JOLIET, Ill. — Kyle Busch passed Jimmie Johnson after a restart on the next-to-last lap Saturday night to win his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season.
Johnson had gone by Busch with 17 laps remaining in the 400. But on the restart after the ninth caution, Busch went high on the track at Chicagoland Speedway and got by Johnson and held on for yet another victory.
Busch has 14 victories this season, spanning NASCAR’s three series. He won a Nationwide Series race on the same track Friday night.
And the 23-year-old Busch showed again why he leads the Sprint Cup points race this season with some great driving at the end.
“This is a dream season, man,” Busch said.
Busch’s biggest problem came after the race when he got stuck in the mud as he tried to do a celebratory drive through the infield grass.
Johnson, the two-time defending Sprint Cup champion, took second and Kevin Harvick, who entered the race in 13th in points, was third.
“I thought I had such a good car, I thought I’d get away from him on the restart. If I could do it over again I’d play more defense on the restart,” Johnson said.
Busch, the polesitter, led for the first 43 laps, fell off the pace and then got back in front on the 121st lap and held it for 80 more.
Carl Edwards took the lead from Busch with 64 laps left. But Edwards was forced to pit with a left front tire problem, and moments later Busch was back in front.
Greg Biffle finished fourth and Tony Stewart, still looking for his first win this season, finished fifth.
Rain helps Dixon to win
GLADEVILLE, Tenn. — Miscommunication mixed with heavy rain turned out to be a winning combination for Scott Dixon.
Told to follow race leader Tony Kanaan into the pits, Dixon stayed on the track at the Nashville Superspeedway and grabbed the lead on lap 149. Dixon stretched his fuel until rain ended the Firestone Indy 200 with 29 laps left, giving him his third straight win at this track and his fourth this season.
“When they called me to pit, I was way past . . . there was no coming in,” Dixon said.
The Associated Press
