Busch outduels Harvick for victory
Driver’s 50th career win denies Keselowski his fourth in a row
Kyle Busch is starting to wonder why he even spends time trying to qualify well at Richmond Raceway.
Five months after winning the spring race on the 0.75-mile oval from the 32nd starting spot, Busch did even better Saturday night, winning from 39th to complete a season sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series races.
“Yeah, I’m not going to qualify here anymore,” he said after his 50th career victory, sixth at Richmond and first in the fall. “It’s a waste of time for us.”
Besides, once the green flag flies, his fortunes change.
Sent to the rear of the field at the start because of unauthorized adjustments to his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Busch passed Brad Keselowski with 38 laps to go and held off hardcharging Kevin Harvick.
“To start dead last, come up through the field and win this thing? That’s right Rowdy Nation. All for you, baby,” Busch said after climbing from his car. “I finally won a fall race here at Richmond.”
Harvick closed a gap of more than 1.5 seconds over the final few laps, but was not able to deprive Busch of tying him with a season-best seven wins this season.
Martin Truex Jr., who swept the first two stages before a penalty forced him to play catch up, rallied for third, followed by Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola.
It was the first time all season that the three drivers who have dominated all season claimed the top three spots in a race.
Busch and Brad Keselowski have already clinched spots in the next round of the playoff by winning the first two playoff races, and Truex joined them on points by winning the first two stages.
Busch and Keselowski, a longtime rival seeking his fourth consecutive victory in the series, battled for the lead for much of the last 100-plus laps. Keselowski grabbed the top spot on lap 343, but Busch took it back 20 laps later before Keselowski faded, eventually finishing ninth, and Harvick picked up the chase.
“I thought he used a little more when he was racing with Keselowski there, and he drove off a little bit and I started driving him back down at the end,” Harvick said.
Truex, the defending series champion, remains the points leader by 16 over Busch, 28 over Harvick and 30 over Keselowski.
Clint Bowyer (4 points), seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson (6), Erik Jones (21) and Denny Hamlin (29) will start next week’s race at Charlotte as the bottom four in the playoffs.