NASCAR results 2016: Full finishing order for Pennsylvania 400

A wacky day filled with rain, fog and lightning was capped with an unexpected driver standing in victory lane celebrating his first career win Monday at Pocono Raceway.

Using a strategy call by crew chief Bob Osborne, rookie Chris Buescher vaulted into the lead on Lap 127 of a scheduled 160 in the Pennsylvania 400, originally slated for Sunday afternoon but postponed due to rain.

Buescher continued to maintain that top position when fog forced NASCAR to temporarily halt the proceedings. NASCAR waited more than 80 minutes for the fog to lift off the 2.5-mile track, but during the stoppage lightning in the area further complicated matters, eventually forcing the sanctioning body to declare the event over with 22 laps remaining. A race is deemed official when half the scheduled distance is run.

The win was Buescher’s first and the second for Front Row Motorsports, an underfunded organization competing without the same level of resources as the sport’s premier teams.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Buescher said. “Pretty wild day. Pretty eventful weekend. A lot of things worked out really well there at the end, and some things that I thought were heading in the wrong direction when I cut a rear tire down just trying to avoid a wreck, and we ended up in a good spot there at the end.

“Bob made a good call to hold out on the weather and make sure that we could run as far out on fuel as we possibly could, and it worked out really well. The weather got here just when we needed it to.”

Buescher earned a promotion to Sprint Cup after winning the 2015 Xfinity Series championship. But without a top-tier ride available, Ford and Roush Fenway Racing (which holds Buescher’s contract) farmed him out to Front Row and paired him with the veteran Osborne, who had won 18 races working with Carl Edwards at Roush.

The 23-yer-old Buescher was making his 27th career Sprint Cup start. His previous best finish was 14th, coming a week ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he’s the first rookie winner since Joey Logano at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2009.

Although Buescher is now a Cup race winner, he still remains ineligible for NASCAR’s playoffs. To gain eligibility he must finish 30th or better in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season. With five races remaining, he trails 30th-ranked David Ragan by six points.

“We’re in a good spot, and we can definitely make up those six points,” Buescher said. “We’re going to try and get a lot more than that and be ready when the Chase does start to make sure we can advance as it goes through.”

Even with the one-day delay, Monday’s race still encountered inclement weather throughout. Around the halfway point a front moved in that made rain seem likely, eliciting a spirited battle between Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon for the lead. As Dillon attempted to pass underneath Larson, he slid up into the No. 42 car allowing third-place Joey Logano to swoop by both.

When sprinkles began falling shortly thereafter with Logano leading, it appeared the Team Penske driver would record his second victory of the season. Eventually the rain moved past and the race continued.

Brad Keselowski finished second, followed by Regan Smith in third.

Despite unusual circumstances, multiple drivers commended Buescher and Front Row for winning on Monday. As they waited out the delay on pit road and with the race seemingly decided, Keselowski approached Buescher to congratulate him.

“I just told him that if I couldn’t win it was cool to see him win,” Keselowski said. “I think he was excited, but he’s kind of the humble, quiet, excited type of guy.”

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart completed the top five finishers.

Pennsylvania 400 results