifteen minute session, Buescher flirted with the top spot for much of the session. The team ended up fourth overall (30.881 seconds, 116.577 MPH) at the conclusion of the run giving the team good vibes about the remainder of the weekend.

“The car is good, real good,” said Buescher. “I owe it all to the guys on the Country Joe Racing team. They give me a great car; I’m just the lucky guy that gets to drive it.”

Heading into ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying, Buescher was looking to score his first career ARCA pole. During his two lap hustle around the famed oval, the rising star posted a fast lap of 30.451 seconds at 118.223 putting the Mercedes Homes-Red Line Oil Dodge Intrepid on the outside of the front row.

“One of these days, we’re going to get the pole,” explained Buescher. “But, we’re not going to complain about second, it’s a great starting spot. The car is very strong, we have the chance of winning the race and that’s what we plan to do.”

Under perfect racing conditions, Buescher was prepared for the Governor’s Cup 200.

At the start of the 200-lap event, Buescher quickly settled into the second position.

Keeping leader Michael McDowell in close view, the avid race competitor was studying the No. 2 Dodge looking for a way around the fellow rookie and take control of the event.

The first caution flag waived on lap nine with Buescher second. Reporting the car was strong and competitive, he informed the crew he would not make the move until the time was right.

On the restart, McDowell would continue to lead, but Buescher would continue to fight for the top spot before overtaking the ESR (Eddie Sharp Racing) machine on lap 27.

At the front and in control, Buescher would hold the top spot for an impressive 29 laps before the caution flag waived allowing the team to make their pit stop. Under the direction of crew chief Mike Chaffee, the team changed four tires and added Sunoco Racing fuel before sending their rookie driver back into battle.

Back to racing, Buescher would patiently and quietly begin to work his way through the diverse and competitive field. With cheerleading and coaching from the spotting tower and pit road, Buescher would inch his way back into the lead on lap 90.

Despite losing the lead on lap 91, Buescher would continue to hover inside the top-five and would make his presence known by stalking his fellow competitors looking to gain the top spot back.

Sitting comfortable in the top-three, lap 134 would change the day for the Country Joe Racing team. As Buescher entered turn one, the motor expired on the No. 32 causing the rear end to lock up, sending the machine for a spin and into the wall.

The impact would cause damage to the right side of the machine forcing the caution flag to be waived with Buescher climbing from the car uninjured. The stout day turned disappointing would result in a 28th place finish.

“We had a good day going,” he said. “The car was on the money and we really had a shot at the win. I went into the turn and the motor gave and around I went. I’m sorry to the Country Joe Racing team. They gave me a great car. We led some laps and everyone knew we were here. We’ll just have to pick up from this race and move onto the next one.”

Nate Thiesse, Director of Operations for Country Joe Racing noted, “Everyone is extremely pleased with James performance this weekend at The Milwaukee Mile. He did a great job; we just had a mechanical failure that kept us from scoring another strong run. We’re looking forward to have James back in a couple weeks and we’ll look to finish what we started.”

Next up for the ARCA RE/MAX Series is a stop at Gateway International Raceway, a track that oversees the famed Gateway Arch. The Gateway ARCA 150 is a one-day show with practice and qualifying setting the field for the 18th event of the 2007 season. The green flag is scheduled to waive at 8:00pm Local Time with live coverage on SPEED.

For more on Country Joe Racing, please visit CountryJoeRacing.com

###

MEDIA CONTACT:
NAME: Chris Knight, County Joe Racing
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: knight849@aol.com