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Kyle Busch survives to win drama-filled NASCAR Cup race at Martinsville

Release time:  2017-11-02 author:  ADNose browse:  104


The sun went down, the new lights came on, and all hell broke loose at 

Martinsville Speedway.

In a wild overtime finish that took Sunday’s First Data 500 to 505 laps at the 0.526-mile short track, Kyle Busch beat Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leader Martin Truex Jr. to the stripe by 0.141 second to take the checkered flag and earn a spot in the Nov. 19 Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

As Busch crossed the finish line, a multi-car wreck behind him scrambled the running order and left a parking lot of mangled cars on the front stretch.

But that was simply the final act in a drama that saw a succession of Playoff contenders lose excellent chances to win the first event in the Round of 8.

Chase Elliott held the lead with three laps left in regulation distance when Denny Hamlin dumped Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet in Turn 3, causing the 11th caution and sending the race into overtime.

Ten laps earlier, Brad Keselowski appeared headed for victory and a guaranteed ticket to Homestead before Joey Logano developed a severe tire rub after contact from Busch’s No. 18 Toyota in Turn 1.

Logano spun off Ryan Blaney’s front bumper when the tire went flat in Turn 2, and Elliott grabbed the lead after the restart on Lap 497, with Hamlin following. Hamlin punted Elliott a lap later, and hard feelings continued after the race, with Elliott running Hamlin’s Toyota into the outside wall on the cool-down lap.

Elliott’s wreck set the stage for Busch to win for the second time at Martinsville, the fifth time this season and the 43rd time in his career. After Hamlin cleared Busch on the overtime restart, Busch cut to the inside and wheel-hopped into Hamlin’s Camry, forcing his JGR teammate up the track.