FORT WORTH, Texas — Recap by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
Kyle Busch’s only complaint about Saturday night’s Duck Commander 500 from Texas Motor Speedway revolved around the broom he was handed in victory lane.
“This one looks recycled,” the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion quipped after winning his 36th career series race and sweeping an XFINITY-Cup dubleheader weekend for the ninth time in his career.
Busch took the lead off an aggressive restart with 33 laps to go, overhauling leader Martin Truex Jr. after a late-race pit stop for fresh tires and never looking back as he raced to a 3.904-second victory over perennial fan favorite and former Texas winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In a race that ultimately finished in the early minutes of Sunday morning after a two hour rain delay prior to the initial start, Busch’s eventual triumph was also his second Sprint Cup win of the season and his __ at TMS.
“This race was all about communication,” Busch said of the key to his fourth straight victory across NASCAR’s top three series. “We just had to keep talking about (the car) and keep making changes to it so we could keep trying to make it better. This Interstate Batteries Camry was fast. It had really good speed in it, especially (on corner) entry and (through the) center of the corner — but we really had to work on the exit of the corner. … Adam made some great adjustments all night long. I think the race track kept coming to us as the night progressed and it ultimately paid off for us.”
The race win was also a home win for longtime Joe Gibbs Racing sponsor Interstate Batteries, which is celebrating 25 years of partnership with the team in 2016 and adorned the sides of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota in the Lone Star State.
“What better way (is there) than to celebrate 25 years of a partnership (with Interstate Batteries) right here in victory lane with them in their hometown in Texas?” the Las Vegas native added. “That’s pretty special.”
“It’s cool to be here in victory lane here at Texas as well, and I’m sure looking forward to them six-shooters.”
The restart in which Busch got the better of Truex came off a lap 293 caution in which Denny Hamlin got into Austin Dillon slightly in turn two, causing Dillon to get loose and ultimately spin across the pack. The ensuing calamity resulted in a 13-car crash that shuffled the mid-pack deck and tightened up the field ahead of the final run to the checkered flag.
Truex, who had led a race-high 141 laps to that point, had elected not to pit for tires during the previous yellow flag period at lap 287 and led the field back to green. However, he faded quickly on the inside as Busch powered through the restart lap, and once Rowdy was out in front, it was no contest but for the positions behind him as the reigning champion never trailed again en route to the victory.
Behind him, Earnhardt passed Joey Logano for second with nine laps to go and held the position all the way to the finish, notching his best Sprint Cup finish of the still-young season and his best finish at Texas since November of 2013 — when he also finished as the runner-up.
“We had a fast car, probably good enough to win,” the 12-time Most Popular Driver said. “Martin (Truex Jr.) probably had the best car but the best car doesn’t always win. Kyle did a great job on the outside on that one restart, and to be honest, Truex’s tires were worse than I thought (they were).”
“We finished up there where we should have, but we need a win. We’d love to get a win. I know our fans want a win real bad and trust me, we’re working real hard. We’re running great every week and we’ll get there soon.”
Logano, six-time Texas winner Jimmie Johnson and rookie Chase Elliott rounded out the top five, with Elliott’s run marking his career-best Sprint Cup finish in 12 starts.
The race actually began under green-yellow conditions, with five laps ticking by before the field was turned loose for the first time. A competition caution at lap 29 slowed the early pace, but once the race began to establish out into solid green flag runs, the story of the race revolved around two of Busch’s Toyota stablemates — polesitter Carl Edwards and Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr.
(Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for NASCAR photo)
The duo combined to lead 265 of 334 laps on the night, including 204 of the first 209 laps, before a lengthy caution on the 210th circuit for a crashed Josh Wise began to shift the complexion of the race. That caution set up a set of pit stops in which Edwards’ team did not get the right-front wheel secure on his No. 19 STANLEY Tools Toyota, forcing him back to pit road under green flag conditions with a loose wheel on lap 223.
That opened the door for another JGR Toyota — the No. 20 of Matt Kenseth — to lead the way until Truex passed him back for the lead with 99 rounds remaining. The Mayetta, New Jersey pilot would hold the top spot until he peeled off for a pit stop on lap 260 and handed the point to Ford young gun Trevor Bayne, who was trying to make the last run work on one pit stop.
Bayne’s strategy might have paid off as well, if it hadn’t been for a caution just after he made that final stop with 59 to go. Debris on the frontstretch would be the first of three cautions between laps 278 and 293, with the second caution in that series (for a crash involving Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne) marking the point at which Truex stayed out and the tide ultimately turned.
Truex faded to sixth at the finish, but stood by his crew chief after the race.
“It was Cole’s call (to stay out) and he called me in at the last second, but it was too late at that point,” he explained. “Our plan was to stay out — and I didn’t want to hit the cone, so that’s just the way it goes. I think had we went green … we’d have been okay, but we kept getting yellows and caution laps and the tires got more and more air in them. By the time we finally got rolling there, we just didn’t have the grip everyone else had and were just sliding around (too much).”
“It’s frustrating, but that’s racing. That’s the way it goes sometimes. I’m proud of my guys for the race car they bought and the thing was so fast all night. We did everything we were supposed to do except for on that one deal there. It hurts, it’s tough, but we’ve got a lot to look forward to this year. … We’ll just go back home and get to work and hopefully come out (of this one) smarter and stronger.”
Edwards rallied from the loose wheel to finish seventh over the final 110 laps, with Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick capping off the top 10.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action on Sunday, April 17 with the Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway.
RESULTS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Duck Commander 500; Texas Motor Speedway; April 9, 2016
- Kyle Busch
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Joey Logano
- Jimmie Johnson
- Chase Elliott
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Carl Edwards
- Kasey Kahne
- Kurt Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Denny Hamlin
- Jamie McMurray
- Kyle Larson
- Trevor Bayne
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ryan Newman
- Brad Keselowski
- Austin Dillon
- Ty Dillon
- Danica Patrick
- A.J. Allmendinger
- Casey Mears
- Aric Almirola
- Landon Cassill
- Paul Menard
- Brian Scott
- Chris Buescher
- Ryan Blaney
- Cole Whitt
- Regan Smith
- Michael Annett
- David Ragan
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Jeffrey Earnhardt
- Reed Sorenson
- Brian Vickers
- Clint Bowyer
- Greg Biffle
- Josh Wise
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: [email protected]
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