Kyle Busch’s victory at Charlotte checks last box on bucket-seat list
LV native now has wins at every track
CONCORD, N.C. — It’s official: Kyle Busch can win everywhere.
The Las Vegas native marked off the only track where a points-race victory had eluded him Sunday night, leading 377 of 400 laps in the Coca-cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch is the only driver in NASCAR’S modern era to win a points race on every NASCAR track on the schedule.
“I don’t remember being that dominant for that long,” Busch said. “It feels really, really good and everyone should cherish this one for a while.”
Busch started on the pole, won every stage in the circuit’s longest race and left everyone else fighting for second on the way to his fourth victory of the season. It was Busch’s first win in 29 points-racing tries at Charlotte and gave him a series distinction like no other.
“I don’t know if it has ever been done before but the first one ever to check off all of the tracks and get it all done,” Busch said. “I don’t want to go to any new ones so now we just have to start the whole process over.”
Martin Truex Jr. was second, some four seconds behind. Two years ago, Truex had his own mind-boggling performance, leading 392 of 400 laps for a Nascar-record 588 of 600 miles to win at Charlotte.
Truex thought he might have enough to catch Busch in this one, but did not.
“We got up behind Kyle and I thought we were pretty close,” Truex said. “But man, he was just really stout on the long runs. On the last 30-lap run he could really check out.”
Kevin Harvick’s try for a third straight points win this month ended with an early accident.
Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, was third, followed by Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.
Busch’s victory ended a day of dominance on racing’s single biggest day. Things began with Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo taking the pole and leading every lap at the Monaco Grand Prix. It continued at the Indianapolis 500 with