Kentucky NASCAR: Kyle Busch wins again for Joe Gibbs Racing

Busch led 163 of the 267 laps and was in that position after the penultimate caution period with 55 laps remaining.

He was then in a three-way all-Joe Gibbs Racing scrap for the lead with Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin, with the latter fighting back from losing a lap early on to a suspected flat tyre to lead through the track-record 11th and final caution.

Penske's Joey Logano then moved ahead at the restart and opened up a one-second lead over Busch, but Busch quickly reeled that gap back in and reclaimed the lead for good with 19 laps remaining after the pair had run side-by-side for several laps.

Busch's win edges him up to 35th in the championship, five places and 87 points away from the position he requires to be eligible for the Chase despite missing the first 11 Cup rounds of the season due to his Daytona leg injuries.

Logano finished 1.5 seconds back in second, while Hamlin, Edwards and Matt Kenseth ensured that all four Joe Gibbs cars finished in the top five.

The other Penske Ford of Brad Keselowski led the early laps and was the quickest driver for much of the race, but often found himself having to fight back through the field after pitstops, either due to strategy or a messy stop.

With his speed, he benefited from the new low-downforce rules package designed to promote better racing and kept coming back towards the front.

He lacked pace when it really mattered though in the closing stages and had to settle for sixth.

Jeff Gordon was seventh followed by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch.

RESULTS - 267 LAPS:

LEADING CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

PROVISIONALLY IN THE CHASE: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr

* Kyle Busch needs to get into the top 30 in points to take up a Chase place, despite Sonoma and Kentucky wins