Chris Buescher Could Be Texas’ Next NASCAR Champion

As the 2026 NASCAR season is winding down, the Chase for the Cup is about to begin. 16 drivers have a chance to become the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion; one of them just happens to be a Texas native.

Prosper's Chris Buescher has the chance to be the 2026 NASCAR Champion

The lone driver from Texas in the NASCAR Cup Series is the driver of the #17 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing; Chris Buescher from Prosper, Texas. The 33 year old Texas native has been driving in the Cup Series full time since 2016 & he's looking to finally take home the trophy this year.

While he has yet to pick up a win in 2026, he HAS driven consistently well to clinch a playoff spot to fight in the Chase on September 6. Chris has 2 Top 5 Finishes, 10 Top 10 Finishes & only 1 DNF with an average finish of 13th place this season & sits at 10th place overall. Chris has a total of 6 career wins; his last win came in 2024 at Watkins Glen, where he missed the playoffs entirely, so he's itching to get a win IN the playoffs.

Chris has made the playoffs twice in career; in 2016 (where he finished in 16th place) & 2023 (where he finished in 7th place in the standings). Chris HAS won NASCAR championships before; Chris was the 2012 ARCA Champion & the 2015 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion. Now he's hoping to add a NASCAR Cup Series trophy to his collection.

How many NASCAR champions are from Texas?

In the modern era of NASCAR, 1972-present, only 2 drivers have represented the state of Texas to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championships. Both Terry & Bobby Labonte from Corpus Christi have gone on to become NASCAR champions; Terry is a two-time NASCAR champion (1984 & 1996) & Bobby won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship back in 2000. So that's two drivers with 3 championships in total.

That's 26 years of not seeing a driver from Texas to take home the gold. Will we see that 2 decade drought come to an end? We will find out once the Chase starts in September.

If you want to read more NASCAR stories, you can read about how the city of El Paso become sponsored in a NASCAR race here.

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The History of NASCAR in 30 Stunning Photos

Ever since its inception in the late 1940s, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — better known as NASCAR — has been full incredible moments, history-defining wins and heart-pounding photo finishes. Keep reading to look back at some of the powerful images that tell NASCAR's story.

Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak

Old-School NASCAR Car Logos That Are Still Cool Today

It's pretty common for NASCAR rides to switch designs week to week, but back in the '90s, when the cars had to be actually painted versus wrapped like today, rides stuck with designs for weeks at a time.

Some of these paint jobs never would see the light of day in today's world. Let's run down some some classic NASCAR sponsor paint jobs as well as some forgotten ones.

Gallery Credit: Wood

Source: Texas Has Waited 26 Years for a NASCAR Champion. Could 2026 Be the Year?

Filed Under: Texas, NASCAR