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Kyle Busch ends winless season with Cup victory at Pocono
By DAN GELSTON he’s failed to win a Cup
AP Sports Writer points race.
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) “I wasn’t sure which one
— Kyle Busch watched was going to be last,” he
the number of laps he’s said.
led this season tick, tick, Busch had seven top-
tick as it crossed 1,000, five finishes this season
and he only really cared and was runner-up to
about the lap he hadn’t Austin Dillon in the Coca-
led: the last one. Cola 600 at Charlotte.
“We’ve had speed. All the near misses have
We’ve been right there,” gnawed at Busch, who
Busch said. “We’ve won the All-Star race
been able to do what — at Charlotte. But the
we should be doing and exhibition race doesn’t
that’s running up front.” count in the season
For all that time up front, standings and Busch was
Busch also had the lon- in a victory slump that
gest losing streak of his dated to the 2016 Brick-
career, a rare recession yard 400.
over his time building a He was racing for the
resume even NASCAR lead last weekend in
Hall of Famers would the Brickyard 400 when
envy, with the 2015 Cup he wrecked with Martin
championship, 176 wins Truex Jr., which led to a
over three series and an pit road altercation be-
elite ride for Joe Gibbs tween members of both
Racing. teams.
He can add two more He also won his 176th ca-
feats to the list — 13 reer NASCAR race over
straight years with a Cup the Cup (39), Xfinity (89)
win and his first check- and Truck (48) series.
ered flag at Pocono. “We’ve all been fight-
Busch used a bump- ing all year long and just
and-run on Kevin Harvick wasn’t sure why,” Busch
to take the lead with 16 said. “This is something
laps left and held on to I’ve been waiting for for
snap a 36-race losing a long, long time. It’s
streak and win the NAS- been a frustrating year
CAR Cup race at Po- but an awesome day to-
cono Raceway on Sun- day.”
day. Harvick finished sec-
“I never thought this day ond, followed by Truex,
would happen,” Busch Denny Hamlin and Brad
said. Keselowski. Harvick, who
Busch won from the pole hasn’t won in 34 career
and gave Toyota its races at Pocono, said he
100th Cup win since its had nothing for Busch
2007 debut. Busch had down the stretch.
Toyota’s first Cup win in “There was no battle. He
March 2008 at Atlanta was way faster than we
Motor Speedway. were,” Harvick said.
Busch had never gone a Crew chief Adam Ste-
full season without win- vens made the right calls
ning a race. Charlotte a week after his con-
Motor Speedway is now frontation on pit road
the only track where with members of Truex’s
SPORTS Monday 31 July 2017
Kyle Busch, center right, poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at
Pocono Raceway, Sunday, July 30, 2017, in Long Pond, Pa.
Associated Press
team. JGR suspended the day for the 18!” Jimmie Johnson wrecked
two of Truex’s tire chang- It was. She was in tears and did not finish for the
ers because of the pro- over the final laps and third time in the last four
fane outburst at the celebrated in victory races. Johnson connect-
Brickyard. JGR provides lane a win that her hus- ed with Hendrick Motor-
the pit crew for Furniture band dedicated to his sports teammate Kasey
Row Racing as part of a late grandmother. Kahne and was spun
technical alliance, giv- Up next, a run at a sec- into the wall.
ing them the authority to ond championship. The seven-time Cup
suspend members of the “I think our stats and champion also crashed
FRR team. our runs and our speed out of the first Pocono
Busch earned a spot in shows for itself,” Busch race in June.
NASCAR’s playoffs, a said. DOUBLE DUTY
significant victory that Other items of note at NASCAR held qualifying
left just three open spots Pocono: before the race instead
with five races left be- THE BIG ONE of earlier in the week-
fore the 16-driver field is An eight-car wreck on end. Pocono had no
set. JGR had been win- the first lap knocked Cup cars on the track
less overall until Hamlin Aric Almirola and Matt Friday during the con-
won two weeks ago at DiBenedetto out of the densed schedule. NAS-
New Hampshire. race. Matt Kenseth got CAR will try the two-day
“I didn’t fear we wouldn’t loose and spun to trigger show again next week at
make the Chase with our the accident. Watkins Glen and Oct.
points position,” Stevens Almirola missed two 29 at Martinsville.
said. months of the season “Just thankful for the op-
Samantha Busch was with a fractured verte- portunity to have the
stressed about her hus- bra suffered in a race at two-day shows,” Busch
band’s season, tweeting Kansas. said. “We love spend-
before the race, “160 “Sort of a bummer not ing time with our fami-
laps. We haven’t even to even make a whole lies, and being on the
started and I’m a ball of lap,” he said. road, that is sometimes
nerves. Please let this be JOHNSON WRECK difficult.”q