FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Busch was just trying to maintain the pace behind Martin Truex Jr. while waiting for his chance.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Busch was just trying to maintain the pace behind Martin Truex Jr. while waiting for his chance.
The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team pounced when the yellow flag came out with 21 laps to go at Texas Motor Speedway.
Busch finally regained the lead on pit road during that caution then held on for the final 16 laps after the last restart Saturday night in the Sprint Cup race, completing a NASCAR weekend sweep.
“As soon as that caution came, my boys stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam,” said Busch, who got his 26th career cup win in his 300th start.
After following Truex lap after lap, Busch came off pit road first and charged his Toyota forward in a strong restart.
It was the second time this season, and a NASCAR-record seventh time in his career, that Busch won Cup and Nationwide races in the same weekend. He was the polesitter Saturday night, and won the Nationwide race Friday night on the 1½-mile, high-banked track.
Busch, who also won both races at Fontana last month, led eight times for 171 of 334 laps. He is the first driver to win in all three series at Texas, with six Nationwide wins and two in trucks.
“To be in Victory Lane in Texas, there’s nothing better,” Busch said. “If it wasn’t for my pit crew, which is the most awesome group ever. … Man, those guys were just awesome. They put together a heck of a stop to give us that lead. These cars are amazing to drive. They’re fast. They’re fun.”
Truex was trying to win for the first time since June 2007, but his winless streak reached 210 races when he finished a half-second behind Busch. Truex came into the race 25th in points with no laps led this season, but had his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in front for 142 laps at Texas.
Police investigate death
in infield of NASCAR race
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth police are investigating after they say a man died of a “self-inflicted injury” following a verbal altercation in the infield during a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Police spokeswoman Cpl. Tracey Knight says the man was believed to be around 40, but didn’t identify him.
The death happened near or at the end of the Sprint Cup race Saturday night.
Knight didn’t specify how the man died, or his relationship with others involved in the altercation. Knight said several people witnessed the altercation but that nobody else was in danger.
Police blocked off an area of the infield not far from Turn 3. Investigators were looking inside a vehicle parked in the area.