MARTINSVILLE, Va. — When Chris Buescher takes the green flag Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, the RFK Racing driver will make the 400th NASCAR Cup Series start of his career, a milestone he admits arrived much faster than expected.

“How did that happen?” Buescher said when reflecting on the achievement, looking back on a Cup career that began in 2015 and has spanned parts of 12 seasons.

The road to 400 starts began with an unexpected phone call during Buescher’s championship-winning NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 2015. While eating breakfast in Southern California, Buescher received a call from then-Roush Fenway Racing general manager Robbie Reiser informing him that Front Row Motorsports needed a substitute driver for that weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway.

At just 22 years old, Buescher quickly left breakfast and headed to the track, making his Cup debut in the No. 34 Ford. The opportunity proved to be a pivotal moment in his career.

“I thought it was a pretty good day all things considered,” Buescher recalled of his 20th-place finish. “We didn’t tear anything up. We had speed. There was something that clicked on that day.”

The debut led to five additional Cup starts later that season before Buescher earned a full-time ride with Front Row Motorsports in 2016.

His breakthrough victory came quickly. Just 27 races into his Cup career, Buescher scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway in a rain- and fog-shortened event. The victory secured a place in the playoffs and validated his place at NASCAR’s highest level.

“The next lap, going down the straightaway I was like, man it’s getting really bad,” Buescher said with a laugh while recalling deteriorating visibility before NASCAR called the race.

That first victory launched a career that has since produced six Cup Series wins and established Buescher as one of Ford’s most consistent competitors. Through stops with Front Row Motorsports and RFK Racing, the Prosper, Texas, native has built a reputation as a driver capable of contending on a variety of tracks.

Despite reaching the 400-start mark, Buescher says he is far from considering his career complete.

“It’s cool to say that you’ve earned your place and have the right to be here for 400 starts,” Buescher said. “Whether it’s another 100 or 400. We’re not gonna count them down. I’ve not counted them to this point and I’m not going to count them beyond.”