NASCAR
Kyle Busch Pulls Off Richmond Season Sweep, Earns 50th Career Win in Cup Series
After starting 39th, Kyle Busch pulled off another miracle win at Richmond Raceway, this time in the Playoffs. Not only does this win lock him into Round 2 of the Playoffs, this marks Kyle’s 50th career win. This is also Busch’s 7th win of 2018, a record that ties him with Kevin Harvick.
Coming off of an attrition-filled race at Las Vegas, this race at Richmond was relatively calm. Outside of the 2 stage breaks, there was only 1 other caution to stop the action. The long green flag runs proved very helpful for some drivers who had issues early in the stages. In addition, the long run to the finish of the race led to a great battle for the win.
A Tale of 2 Stages for Toyota Racing Drivers
Even though Kevin Harvick started the night on the pole, Martin Truex Jr was hunting him down from the outset. On lap 41, Truex finally passed Harvick for the top spot, and never looked back. Truex would win Stage 1, in a very similar fashion to last week in Las Vegas. Truex was more than determined to win this race, it would have marked his first career short track win.
After a costly crash in Las Vegas, Denny Hamlin came into Richmond needing a strong run. With his past history here, many expected him to be in the mix for a win. While running 6th on lap 54, Denny Hamlin was spun by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The 17 was much faster on new tires, and unexpectedly caught the 11 faster than anticipated. Hamlin was able to catch himself mid-spin, and immediately pitted for new tires. This would see him go a lap down, but his new tires would prevail. Lap 82 would see him un-lap himself. By the stage break on lap 100, Hamlin was in 9th, earning 2 valuable stage points.
Strong Performances and Comebacks in Stage 2
Stage 2 was much of the same for Truex and the 78 team. They led the entire stage after passing Brad Keselowski for the top spot on lap 105. By sweeping both stages, Truex gained 22 points, which would put him only 10 bonus points behind Harvick.
Another few Playoff drivers would have impressive drives in Stage 2. Both Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano made green flag pit stops midway through the stage. This strategy call would put them both a lap down. They were both able to rally back by the leaders and get back on the lead lap. Logano made it all the way up to the 10th position by the lap 200 stage break. This would gain the 22 team 1 stage point. Bowyer, who had a very rough night up until this point, would finish Stage 2 in 19th.
Costly Pit Stop for Front Running Team
In the pit stop after the Stage 2 conclusion, Martin Truex Jr would be penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation. This mistake would force Truex to give up all of his track position. He would restart in 19th position, but at the tail end of the longest line. The final 200 lap stage would be quite the rally for the 78 team. Though gaining positions started out slow for them, the 78 would be in the top 5 again by lap 350. With only 1 caution however, the 78 was not able to catch the leaders. The strong comeback for the 78 would end with them taking home a 3rd place finish.
Hard Racing for the Lead Late in the Final Run
The 1 non-stage ending yellow flag would be on lap 325, for Jeffrey Earnhardt spinning after contact from Matt Kenseth. The last restart would come with 67 to go, with Kyle Busch leading over Harvick, Keselowski, and Chase Elliott. Busch initially fired away on the restart, but Keselowski would pass him on lap 342. The 2 veterans would spend several laps racing hard, door-to-door for the lead. This allowed 3rd-place Kevin Harvick to creep into the fight for the lead. After driving deep into corner entry for several laps, Busch finally cleared Keselowski for the final time on lap 364.
After a valiant effort to keep the lead, Keselowski had no tires left on his car for the last run. Rather than winning a 4th-consecutive race, the 2 car would fade all the way back to 9th in the final 30 laps.
The closing laps saw Harvick closing in on Busch. Harvick was trying to take the lead away to score his record-8th win of the year. However, Harvick ran out of time, and Busch won by a margin of 7 tenths of a second.
The top 10 finishers from race 2 of the Playoffs at Richmond were Busch, Harvick, Truex, Elliott, Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, and Clint Bowyer. Strangely enough, this is the 1st time this year where the ‘Big 3’ drivers have actually finished 1-2-3.
Significance of 50th Career Win for Busch
Aside from the Playoff implications, Kyle Busch scoring his 50th career win in the Cup Series is a high point. Busch is only the 13th driver in NASCAR history to reach the 50th career win mark. He is the 4th-youngest driver to reach this win total. Before Richmond, Busch was tied with Tony Stewart for 14th on the all-time win list. Now, he is tied for 11th with Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett. Jimmie Johnson is the only other active driver to also score his 50th career win. Not far above Busch on this list is Rusty Wallace, with 55 career wins. Only time will tell if and when Busch will surpass Wallace.
In terms of the 2018 Playoffs, Busch winning at Richmond is equally as important. By locking himself into Round 2 of the Playoffs, Busch does not need to worry about the wild card race next week at the Charlotte Roval. In addition to Busch, Truex also locked himself into Round 2 by finishing 3rd. 13 drivers now head to the Charlotte Roval racing for 9 spots left in Round 2.
How to Watch the Next Race
Up next for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is Playoff Elimination Race 1 at the Charlotte Roval. This race in particular is one of the most anticipated events in recent memory. With the Charlotte Roval being an elimination race, 4 driver’s Playoff hopes will end here. The Bank of America Roval 400 will be next Sunday, September 30th, at 2 PM EST. Coverage will be on NBC, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. TSJSports will also be on hand at the Charlotte Roval. The Charlotte Roval is sure to be a wild race for the Playoffs, so be sure to tune in!
