Kurt Busch finally gets NASCAR win at home track

Luck finally fell Kurt Busch’s way at his home track, where he pulled out an upset Sunday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to sneak his way into the third round of the NASCAR Cup playoffs.

Busch ended an 0-for-21 losing streak at Las Vegas with good timing and then three tremendous restarts. He entered the race 12th in the standings and in danger of elimination from title contention, but the victory earned him an automatic berth into the next round.

The win, the first of the season for the 2004 Cup champion, was celebrated alongside younger brother, Kyle. The reigning NASCAR champion slammed doors with his big brother on the cool-down lap. Busch then took the checkered flag to the finish line and smacked it on each of the letters in Las Vegas.

“This is 20 years of agony and defeat and today triumph,” Kurt Busch said. “I don’t know if I have any gas left or if I just filled my tank up to go win every race. This is my hometown and I have so many people to thank and I know they are watching on television so proud of their hometown driver.”

It was the first win of the year for Chip Ganassi Racing and the first in the playoffs for a Chevrolet driver.

Busch happened to be the leader during a round of green flag pit stops interrupted with 32 laps remaining by just the fifth caution of the race. It cycled him to the lead for the ensuing restart and he had an incredible jump to control the front.

Busch did it two more times, including a final restart in overtime, to deny the challengers any shot at catching him.

“This is what kids dream of when they grow up racing. You dream of winning at your hometown track,” said Busch, “and for two decades it’s kicked my butt.”

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