NASCAR Cup: Kyle Busch dominates to claim first Charlotte victory
Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch dominated the NASCAR Cup race at Charlotte to pick up his fourth series win of the season
Starting from pole position, Busch led 377 of the race's 400 laps to take his first victory at Charlotte, the only circuit on the calendar he had not previously won a points-scoring race at.
Joey Logano passed Busch at the start, although Busch was able to get back ahead of the Team Penske Ford six laps later and went on to win all the stages during the race.
Busch stayed in front through comfortable pitstops from his JGR crew and fast restarts after cautions, only giving up the lead during green flag pitstops.
Stewart-Haas Racing's Kevin Harvick looked likely to challenge Busch after moving from the back row of the grid to the top five in the opening 65 laps, but he hit the wall on lap 83 after suffering a left front tyre failure.
Martin Truex Jr finished the race in second after starting in 15th. The Furniture Row Racing driver had to make his way through the pack again during the third stage after he was penalised for speeding in the pitlane.
Penske's Brad Keselowski was off the pace during the first half of the race, but made his way into the top five in the final stage of the race and was running in third with 20 laps to go.
But Keselowski was beaten to third by Busch's JGR team-mate Denny Hamlin, who ran consistently inside the top 10 and completed a Toyota 1-2-3.
Jimmie Johnson put in a great performance to finish fifth in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, having spun on lap 120 after making slight contact with Hamlin.
Chip Ganassi Racing's Jamie McMurray rose up the order and into the top 10 during the second half of the race and took sixth place, with his team-mate Kyle Larson finishing in seventh.
Kurt Busch moved up from 16th at the start to eighth by the chequered flag for SHR, with Hendrick's Alex Bowman and Roush Fenway Racing's Ricky Stenhouse Jr rounding out the top 10.
Result - 400 laps
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4h23m22.s |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Toyota | 3.823s |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 13.598s |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 16.777s |
| 5 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 17.164s |
| 6 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 17.925s |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 20.548s |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 26.093s |
| 9 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.140s |
| 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 Lap |
| 12 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 13 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 14 | Paul Menard | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 15 | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 Lap |
| 16 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 Lap |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 18 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 19 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 Lap |
| 20 | Kasey Kahne | Leavine Family Racing | Chevrolet | 1 Lap |
| 21 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 1 Lap |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 1 Lap |
| 23 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 1 Lap |
| 24 | Ross Chastain | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 Laps |
| 25 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 4 Laps |
| 26 | Corey LaJoie | TriStar Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 Laps |
| 27 | Parker Kligerman | Gaunt Brothers Racing | Toyota | 6 Laps |
| 28 | Landon Cassill | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 6 Laps |
| 29 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 6 Laps |
| 30 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 11 Laps |
| 31 | Gray Gaulding | BK Racing | Toyota | 12 Laps |
| 32 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 17 Laps |
| 33 | B.J. McLeod | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 27 Laps |
| 34 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 52 Laps |
| 35 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 56 Laps |
| 36 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | Engine |
| 37 | Matt DiBenedetto | Go FAS Racing | Ford | Oil leak |
| 38 | J.J. Yeley | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet | Fuel pump |
| 39 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Accident |
| 40 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Accident |
Previous article
Ford's plan to ride the Mustang back to NASCAR’s peak
Next article
Why NASCAR must act on Charlotte's lessons over 2019 rule-changes
Why a British prospect is trying to make it in NASCAR
There has never been a full-time British driver in the NASCAR Cup. But Alex Sedgwick, who is rising through the stock car ranks, wants that to change and could be a trailblazer for European talents to reach the top echelons of the NASCAR ladder
How Earnhardt’s death changed American motorsport
It's 20 years since legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr died at the Daytona 500, but the legacy of his crash continues today through the pioneering safety work done by NASCAR
The NASCAR subplots to keep an eye on in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season
How a second-chance NASCAR ace is rebuilding his career
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a shot at redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith
Autosport's top 5 NASCAR machines
The American stock car scene is more famous for its close racing and occasional punch-ups, but there have been some fantastic machines too. As part of Autosport's 70th anniversary celebrations in 2020, we picked out five of its best
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future
Why Johnson’s playoff failure won’t tarnish his legacy
The last season of a retiring NASCAR great has shown promise, and may have resulted in another playoff push without small issues outside his control. 2020 won't be the year Jimmie Johnson would have wanted, but it won't be what he is remembered for
Why a Le Mans winner is heading into the “unknown world” of NASCAR
Comparing Porsche's 919 HYBRID LMP1 to NASCAR is motorsport's equivalent of apples and oranges, but this weekend one of Weissach's top works aces will pit his skills against the regulars and revive the tradition of the 'road-course ringer'
