Kyle Busch goes wire-to-wire in Virginia529 College Savings 250
RICHMOND, Va. -- Kyle Busch was fast enough Friday night to do something he's only done once before -- lead every lap of a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
Busch started on the pole and led through six caution periods to win the Virginia529 College Savings 250. He outlasted charge from 15th place by Kevin Harvick, who challenged Busch on a restart on Lap 171 of the 250-lap race before settling for a third-place finish behind Busch and Chase Elliott.
The victory ended Busch's eight-race non-winning streak in the Nationwide Series that dated to May 31, when he won at Dover. In February 2011, he led every lap of a Nationwide race at Phoenix International Raceway. Until Friday, it was the last time any driver had done that.
"I hate saying it, but sometimes you're only as good as your equipment gives you," Busch said. "You definitely have to have good cars. You have to have opportune situations present themselves in order to be able to execute like we did tonight."
The second-place effort helped Elliott expand his lead in the Nationwide standings, but a second runner-up finish at RIR this season didn't sit well with the rookie.
"Unless you win the race -- and even when you do win the race -- you've always got work to do," Elliott said. "I'm definitely not satisfied with finishing second. I don't think anyone is."
It was Busch's fourth Nationwide victory this year and the fifth of his career at Richmond, one of his best tracks. In Nationwide and Sprint Cup races combined, Richmond is now tied with Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as Busch's second-most successful tracks. He's won nine times at each.
Only Bristol, with 12 total wins, is ahead of Richmond and Fontana on Busch's all-time Nationwide/Sprint Cup combined list.
Extending the positive numbers didn't seem to matter as much to Busch as eliminating the negative numbers. He hadn't won a NASCAR race of any sort since claiming victory in a truck race June 26 at Kentucky Speedway, and hasn't won a Cup race since Fontana on March 23.
"It has been a long time," he said. "It's deteriorating to yourself and sometimes to your team and what-not. You have to keep yourself motivated and upbeat when you're not winning races. At the same time, we've had opportunities to win those races. We just haven't put it all together. Those are the most frustrating times."
The focus of Friday's race centered on a new Goodyear tire being used by both Nationwide and Sprint Cup this weekend at Richmond. The new configuration for left and right sides is expected to allow for a wider racing groove in Saturday's Federated Auto Parts 400, the final race before the Sprint Cup's Chase.
"The high side came in during Cup practice (earlier Friday)," Harvick said. "The whole racetrack is going to be in play, for sure. That makes it more exciting, as you can move all over the track."
Following Busch, Elliott and Harvick to the finish line was Ryan Blaney, followed by Brian Scott, Regan Smith and Dakoda Armstrong. Elliott Sadler, Ty Dillon and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.