(WOMR file photo)
There seems to be two undelying themes in NASCAR over the last 4-6 weeks, several of the race outcomes have been determined by the lack of fuel remaining in the tanks, and the other, and probably more important theme, is resurrgence of Kyle Busch.
When Chris Buescher’s Ford faltered on a green-white-checkered restart on last night at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch took full advantage of that gimme, as is his custom.
In the Food City 300 that went to two laps of overtime at the .533-mile short track, Busch finished .427 seconds ahead of Kyle Larson, as Buescher faded to 11th after his car failed to pick up fuel off Turn 2 of the next-to-last lap.
Extending his own XFINITY series record, KyBu picked up his 73rd series vicrory Friday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway.
“This is home — this is where I’m supposed to be,” Busch said, standing outside the car in Victory Lane. “I wish I was here Wednesday night (after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race), so we could continue the sweep lookout for (Saturday), but that was a second place. Oh, well.”
Polesitter Denny Hamlin ran third, followed by Ty Dillon and Daniel Suarez, who got a bonus for his top-five run. As the highest finishing eligible driver in the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash program, Suarez picked up an extra $100,000, that is US dollars, not pesos!
“I let the 60 (Buescher) go,” Busch said. “He ran out there to about a straightaway on us, and I was just trying to save and do what I could to keep my tires underneath me. I knew we were going to get some cautions at the end to bunch us back up, and fortunately we did.
“I wasn’t sure they were going to make it on fuel (having pitted on lap 131 of 302), and obviously they cut it close — a little too close.”
Busch got the yellow he needed, just in time. Brad Teague’s wreck on the frontstretch with five laps left set up the green-white-checkered and gave Busch the chance he needed. And has been the overwhelming theme since KyBu has returned to racing, if given a reasonable shot at a victory, The Shub has been able to pull the rabbit out of his helmet!
That shot in the dark chance happened to Busch on the final restart, lap 300 as the race went into overtime. Buescher got an excellent restart and edged Busch out as they entered turn 1, but on the exit of turn 2 Buescher’s engine began to falter due to fuel starvation. That is when KyBu blew past Buescher to take the checkered flag.
The victory in the Food City 300 was career win number 150 for The Shrub!
For the two drivers, Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney, who are doing triple duty this weekend at Bristol, there will be nobody grabbing the broom for a sweep!
Check out the unofficial results of the Food City 300.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
