Nothing like a classic, antiquated spin-and-win for Kyle Busch.
Spinning his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with five laps to go in Stage 1 in Saturday’s Zippo 200, he rebounded to take the lead with 26 laps to go. Surviving a restart with three laps to go, Busch, who also suffered a pit road penalty to start Stage 2, turned into Victory Lane for the 90th time in his XFINITY Series career and first time at Watkins Glen International.
“We’ve been so close, so many times,” Busch said of getting an XFINITY win at The Glen. “Overall, finally got to check this box on the list. It was really, really fast. I knew I just had to not screw it up.”
Though Joey Logano only led a lap, the No. 12 Team Penske Ford started from pole and held a top-three spot consistently throughout the 82-lap race. Despite the speed, a battle with teammate Brad Keselowski in the last two laps hurt his chances at victory, especially after missing the final restart.
“He just got through the gears better than us,” Logano said of Busch’s flyer restart. “I needed another restart. So close… we’ve had three in a row. Second hurts a little bit but I learned some things for tomorrow.”
Keselowski took Stage 1 and finished third, saying his Ford was no match to the Toyota of Busch.
“The Toyotas are just way faster than everybody,” Keselowski said. “We just have to try and keep up.”
with Justin Allgaier the top series regular in fifth. Paul Menard was a common face in the race lead, pacing the field for 22 laps in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Kevin Harvick overcame multiple pit road penalties to slot into sixth while Ty Dillon, Erik Jones, Brendan Gaughan and William Byron, who finished his first XFINITY road race in 10th.
“Getting the first one out of the way, I feel it sets us up for the summer stretch with these road courses,” Byron said. “Hopefully, we can keep improving on it and start from where it ended today.”
Overcooked it!@KyleBusch loses control and the lead. A mistake drops the 1️⃣8️⃣ from first to third. #NASCARonNBCSN pic.twitter.com/rWFwheUXqK
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) August 5, 2017
"Good job, dad!" #KidsDriveNASCAR #XFINITYSeries pic.twitter.com/OWXH4nsrhU
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) August 5, 2017
About the author
Growing up in Easton, Pa., Zach Catanzareti has grown his auto racing interest from fandom to professional. Joining Frontstretch in 2015, Zach enjoys nothing more than being at the track, having covered his first half-season of 18 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2017. With experience behind the wheel, behind the camera and in the media center, he thrives on being an all-around reporter.
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Kyle loves to race, and win. Funny, nobody seemed to complain about Mark Martin in the 90’s when he would be the only cup driver in the busc h series. He races 236 races to get his 49 wins back then. He races usually 15 races a year at his peak and he was thrilled and elated every time he would beat those youngsters. And he was nowhere close to being the driver Kyle is in Cup. I heard cheers then, not boos. If NASCAR forces Kyle, Gibbs, and the rest of the cup guys out of trucks and xfinity, watch the sponsors jump ship like fleas.
Comparing Kyle and Mark is like Attila the Hun and Mother Teresa. Until the win was on the line.
When the win was on the line, Mark suddenly became Mother Teresa. Never saw a driver with so many top fives who so often FAILED to win.
Mark got the best finish the car could get. How many more top fives would Kyle have if he drove with his brain instead of his right foot, like Ernie Irvin?
Of course you are correct, Echo. But morons like DoninAjax give Mark a pass even when the only races he was winning were the Busch races. He stole wins from young drivers while Kyle is providing great cars for young drivers. Kyle is the real hero here. But WHINERS like Ajax can’t accept reality.
Funny too that Logano blamed Kes for holding him up and Kes blamed (OH-BOO-HOO) Toyotas for being too fast even though the second Toyota was no better than 8th. When you are irrational like FS fans, the world is full of excuses for your endless whining and cry baby attitude. Dale Sr. was the Number One Crybaby of all time, but Karma got him big time and he deserved what he got.
I do agree that Mark is more like Attia the Hun and Kyle is more like Mother Teresa. But Dale Sr. was more like Saddam Hussein, so he has them all beat for being a coward, a bully and a killer.
SmarterThanYou should read Dumberthanyou. Kyle Busch is NO F**KING HERO. YOU MUST BE A BIG KYLE “PEEWEE HERMAN” BUSCH FAN.
HE’S NO MOTHER TERESA.
ANYONE THAT CAN SAY THAT DALE SR GOT WHAT HE DESERVED BY DYING YOU MUST BE A TOTAL PIECE OF S**T..
START SIGNING IN AS DUMBERTHANYOU , THAT WOULD FIT YOU BETTER BECAUSE YOUR A DUMB MORON
Smarter Than You (LOL, the name says it all) is a Sack lover of Kyle’s! He is confident he is the smartest “it” on the internet! Go ahead just ask him. A legend in his own mind, and what a mind it is…LOL. Total sarcasm by the way.
Awww…..BOO-HOO-WHINE, WHINE! It’s what the Kyle haters do best. It’s funny because you accuse him of whining, but nobody whines like a Kyle hater.
And Evil Earnhardt did deserve to die. It’s time the Earnhardt sack carriers realized the sack is empty and always was. The man was nothing more than a bully and a coward.
You Forgot to change Your name to DumberThanYou. No Race Car Driver Deserves to DIE…… Your a Pathetic LOSER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!