Busch sweeps Chicagoland

JOLIET — The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series under the lights at Chicagoland Speedway is anything but Busch League.

Or, maybe, that’s exactly what it is.

Kyle Busch, dominant all season, spent much of Saturday night on a joy ride in clean air, setting the track record for most laps led in the LifeLock.com 400. But just when it appeared Jimmie Johnson had spoiled his celebration, Busch retaliated like the champion he is proving to be.

When the ninth and final caution flew for David Gilliland’s blown engine on Lap 262, Johnson was sailing toward victory. But on the restart on Lap 266, Busch ran up behind Johnson, tapped him and went around him.

Two-time race winner Kevin Harvick also appeared to have a shot. But neither he nor Johnson, try as they might, were able to make that one last pass that would have meant a visit to Victory Lane.

“I’ve watched Jimmie Johnson do that a few times,” Busch said of his push of Johnson from behind on the restart. “I didn’t think I could do it, but I did.

“Jimmie was going to bring us down, so I pushed him to go. No doubt the restart was our saving grace. With clean air, that was going to be it, and he would have won it.”

After tapping Johnson, Busch went around him on the high side and passed him at the start of the backstretch. Johnson fought back, but Busch went up top in the middle of Turn 3, stuck in his groove and took command one last time.

Not that Johnson and Harvick did not make it interesting. Busch beat Johnson by 0.159 seconds, Harvick by 0.267.

“Looking back, I would have played for defense on that restart, if I had it to do over,” Johnson said. “We had a great run except for the mistake there at the end. He (Busch) timed his move right when he rolled up on me.”

The victory was Busch’s seventh of the season — no one else has more than three — and completed a weekend sweep. He dominated the Dollar General 300 Nationwide race Friday night and repeated that effort for most of Saturday night, leading for 165 laps.

At various times, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth were among those who appeared to have cars capable of challenging Busch. Stewart finished fifth, Kenseth seventh and Edwards 32nd after he broke a splitter just after passing Busch for the lead with about 100 miles remaining.

Greg Biffle finished fourth and Brian Vickers, who also ran a strong race, moved in behind Stewart to claim sixth.

David Ragan, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman followed Kenseth, rounding out the top 10.

Qualifying was rained out Thursday, which gave Busch the pole position based on points. He and several of the series’ leading drivers took advantage off the get-go.

Busch led through the competition yellow flag, which was in effect for laps 37-39. Heavy overnight rain washed rubber from the track, and the teams used that caution to make necessary adjustments.

When racing resumed, Edwards challenged Busch and finally nudged into the lead, only to have a caution come out a few laps later when Denny Hamlin’s car was sent to the garage.

The caution lasted four laps, and pit strategies varied. Jeff Gordon stayed out and took over the lead, but Biffle drove past him and into the top spot on Lap 55. Biffle stayed there for a lengthy period, with his closest competition Vickers.

Meanwhile, defending champion Stewart, who was in the news big-time all week, zipped into third and into a threatening position.

Busch continued to slip back, finally running 10th for a prolonged period, just ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

On Lap 92, those who stayed out on the previous caution — Biffle, Vickers and Gordon — hit pit road, and Stewart took over the lead, followed by Truex.

But after most the field entered the pits a few laps later, Biffle was back on top, followed by Vickers, Stewart, Gordon and Edwards. Everything was back in a sprint mode until the third caution on Lap 113 when Michael Waltrip spun into the infield. He was tapped by Jeff Burton as he attempted to avoid Patrick Carpentier.

Kenseth and Busch did not stop during the four-lap caution and ran 1-2 upon the restart. But Kenseth experienced a tire problem moments later, and Stewart was there to challenge Busch for the lead.

The two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates dueled until Lap 143, when a yellow waved for debris on the track. Pit road was busy again, with Busch and Stewart taking four tires each during the four-lap caution.

Busch held onto his lead as racing resumed, with Stewart, Harvick, Edwards and Vickers rounding out the top five.

Around and around they went, doing what has been fashionable all season long — chasing Busch. Finally on Lap 175, Stewart mounted a serious challenge. But two laps later, a caution for debris temporarily delayed the duel, sending much of the field to the pits.

The battle picked up on Lap 184 where it left off, with Busch running about a second ahead of Stewart. Edwards and Harvick remained within striking distance.

Edwards made the next big move, nudging past Stewart and into second place on Lap 191. Still, there was no catching Busch. Not until Lap 203, that is.

That’s when Edwards passed Busch for the lead for the second time in the race. Moments earlier, Harvick had moved ahead of Stewart in the battle for third.

All the while, Johnson was beginning to act as if he had a car capable of pulling off his first Sprint Cup victory at Chicagoland. He passed Stewart for fourth and set his sights on Harvick.

Edwards then suffered his stroke of bad luck. He lost his hold on the lead with the broken  splitter issue on Lap 213. Busch was back on top, followed by Harvick and Johnson. Several laps later, Johnson passed Harvick in the battle for second and was 1.678 seconds behind Busch when the caution flew for debris on Lap 226.

Busch began to run away on the restart as Johnson battled to get past previous race winner Ryan Newman for second. A few laps later, Johnson did grab second, followed by Harvick. But suddenly, caution flew again as Jason Leffler’s car lost a piece on a tap from Paul Menard.

The restart came on Lap 240. Busch, running in that clean air, was a ton, with Johnson trying to figure out a way to catch him. The run did not last long, however, as Bobby Labonte spun, for yet another caution, the eighth for a total of 31 laps, on Lap 246.

Relentless, Johnson finally passed Busch on Lap 251, the first time he led all night and the 14th race he has led this season, tying Busch for the lead in that category.

Johnson appeared to be home free, leading Busch by more than 2 seconds, when caution flew as Gilliland’s engine blew on Lap 262.

That set the stage for the two-lap shootout to the finish – and yet another stroke of Kyle Busch magic.