Busch drives to NASCAR title
Kyle Busch emerged from the Joe Gibbs Racing juggernaut as the NASCAR Cup Series’ latest champion, winning his second title Sunday in Homestead, Fla., after two teammates were slowed by pit-road gaffes.
Busch won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to snap a 21-race losing streak and beat Gibbs teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. , as well as rival Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing, for the Cup. Busch won the 2015 title and joins seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson as the only active drivers with multiple titles.
“It was a lot of fun to cap off such an amazing year,” said Busch, 34, who also won the regular-season crown.
Truex and Hamlin were bitten by silly mistakes. Truex dominated early but fell a lap back after his crew put tires on the wrong side of his Toyota. Hamlin fell out of contention when a crew member put a large piece of tape across the front of his car that caused his engine to overheat and Hamlin had to make a pit stop.
Truex recovered to finish second, but Hamlin was 10th. Harvick placed fourth.
Busch’s win was the 19th out of 36 races for the Gibbs organization and gave Gibbs his fifth Cup title.
Hamlin, who won last week at Phoenix, failed to win his first championship.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won Formula One’s Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo for his eighth career victory. Verstappen moved to third place in the driver’s championship, already won by Lewis Hamilton.