Kyle Busch fought hard to win for the third time in four NASCAR Sprint Cup races in the 5-Hour Energy 301 at the “Magic Mile” of New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers took the green flag to race 301 laps around the nearly flat one-mile track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon (7/19). Kyle Busch didn’t take long to show that he would be a contender for the win by taking the lead of the race on lap 20.
He would be one of seven drivers to exchange the lead nine times during the race. However, it was the 2014 defending race winner that would edge Kyle out for the most laps led. Brad Keselowski led four more laps than Kyle by being out front for a total of 100 laps during the race.
The move of the race came just before one of the seven caution flag periods of the race that covered a total of 34 laps in the race. Kyle had completed a green-flag pit stop and was just behind the leaders a lap down. Kyle dove between three of the race leaders to get ahead of them and back on the lead lap with 51 laps remaining in the 5-Hour Energy 301. When the rest of the lead lap cars pitted under caution, Kyle was able to remain on the track, having just pitted, to take back the lead of the race.
When the race was re-started Kyle kept his #18 out front for the rest of the race. He took the white flag before the seventh and final yellow flag waived on the last lap of the race locking him in for the win under NASCAR rule. That rule states that after the leader takes the white flag the next flag, checkered or yellow, ends the race. The win was Kyle’s second at the “Magic Mile” and second consecutive 2015 win following his victory last week in Kentucky.
Brad Keselowski took the second place spot with Kevin Harvick in third. Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth place respectively. See the complete race results for the 5-Hour Energy 301 here.
Kevin Harvick continues as the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader as he has for most of the 2015 season. Joey Logano moves up a spot to second with Dale Earnhardt Jr. also moving up a spot to third place. Jimmie Johnson slides back a couple of places to fourth with Martin Truex Jr. holding steady at number five. See the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.
While Jimmie slid back in the point standings he remains the number one seed on the Chase Grid with his four wins. Kyle Busch took another step toward getting his name on the Chase Grid closing the gap to get into the top 30 in the point standings. Kyle moved up to 33rd just 58 points behind 30th place where he needs to get to be Chase eligible. With three wins, if Kyle can reach the top 30 in points he will vault to the second seed on the Chase Grid. See how the NASCAR Chase Grid looks following the New Hampshire race here.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway next for one of the most anticipated races of the year. While it has a longer official name, most people simply call it by its original name, the Brickyard 400.
By: Buck Stevens
