Chris Buescher enjoying perks Xfinity championship provides

The celebratory tour included a stop in New York City, where Chris Buescher got his photo atop the Empire State Building and a sojourn to Philadelphia where the 23-year-old visited Independence Hall, attended an Eagles game and just as Sylvester Stallone famously performed in “Rocky,” ran the steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Those perks came by way of winning the Xfinity Series championship, which Buescher did on the strength of two wins, 11 top fives and 20 top-10 finishes in 33 races. But the best reward came in the form of a promotion to the Sprint Cup Series when Front Row Motorsports tabbed him to drive its No. 34 Ford next season.

“It’s pretty awesome and incredibly neat,” Buescher told SB Nation in a phone interview. “I’m so thankful for these opportunities. This is something I’ve dreamt about since I was 12 years old.”

That Buescher’s career is on the ascent is a rapid about-face from where it stood not too long ago. While he captured the 2012 ARCA championship, a lack of sponsorship prevented him from landing a full-time ride with Roush Fenway Racing, forcing him into a behind-the-scenes role to maintain a presence within the sport.

Eventually the perseverance paid off and when enough sponsorship materialized in 2014, Buescher began competing full-time in NASCAR’s No. 2 division. He finished second to Chase Elliott for Rookie of the Year honors, a respectable seventh overall in points and scored a career-first victory, all of which validated the widespread belief he was a top prospect. A notion solidified further by finishing every race and completing all but seven laps during his title run.

Ideally, Buescher’s accomplishment would have warranted him a chance to advance upwards, just as Elliott parlayed his 2014 Xfinity championship into being named Jeff Gordon’s successor. However, despite credentials indicating he was deserving, the familiar issue of no sponsorship again stood in Buescher’s path, seemingly ensuring another season of Xfinity competition.

Then unexpectedly something came together in the form of a team hoping to grow beyond its current state of a mid-size outfit that’s won just a lone race in 668 starts spread amongst multiple entries.

In an effort to better its performance, Front Row is entering into a technical alliance with Roush, Ford’s flagship team, for 2016. That pact calls for Roush to not just supply cars and data, but also a driver.

“It’s what I’ve been trying to get to since I was little,” Buescher said. “I remember being on the couch at home as a kid on Sundays watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson race and all these guys. Just to be able to be in the same race as these guys is cool.

“To know that I was able to make it from a couch in a living room in Prosper, Texas, to make it in racing, that’s really special.”

Although the arrangement doesn’t ensure Buescher a full slate of Cup events in 2016 and Front Row has struggled with competitiveness, it does beat the alternative. He is set to run a minimum of 20 races, and if funding can be secured it’s a schedule that could easily expand.

And regardless of what it is not, it is an opportunity. Which is all Buescher wants.

“It all happened so sudden,” Buescher said. “It’s going to be a huge step and I’m very fortunate. I was able to build my name up in Xfinity, and now I get to go to the main stage and play with the big guys.

“I asked for all this and it’s really neat to pull this all off.”