Chris Buescher’s task, should he accomplish it Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, is no small feat.

Buescher will try to parlay his improbable victory at a rain-shortened race this summer into a coveted berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Making NASCAR’s playoffs would be a coup for Buescher and Denver-based Front Row Motorsports, an improbable participant in the Chase.

Buescher is eligible for the Chase by virtue of his August victory at Pocono. But the rules require the 16 drivers that make the Chase to be ranked 30th or higher in the standings, and Buescher is barely at that mark.

He goes into Saturday night’s race with an 11-point lead over David Ragan for 30th in the standings. So Buescher needs a plan on how to race the regular-season finale.

“We are not in a full defensive mode,” he said Friday at the Virginia race track.