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2016 Team Reviews: Front Row Motorsports
Did you know we’re closer to the start of the 2017 Daytona 500 than we are to when the Chase began at Chicago in September? Crazy.
But before we start getting ready for 2017, let’s take a look back at 2016.
FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Drivers: Chris Buescher, Landon Cassill
Buescher
Points position: 16th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 2
Cassill
Points position: 29th (did not run for Cup points in 2015)
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 0
Buescher’s rain-delayed and shortened win at Pocono was the team’s second win ever. And it vaulted Front Row into its first-ever Chase berth.
But if you thought Buescher was going to be a factor in the Chase, you were sadly mistaken. It’s not a jab to say that Buescher lucked into his win at Pocono. It’s the truth. The team didn’t pit as fog enveloped the track while contenders played it safe, assuming the race wouldn’t be restarted.
Buescher was so far back in the pack that he didn’t have to play it safe. It worked, as he stayed ahead of Brad Keselowski and ended up with the win.
He got a fifth-place finish a few weeks later at Bristol and that was about it for the joy of 2016. His best finishes the rest of the season were a 16th at Charlotte and a 17th at Darlington. He didn’t finish inside the top 20 anywhere else since the win.
As a Roush driver, Buescher had the benefit of a strong alliance between Roush Fenway Racing and Front Row, especially after he was going to be in the Chase. Cassill didn’t have that, yet his average finish of 26.3 was marginally worse than Buescher’s 26.1.
He did that by avoiding disaster. Cassill completed 10,286 laps in 2016. Only five drivers completed more. And with the exception of Danica Patrick, all those drivers had at least 13 top-10 finishes.
Cassill’s best finish came at Talladega in the spring where he finished 11th. Outside of restrictor plate tracks it was a 16th-place finish at Fontana.
He’ll be back with the team in 2017 alongside new teammate David Ragan. Cassill is also swapping to the No. 34 in 2017, so we’ll see if he’ll get better equipment as Buescher heads over to JTG-Daugherty Racing. Don’t be surprised if Cassill breaks into the top 25 in the standings for the first time in his career.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
