In another impressive Nationwide Series performance, Kyle Busch is back in victory lane for the third straight race. Busch has been on a roll so far this season and four wins in six races isn’t too bad. He managed to stay out front all night and was there to take the checkered flag when it fell. Although lots of big-time Cup Drivers were in the race, Kyle Busch was the best of all and that put him in victory lane at the end of the night.
Rookie Alex Bowman started on the pole and was able to lead up until lap five when points leader Sam Hornish Jr. was able to take over the lead. Hornish Jr. couldn’t remain up front for long either since his teammate, Brad Keselowski, worked his way to the front by lap 23.
The first caution of the night came out on lap 24 for Robert Richardson Jr. who spun around in turn two. Kyle Busch got off pit road first under the caution and that gave him his first lead of the night.
A wild second caution of the night featured Kyle Larson who managed to avoid two major accidents under the yellow-flag period. The original reason for the caution was for Larson who spun off turn four and across the frontstretch. While he spun across the frontstretch, he swerved back up into the racing groove and barely escaped getting hit by the oncoming-traffic.
The wildness didn’t end there, as Larson was trying to stay on the lead lap and only changed two tires when he made his way down pit road. That resulted in Larson blowing a tire on the backstretch while he raced back around the track attempting to stay on the lead lap. The blown tire left Larson’s car sliding down the backstretch and he was going straight for the safety truck. Larson was able to barely get by the safety truck without incident when he squeezed between the inside wall and the truck. He banged up the side of his car when he hit the inside wall, but didn’t hit the safety truck which could have created a bad accident.
Throughout the next fifty or so laps, many drivers swapped the lead including Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and Sam Hornish Jr. Three more cautions flew during that period and the dash for the finish was shaping up as a good one.
After a caution with 80 laps remaining, Brad Keselowski took the lead and was able to stay there for about the next twenty laps.
The seventh caution of the night came out for Keselowski’s teammate, Sam Hornish Jr, when he made contact with Jeremy Clements and both wrecked off turn four and then spun through the grass to add even more damage to their cars.
On the ensuing restart, Kyle Busch took the lead again and he wouldn’t give it up for the rest of the race. He survived a few more restarts where he held off a determined Keselowski and managed to get himself a decent sized lead. He came down the frontstretch one last time with the checkered flag was waving. This was a familiar sight for Kyle Busch in the Nationwide Series this year and this race at Texas only added to his Nationwide dominance in 2013.
This was Busch’s sixth Texas win and was another win he earned this season by doing everything he needed for the victory. He got to wear the cowboy hat in victory lane and was all smiles when talking about another great race for him and his team. More wins are likely to come for Busch this season and another win today just signified that we should never doubt Kyle Busch when it comes to the Nationwide Series. Busch will look to sweep his second straight weekend tomorrow when the Cup Series competes in the Lone Star State.
Results via ESPN.com
POS | DRIVER | CAR | MANUFACTURER |
LAPS |
MONEY |
START |
LED |
PTS |
BONUS |
PENALTY |
1 | Kyle Busch | 54 | Toyota |
200 |
2 |
91 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 | Brad Keselowski | 22 | Ford |
200 |
5 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Chevrolet |
200 |
3 |
0 |
41 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 88 | Chevrolet |
200 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 | Kevin Harvick | 33 | Chevrolet |
200 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 | Matt Kenseth | 18 | Toyota |
200 |
9 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
7 | Regan Smith | 7 | Chevrolet |
200 |
6 |
0 |
37 |
0 |
0 |
|
8 | Kasey Kahne | 5 | Chevrolet |
200 |
16 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
9 | Brian Vickers | 20 | Toyota |
200 |
13 |
0 |
35 |
0 |
0 |
|
10 | Justin Allgaier | 31 | Chevrolet |
200 |
14 |
0 |
34 |
0 |
0 |
|
11 | Brian Scott | 2 | Chevrolet |
200 |
20 |
0 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
|
12 | Parker Kligerman | 77 | Toyota |
200 |
8 |
0 |
32 |
0 |
0 |
|
13 | Elliott Sadler | 11 | Toyota |
200 |
10 |
0 |
31 |
0 |
0 |
|
14 | Alex Bowman | 99 | Toyota |
200 |
1 |
4 |
31 |
1 |
0 |
|
15 | Reed Sorenson | 43 | Ford |
200 |
25 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
0 |
|
16 | Kevin Swindell | 98 | Ford |
200 |
17 |
0 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
|
17 | Chris Buescher | 16 | Ford |
200 |
23 |
0 |
27 |
0 |
0 |
|
18 | Nelson Piquet Jr. | 30 | Chevrolet |
200 |
19 |
0 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
|
19 | Joe Nemechek | 87 | Toyota |
200 |
27 |
0 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
|
20 | Mike Bliss | 19 | Toyota |
199 |
18 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
0 |
|
21 | Mike Wallace | 01 | Chevrolet |
199 |
28 |
1 |
24 |
1 |
0 |
|
22 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | 79 | Ford |
199 |
36 |
1 |
23 |
1 |
0 |
|
23 | Dexter Stacey | 92 | Ford |
199 |
30 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
0 |
|
24 | Blake Koch | 24 | Toyota |
199 |
35 |
1 |
21 |
1 |
0 |
|
25 | Jamie Dick | 55 | Chevrolet |
199 |
31 |
0 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
|
26 | Trevor Bayne | 6 | Ford |
198 |
15 |
0 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
|
27 | Johanna Long | 70 | Chevrolet |
197 |
24 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
|
28 | Kevin Lepage | 74 | Chevrolet |
195 |
34 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
|
29 | Juan Carlos Blum | 15 | Ford |
194 |
39 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
|
30 | Eric McClure | 14 | Toyota |
194 |
37 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
|
31 | Robert Richardson Jr. | 23 | Chevrolet |
190 |
38 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
|
32 | Kyle Larson | 32 | Chevrolet |
190 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
|
33 | Travis Pastrana | 60 | Ford |
186 |
21 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
|
34 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 12 | Ford |
159 |
4 |
29 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
|
35 | Jeremy Clements | 51 | Chevrolet |
142 |
22 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
|
36 | Landon Cassill | 4 | Chevrolet |
120 |
26 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
37 | Josh Wise | 40 | Chevrolet |
96 |
33 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
38 | Hal Martin | 44 | Toyota |
53 |
32 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
39 | J.J. Yeley | 42 | Chevrolet |
10 |
40 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
40 | Jeff Green | 10 | Toyota |
3 |
29 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |