Kyle Busch celebrates his 4th consecutive Spring Richmond Win with the Checkered Flag Photo – Getty Images

Kyle Busch won the race in Richmond Saturday night, but the race could have had multiple outcomes. 


Penalties hurt drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards who had very fast cars and a chance to win the race. And an untimely debris caution lost Stewart’s lead and his chance at winning.


Tony Stewart struggled incredibly on restarts which ultimately cost him the race. Kyle Busch beat Stewart off pit road under the final caution and was the race winning move for Busch. 


Pole-sitter, Mark Martin led the first 30 laps before being passed by Carl Edwards.


The competition caution came out on lap 51.  A competition caution was added because of rain that hit the track earlier in the day. 


Then the race off pit road let Carl Edwards regain the lead followed by Hamlin and Harvick. Mark Martin slipped back to seventh. 


On the ensuing restart Jeff Gordon got loose sliding him up the hill, making contact with Kurt Busch. Then in turn 3 Kurt Busch got up into Jeff Gordon again causing moderate damage to each car. The green flag would stay out, and Gordon would have to pit, resulting in his return to the track a couple laps down. 


The second caution came out on lap 117 with Kurt Busch spinning on the backstretch. 


After the pit stops, Kevin Harvick came off pit road as the leader for the first time in the race, but on the restart with three cars battling for the lead, it would be Carl Edwards emerging once again as the leader.  


The next caution flew around lap 230 for debris. 


Then with 114 laps to go Kyle Busch took the lead for the first time. 


Next came the most confusing part of the young NASCAR season. During green flag pit stops, the caution came out for Jeff Burton hitting the wall. Some drivers were just finishing up their pit stops with a couple drivers missing pit road just before the caution came out, causing them to lose precious track position. This mess left only three cars on the lead lap, however, many drivers would get the wave around, regaining position on the lead lap. 


Then during pit stops, one of Jimmie Johnson’s crew members rolled a tire in the pit box instead of carrying it back to the pit wall – leaving Johnson with a penalty and placing him at the rear of the field. 


Coming to the restart with 14 cars on the lead lap, no one was sure if the leader was Stewart or Edwards. According to NASCAR, Tony Stewart was the apparent leader, but Carl Edwards was told by his spotter that he was the leader. Edwards subsequently went too soon on his restart, while Tony Stewart spun his tires, making Edwards pre-mature restart more obvious. NASCAR saw Edwards speed up to beat Stewart to the line, which is illegal, resulting in a black flag for Edwards, forcing him to serve a pass through penalty and giving up his lead. 


Carl Edwards later commenting on his radio regarding the black flag said, “It’s not cool to get a race taken from you like that.” 


This confusing mess gave Stewart the lead at 76 laps to go with the remaining top-five drivers, Kyle Busch, Earnhardt Jr, Kahne and Allmendinger. 


The final caution of the race came out on lap 386 with 14 laps to go, for debris – a water bottle on the backstretch. This caution would bunch the field up for an exciting restart. The winning moment of the race is when Kyle Busch beat Tony Stewart off pit road to gain the lead. 


Coming up on the restart, Tony Stewart spun his tires – for about the fourth time – giving Kyle Busch a decent size lead and Dale Earnhardt Jr. a second place position. After some wild and confusing restarts, in the final laps Earnhardt Jr. didn’t have enough for Kyle Busch and “Wild Thing” went on to win his fourth straight spring race at Richmond. Kyle later commenting in victory lane said, “Last caution was saving grace for us.” 


Earnhardt Jr. was happy finishing second, later commenting, “Even with brakes working, the 18 had a better car.” 


In Tony Stewart’s post race comments, he said, “We gave it away on pit road,” which to some is questionable, as Stewart’s restarts throughout the race were the worst of his career. Spinning his tires on the final restart hurt Stewart’s chances at a potential third win of the season, giving him a third place instead. 


Kyle Busch was elated with two major season accomplishments in Richmond. On Friday night Kyle Busch Motorsport’s Nationwide team with his brother Kurt Busch driving, won their first Nationwide race as an organization. Then on Saturday night, Kyle wins his first Sprint Cup race of the season, becoming the only active driver with four consecutive spring Richmond wins.


Next week NASCAR heads off to one of the most anticipated races of the season at Talladega.