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SPORTS Tuesday 17 april 2018

Busch passes Larson to win

rain-delayed race at Bristol

By STEVE REED day, running well ahead
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle of the pack on long green
Busch was all smiles and flag runs. But after Busch
Kyle Larson was all scowls. took on tires during the yel-
Busch passed Larson with low flag stop, he knew he
five laps remaining at Bris- was back in the race with
tol Motor Speedway on 22 laps to go. He finally
Monday to win his second caught Larson with five laps
straight Cup Series race, left, bumped him out of the
culminating a rain-delayed way and scooted by.
weekend when tempera- Larson made a late charge
tures dipped into the high but couldn't catch him.
30s. "When it comes down to
Busch celebrated by thrust- crunch time you gotta go,"
ing his arms in the air and Busch said.
with a traditional bow to Asked if Keselowski had
the crowd on top of his No. moved up on his list of fa-
18 Toyota while the snow vorites, Busch laughed and
began falling — a fitting said, "That's pushing it too
end to a long weather- far."
stalled weekend. "I kind felt bad for him, may-
Busch said after the race be that much," Busch said,
that he didn't have the best pinching his thumb and in-
car, but "we had the best dex finger close together.
car right at the end." "But it certainly helped our
The loss left Larson, who led cause. So it was much ap-
a race-high 200 laps, ex- preciated, let's go with
tremely frustrated. that."
"I feel like every time I race Larson was leading when Food City president and CEO, Steve Smith, left, holds the trophy with race winner Kyle Busch after
here I almost get a win," the race was postponed a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Monday, April 16, 2018 in Bristol, Tenn.
Larson said of his second- Sunday with 296 laps re- Associated Press
place finish. "I've been maining after being de-
beat by Kyle (Busch) about layed several times be- er Bristol sword to add to his owski won the first two stag- career. It didn't last long,
every time I race here, too, cause of rain. The race also collection, although he's es and initially appeared to though, as Busch blew by
so that gets frustrating after was delayed Monday for not quite sure what he's go- be the car to beat. Howev- him a short time later.
a while." about 35 minutes, but the ing to do with all of those er, the No. 2 Ford struggled WHO'S HOT: Daniel Suarez
It was Busch's 45th career cars finally got back on unusual trophies. on a long green flag run raced with a fractured
Cup Series win, moving him the track after the rain and "It's a cool problem to late in the race and fell two thumb he suffered last
ahead of Bill Elliott into sole sleet subsided. have," he said. laps behind after radioing week at Texas and finished
possession of 16th place. Larson said he wasn't sure JOHNSON'S TOP FIVE: Jim- in that something broke in in 11th place. Now that de-
It also was his seventh win why his car got loose late mie Johnson was pleased his suspension. Keselowski serves a thumbs-up.
at Bristol, while Larson has in the race, which allowed with earning his first top-five hit the wall with 30 laps left, WHO'S NOT: Martin Truex Jr.
yet to win at the half-mile Busch to get by him. finish of the season, and bringing out the final cau- continues to have a difficult
track. "I just really didn't have any hoped to quiet some of his tion. time following up a tremen-
Coincidentally, Busch won grip," Larson said. "I thought critics. WALLACE GETS A LEAD: dous championship season
with the aid of longtime it would tighten up for me "We have it rolling in the Darrell "Bubba" Wallace in 2017. He was in a wreck
nemesis Brad Keselowski, and I could get going, but right direction," Johnson now knows that it is like to on Sunday and raced Mon-
who wrecked with 30 laps it never really did and I was said. run up front in a Cup Se- day without a hood, saying
left, bringing out the cau- just really loose. I hate that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was ries race. Wallace passed his goal was to "stay out of
tion flag. I didn't win. It's another one fourth and Alex Bowman Busch with 126 laps remain- the way" of the other driv-
Larson appeared to have at Bristol." finished fifth. ing to lead a Cup race for ers. He finished 30th.
the car to beat on Mon- As for Busch, he has anoth- KESELOWSKI'S DAY: Kesel- the first time in his young q