Kyle Busch Tames Texas For Win In NRA 500

Most of the action takes place on the track in NASCAR which puts a lot of emphasis on the driver.  The NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway had a chance to be decided with Kyle Busch closing on Martin Truex, Jr. as the laps shot past.

However, so often the reminder arrives that racing is a team effort.  When the caution came out with 21 laps to go for debris on the track, the pit crews were in the spotlight for the final time on pit road.  Kyle Busch left first with a sub-12 second stop to claim the top spot on the scoring pylon and kept that spot all the way to the checkered flag.  Truex, Jr. leaves Texas with a good points finish in slot number two, aching for the chance to visit victory lane for the second time in his career.  Meanwhile the 18 machine matches Jimmie Johnson with a second triumph this season.

Feeling like spent ammo after this one is Jeff Gordon who was sailing along in third place.  Gordon then went to the garage with a broken front wheel hub with 25 laps to go.  Plus, the winner’s brother Kurt Busch who started on the front row, but had a fuel system problem that left him way off target.

Battling through adversity was third place man Carl Edwards who suffered a broken tailpipe, a balky set of tires and loose seat belts.  Greg Biffle suffered an ill-handling car for most of the race, but stormed back to a 4th place run.  Then the Penske crew was in the crosshairs of NASCAR officials for some questionable components in the rear ends of their cars which may prove costly in the form of penalties.  Despite both going a lap down during the race, Joey Logano finished 5th and Brad Keselowski took 9th.

Johnson is still a marked man as the point leader following a 6th place showing followed by Keselowski 9 points back and Kyle Busch 18 markers out of the top spot.  Expect that to change after penalties are levied against the Blue Deuce for their chicanery in the Lone Star State.

However, Keselowski is fuming with NASCAR officials for the second straight week after being wrongfully called for an infraction on pit road last week.  We shall see if Brad is going to go against the "Good Ol' Boys" for much longer.