Kurt Busch tops 'Kyle and Kyle show' for Kansas Cup win

Kurt Busch dominated much of the race but lost the lead during a round of pit stops under caution to Kyle, who led the way on a restart with 23 of 267 laps remaining.

Kurt fell back as far as fourth before mounting a charge back to the front. After Larson got around Kyle for the lead on the restart, Kurt caught Kyle for second on Lap 237.

From there, Kurt patiently made up ground on Larson and dove inside of him in Turn 3 with eight laps to go to reclaim the lead. He held Larson off by 1.413 seconds to take the victory – his first of the 2022 season.

The win is the first for Busch as a member of 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Cup driver Denny Hamlin and the second for the organization.

Busch, 43, ended up leading a race-high 116 laps and appeared to have the fastest car in the race. But vast number of tire issues and pit road miscues – not to mention the side-by-side battles with Larson – left the outcome in doubt until the end.

“It’s all about teamwork. I don’t do this alone,” said Busch, who earned his 34th career win. “The way that Toyota’s helped us and (Joe Gibbs Racing) and my little brother has been so important just on the family side. Bubba has been a tremendous teammate.

“This is our first win for the No. 45 car and with the Jordan Brand on the hood I felt like I had to win like the GOAT, race like the GOAT and I had to beat the Kyles. I beat both of them – the ‘Kyle and Kyle show.’

“This No. 45 car is a winner now!”

Asked how the work in getting a new team to Victory Lane so late in his career, Busch said, “It’s the most gratifying to work from the ground up with a brand new car. Everybody at 23XI – this is for us. This is what the hard work is all about.”

Kyle Busch ended up third, Hamlin fourth and pole-winner Christopher Bell rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, who rebounded from a pit road penalty.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, the lead-lap cars all pit with Kurt Busch the first off pit road.

Kyle Busch was penalized for speeding during his stop and had to restart from the rear of the field, as did Truex, who was penalized for pitting too soon.

On the restart on Lap 174, Kurt Busch was followed by Ryan Blaney, Larson and Austin Cindric.

With 80 laps to go, Hamlin – who had been beset by problems the entire race – had rallied to third and was challenging Larson for second. Kurt Busch continued to lead the way.

Chase Elliott spun off the track on Turn 3 and ended up stuck in the infield grass to bring out the seventh caution of the race on Lap 197.

All the lead-lap cars pit with Kurt Busch first off pit road. Wallace, who was running in the top-five, was penalized for an uncontrolled tire and had to restart in the rear of the field. Kevin Harvick was penalized for speeding and also had to restart in the rear.

The race returned to green on Lap 202 with Kurt Busch out front followed by Larson, Blaney and Hamlin.

Larson and Kurt Busch battled side-by-side after the restart and traded the lead only to see Kurt Busch return to the front on Lap 204.

NASCAR displayed a caution on Lap 230 for possible fluid on the track. The lead-lap cars all pit with Kyle Busch the first off pit road.

On the restart on Lap 235, Kyle Busch led the way followed by Larson, Kurt Busch, Bell and Hamlin.

Larson went to the inside of Kyle Busch in Turn 3 and came away with the lead.

With 21 laps to go, Kurt Busch got around Kyle and moved into the second position behind leader Larson.

With eight laps remaining, Kurt Busch went to the inside of Larson entering Turn 3 and reclaimed the lead off Turn 4.

Stage 2

Kurt Busch held off his younger brother Kyle by 1.1 seconds to take the Stage 2 win.

Truex, who was running fourth, hit the wall and got a flat tire and fell off the pace on the final lap. Blaney ended up third, Cindric fourth and Elliott rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, the lead-lap cars all pit with Elliott the first off pit road. Kyle Busch got his No. 18 Toyota too close to pit wall on his stop, which caused him to lose nine spots on pit road.

Elliott and Hamlin were both penalized for equipment interference on their stops and both had to restart from the rear of the field, as did Wallace for having a crew member over the wall too soon.

When the race resumed on Lap 88, Chastain led the way followed by Truex and William Byron.

Byron dove inside of both Chastain and Truex on the restart to take the lead for the first time.

On Lap 113, Byron had a left-rear tire go down and tagged the wall which allowed Kurt Busch to inherit the lead. Byron was forced to pit under green. He returned to the race two laps down.

Tyler Reddick hit the wall in Turn 1 on Lap 117 and was also forced to pit under green for repairs.

Truex was among the first of the leaders to pit on Lap 123 to kick off a round of green-flag pit stops.

In the middle of the stops, Harvick spun in Turn 1 after exiting pit road which brought out a caution. Elliott was ruled the leader of the race when the caution was displayed.

Those who had not pit yet did so under the caution with Kurt Busch the first off pit road. The race returned to green on Lap 137.

With 10 laps to go, Kurt Busch held about a 1.3-second lead over Kyle Busch as Blaney ran third.

Stage 1

Kyle Busch held off Chastain the final 13 laps following a late restart to take the Stage 1 win, his first of the 2022 season.

Elliott was third, Reddick fourth and Byron rounded out the top-five.

Bell started on the pole and took command early but Chase Briscoe spun off Turn 4 on Lap 6 to put the race under an early caution.

The race returned to green on Lap 10 with Bell still out front followed by Reddick, Larson and Cindric.

Reddick quickly got past Bell on the restart to move into the lead.

On Lap 34, Larson got around Reddick to take the lead just before B.J. McLeod spun off Turn 4 and down the frontstretch.

The lead-lap cars all pit with Bell the first off pit road. Cindric (uncontrolled tire), Austin Dillon (removing equipment) and Hamlin (equipment interference) all had to restart from the rear of the field.

On the restart on Lap 41, Bell led the way followed by Reddick, Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez.

Suarez spun off Turn 4 on Lap 62 and just barely got a piece of the wall to bring out a caution. Bell, the leader, cut a left-rear tire while under the caution.

Most of the lead-lap cars all pit with Erik Jones first off pit road thanks to a two-tire pit stop. Stenhouse, among those who stayed out, led the way on the restart on Lap 68. Jones lined up fourth.

Kyle Busch got a good restart and powered into the lead for the first time in the race.

With five laps remaining in the stage, Kyle Busch held a slight lead over Chastain as Elliott ran third.

Five drivers had to start the race from the rear of the field – Hamlin, Todd Gilliland and Stenhouse for unapproved adjustments and Chris Buescher and Joey Logano for moving to backup cars.