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Three times ... with feeling
Kyle Busch wins all three at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. – In the Bristol Motor Speedway skills competition, Kyle Busch won the punt, the pass and the kick. He fought his team’s battles, a la the Marine Corps, “in the air, on land and sea.” He rolled into town and swept a three-game series.
He took no prisoners on this compact battleground.
The junior Busch’s Irwin Tools Night Race victory completed a sweep of races in the Camping World Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series. It’s never happened before.
“This is awesome,” said Busch, who has won three of the past four Bristol races. “I’ve been trying to do this (three wins in one weekend) since I got to NASCAR. This is history, and I’m proud to make it.”
NASCAR consisted of Kyle Busch, all night, every night with the exception of Thursday, when there were no races.
Busch Brothers victories – Kyle and Kurt have now combined for nine – aren’t popular in the hills of northeast Tennessee. The winner was booed lustily in the driver introductions, and he didn’t seem to mind it a bit. In fact, to borrow a rural aphorism, he “ate it up.”
Afterwards, it was more of the same. Fans booed, and Busch enjoyed every second of it.
“I know most of these fans don’t like Kyle Busch, but it’s remarkable what he’s been able to do this weekend,” said third-place finisher Jamie McMurray.
The winner wasn’t a surprise, but the absence of Hendrick Motorsports Chevys near the front of the field – for the second race in a row -- was a shocker. A week earlier, the best HMS car finished 12th at Michigan. This time Hendrick’s “best in class” was Jeff Gordon in 11th.
The start of the race wasn’t nearly as lively as driver introductions, which featured, quite possibly, the first introductory feud in Sprint Cup history. Jimmie Johnson started on the pole and dominated the early portions, though Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards remained faintly in range.
The evening’s first noteworthy altercation occurred on lap 126, beginning with contact between the Fords of A.J. Allmendinger and David Ragan. Not slowing down fast enough was Tony Raines, whose Ford dive-bombed Stewart’s Chevy during the slowdown. Repairs in the right-rear cost Stewart track position. Kyle Busch wrested second away from Edwards on the restart at lap 132. Regan Smith’s Chevy popped the wall, bringing out another yellow flag three laps later.
Someone – Kyle Busch, naturally – finally wrested the lead away Johnson on the 172nd lap.
The night’s fourth caution period began on lap 194 for Scott Speed’s Toyota’s back-straight speed, which was roughly 25 mph. Kyle Busch led David Reutimann, Johnson and Edwards at the time.
Stewart popped the wall a second time, but the yellow flag wasn’t unfurled again until lap 253, when Bobby Labonte bounced off a wall.
The race looked as if the drivers thought the halfway point was the finish. Johnson, who had led 175 laps, found his Chevy bouncing off a wall he had been turned into by Juan Pablo Montoya’s Chevy.
As the race entered the final 150 laps, Jamie McMurray’s Chevy emerged to challenge Kyle Busch’s domination of the event. McMurray couldn’t reach Busch’s rear bumper, but while painstakingly lapping rival Brad Keselowski, Busch lost a good portion of his edge.
McMurray delivered a light tap to Busch’s bumper on lap 388, and Busch apparently got the message because McMurray ascended to the lead on the next circuit.
The leaders pitted together on the 401st lap, and Busch’s Toyota returned to the lead via faster pit service.
With 75 laps remaining, Reutimann, who had gotten the lead by pitting before Busch and McMurray, took command. Reutimann was an obstinate leader, and when Busch finally pushed his way past, he regained a considerable lead in part because runner-up Reutimann kept pursuers McMurray and Kasey Kahne at bay.
You may contact Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.
