Busch dominates Xfinity race in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas, May 23, (AP): Kyle Busch turned in a dominating performance to win the NASCAR Xfinity race at the Circuit of the Americas, with lessons learned for maybe an even bigger victory later in the weekend.
Busch, looking to get some extra laps and much-needed track experience before the NASCAR Cup Series race, stepped into the Xfinity lineup and crushed the field from the pole position with a pace and road course mastery that left little doubt about the outcome from the opening laps.
Busch led 36 of 46 laps and finished 11 seconds ahead of A.J. Allmendinger for his record 98th Xfinity victory and 217th in NASCAR’s top three series.
The win and the course knowledge will be a boost heading into Sunday’s Cup race if conditions stay the same. The Saturday race was dry. Rain looms in the forecast for Sunday.
NASCAR’s inaugural race weekend at the 3.4-mile track built for Formula One is pushing drivers to quickly learn its 20 turns, s-curves and elevation changes. None are trickier than the first corner, a left-handed switchback that quickly send the cars into a 133-foot descent.
Busch had cut through the wet conditions in the morning to earn pole position and was just as dominant when the sun came out.
Ross Chastain started second and challenged Busch from the start through the first corner. But his race was done early as he broke an axle when he left the track in the first lap and his car limped back the garage.
Busch led most of the first stage but wound up 13th after getting delayed by traffic in pit lane. He quickly returned to the front before pitting again at the end of the second. Justin Haley, who missed last week’s race at Dover because of what was termed as problems with coronavirus protocols, won the second stage.
Busch then closed the door on the field with a bolt up the hill out of third-stage restart. He had a car-length lead heading in the first turn, denying Allmendinger’s best chance to make a race of it late.
Justin Allgaier finished third. Xfinity series leader and defending champ Austin Cindric, who has three wins and seven top-five finishes this season, finished fifth.
CAR/TRUCK RACING
Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland powered through wet conditions early, then grabbed the lead late to pull away for his first NASCAR trucks series victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas.
Gilliland was in a four-car group that drew from the pack at the start of the final stage, then overtook Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum and Kaz Grala over the final laps. This was his second career trucks win and first since 2019.
Gilliland noted he just turned 21 a week ago.