Kyle Busch wins for Toyota
In the category of “It was only a matter of time,” Kyle Busch led 173 of the 325 laps in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway en route to Toyota’s first points-paying win at the Sprint Cup level. Busch’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, Tony Stewart, was second, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third to notch his second consecutive top five finish. Carl Edwards, winner of the past two Cup races, had a strong car late and was leading when he had an engine problem that knocked him from the race with 51 laps remaining. He finished 42nd.
The race proved to be a physically demanding one with the combination of the new Car of Today, hard Goodyear tire and worn/rough race track. Several drivers were comparing AMS to Darlington with the way the cars were sliding through the turns. Jeff Gordon, who finished fifth, said, “I felt like I was going to crash every single lap.
“I’m exhausted right now,” Gordon told nascar.com. “I feel like I’ve run a thousand miles here. That was the hardest day I have ever had at Atlanta, especially for a top-five finish. This car, this tire, at this track was just terrible.”
Read more about Busch’s win here.
Stewart hated the tires despite his top-five finish. Read his rant here.
Find out where your favorite driver finished here.
– Michele Vincze