Kyle Busch missed almost half of the regular season, but has half of what he needs to make the NASCAR Chase with his win at Sonoma Raceway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series had a week off on Father’s Day Weekend and got back to racing yesterday (6/28) on the first road course race of the season in California. Many of the Hollywood stars show up for the spectacle when NASCAR races in California. Actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger served as the celebrity pace car driver for the parade laps. Former Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds was also at the track among other celebrities.
When the green flag waived to start the Toyota/Save Mart 350 all the pomp and circumstance was forgotten by the teams and drivers as they focused on their strategies for winning the race. Early on it was Kurt Busch who appeared to have the car to beat as he was one of five drivers to lead the race and was able to stay out front for 43 laps of the 110 lap race.
However, it was race strategy that would put Jimmie Johnson out front as the laps were winding down that would edge out Kurt of the most laps led at 45 laps in the lead. It appeared that the #48 team’s strategy was going to lead to their fifth win of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. That would change when the fifth and final caution flag was issued.
With just ten laps remaining, Casey Mears broke the rear end housing on his car sending his tire and axle out onto the track. The field was following the pace car as the debris from the #13 car the majority of lead cars behind Jimmie hit pit road after it was too late for the #48 to make the turn to the pits.
That put four fresh tires on the cars that were trying to run down the leader when the caution came out. While a handful of other drivers stayed out with Jimmie under the caution, they were not faster cars in the race and were quickly passed by the stronger cars with fresher tires when the race was restarted on lap 104.
Kyle Busch was shooting through the field and was able to overtake Jimmie with five laps left in the race. Kyle’s brother Kurt Busch was also moving up through the field and was able to get into the second place position with just a couple of laps remaining. However, he was not able to get past the #18 Toyota before the checkered flag waived giving Kyle his first win of the 2015 Sprint Cup season.
Kurt did finish in second place marking the first time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series that the two Busch brothers finished first and second. Clint Bowyer had a strong day finishing in third place with Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano rounding out the top five in fourth and fifth place respectively. See the complete race results for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 here.
Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano held steady at spots one through three respectively in the point standings. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. swapped spots with Jimmie up to fourth and Dale Jr. falling back a spot to round out the top five. See the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.
While Kyle’s win gives him a win to make the Chase Grid, which is only half of what he needs to allow that win to put him in the Chase. NASCAR gave Kyle a waiver on having to attempt to qualify for every race of the regular season since the races he missed were due to injuries sustained in a racing accident at Daytona. However, he still has to achieve the other Chase qualifying requirements. That means he has to win a race (he can put a check mark next to that) and he has to be in the top 30 in the point standings by the end of the regular season. That second requirement is where Kyle still has some work to do. After his win at Sonoma, Kyle Busch is in the 37th place in the standings 136 points behind 30th place.
See how the Chase Grid looks after the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma here. Remember, if Kyle Busch is not in the top 30 in points at the end of the regular season, he will be removed from the Chase Grid or drivers.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series will celebrate America’s birthday in the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca Cola Sunday, July 5th as they return to Daytona International Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
