Kurt Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, passing brother Kyle with 24 laps remaining to complete a sibling weekend sweep.
Kurt Busch won his first race of the season at Atlanta, his 33rd overall and fourth of his career. He clinched a playoff spot and may have increased his chances of securing a new ride next season.
“Hell yeah, we beat Kyle!” Kurt Busch said.
With 47 laps to go, Kyle Busch reclaimed the lead, but he couldn’t hold off his older brother on Lap 236. Kurt Busch took advantage of lapped traffic to beat his brother to the finish line.
With eight laps to go, Kyle Busch challenged for the lead, but Kurt Busch, 42, drove away in the final laps to win by 1.237 seconds.
Kyle Busch won the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, giving him a total of five wins this season in the series. He stated that he will not compete in the Xfinity Series next season.
Kurt Busch’s contract with Chip Ganassi Racing expires at the end of the year, and Ganassi recently sold the team to Justin Marks of Trackhouse Racing.
It was the final race on the current Atlanta Motor Speedway track surface. It is the NASCAR circuit’s oldest, having been installed in 1997. The repaving and reprofile project will get underway right away.
“Just going to put that much emphasis on winning that last one today because it will be that old nostalgic feel,” Kurt Busch said before the race.
The resurfacing, according to Atlanta Motor Speedway CEO Brandon Hutchinson, was long overdue. Holes that developed on the front straightaway had to be repaired following the second stage, demonstrating the bad condition of the old asphalt.
During a red-flag stoppage, a team filled the gaps in the track with caulk, which caused the race to be delayed for 19 minutes.
After starting at the back of the pack, Martin Truex Jr. finished third. Alex Bowman was fourth, while Ryan Blaney was fifth.
Chase Elliott, who started on pole, finished sixth. On a competition caution on Lap 27, Elliott dropped back as his brakes locked, causing him to miss his pit box. Elliott failed to get ground and is still winless in seven races at his home track in Atlanta.
Late in the second stage, light rain and the potential of a bigger downpour affected strategy. Some drivers were told to hold off on pit stops and stay on the track in case the race was delayed or ended early due to rain. There was no delay due to inclement weather.
Truex had been slated to start fifth but was pushed to to the rear of the pack after his Toyota failed two pre-race inspections.
Denny Hamlin was fifth at the end of the second stage, but he was penalized for entering the pits too quickly, forcing him to restart at the back of the pack. He came in 13th place.
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