Kyle Busch master of disguise in victory

Kyle Busch was a little bit of everything from self-doubter to magician in rallying to pass Jimmie Johnson with two laps to go to win Saturday night's race at Chicagoland Speedway.

 

Here's how significant Busch's win was:

 

# It marked only the fifth time in Johnson's career he's lost a race he led in the final 10 laps.

 

# It was Busch's seventh win of the season in Cup (in 19 starts -- he's winning 36.8 percent of the time, an incredible percentage when you consider there are 42 other drivers he's racing against each week.

 

# It gives Busch 70 bonus points for when the Chase begins -- that's 50 more than his nearest competitor. Only seven races remain for drivers to collect the 10 bonus points per race for a win.

 

# It marked the fourth consecutive race won by a Busch family member -- the last time brothers had won four races in a row was 1955 when Tim and Fonty Flock won four. Kyle has won three during this streak and Kurt one.

 

# It gives Busch 14 total wins among NASCAR's top three series. Kevin Harvick has the best mark in the modern era (since 1972) winning 14 races in 2006 among what was called the Busch series (9 wins) and Cup (5 wins).

 

OK, now on to the race:

 

"Race over'' -- Kyle Busch uttered those words after Jimmie Johnson passed him with 17 laps to go. It got worse even after crew chief Steve Addington tried to pick him up. Busch then said on the radio about Johnson: "He's getting smaller'' as Johnson pulled away. Addington again tried to convince Busch than anything could happen in the final laps. Busch responded: "Anybody ever see Jimmie Johnson give them up? No. Anybody ever see Kyle Busch give them up? Plenty.''

 

The final caution flew when David Gilliland's engine expired. That set up a two-lap shootout. Busch had a great restart and charged to the outside, dueling side-by-side with Johnson for part of the lap before pulling ahead and going on to the win.

 

"I don't believe that,'' Busch said on the radio in an exhausted and unemotional voice after his win.

 

This race showed us a few key things. Here's what we learned:

 

# Kyle Busch is human. Yes, he won and, yes, he's building a nice little lead for the Chase but he'll have some competition in the Chase. Remember that five of the 10 races in the Chase are on 1.5-mile tracks similar to Chicagoland Speedway. Busch was one of the four best cars out there.

 

Carl Edwards again showed his strength on 1.5-mile tracks but problems with his splitter cost him the race and he finished 32nd a lap down. His Roush teammate, Matt Kenseth, also had one of the best cars. Kenseth gave up the lead when he had a flat tire shortly before the midway point. He lost a lap, got it back via a Lucky Dog and then raced his way through the field, finishing 7th in the most impressive drive outside the Busch-Johnson duel.  And Johnson also was strong. That's some competition for Busch come Chase time. There's only two similar type tracks left on the schedule (2-mile twins Michigan and California) before the Chase begins. It will be interesting to see how those teams perform in those races. Despite leading a race-high 165 of 267 laps, Busch admitted he and his team have some work to do on their cars at these style of tracks.

 

The Chase likely will come down to New Hampshire, Martinsville and Phoenix -- flat tracks that Busch has not fared well at this year. He's not led a lap at any of those tracks this season. So even if he runs well on the 1.5-mile tracks and has a cushion from all those bonus points, problems at these tracks could erode his advantage.

 

# Tony Stewart's winless streak is at 33 races. His last win came in Aug. 2007 at Watkins Glen. He was strong Saturday but his car went away as the night progressed. Stewart said his car was too loose later in the race and that handcuffed him. Even so, he climbed to 10th in the points. Still, you wonder with the way his season is going if he's going to be much of a threat. He's had good cars at times but luck has not gone his way.

 

# With seven races left, there are only three drivers outside the top 12 in points with a realistic chance of racing their way in (provided Martin Truex Jr. does not win his appeal and regain the 150 points NASCAR took for a violation at Daytona.

 

Clint Bowyer is 13th. He's 27 points behind 12th.

Brian Vickers is 14th. He's 95 points behind 12th

David Ragan is 15th. He's 98 points behind 12th

No one else is within 185 points of 12th.

 

Bowyer continues to slide. He finished 22nd Saturday -- the fifth time in the last seven races he's placed 20th or worse. That won't get him in the Chase. Vickers finished sixth. That was a big showing for him. He's placed in the top 16 in seven races in a row. He should have the horsepower to be strong at Indy. A concern is Watkins Glen. He's not had the best results on the road course. The short track program also needs work. If he can put together strong runs at Indy, Pocono, Michigan and California, he'll likely make the Chase. Ragan finished eight. He's shown moxie this year in his sophomore season and keeps hanging around. He could be a spoiler.

 

Of course for any of them to make it, they need someone to fall out of the top 12. Denny Hamlin is 12th in the points -- but it should be noted that 7th through 12th is separated by 35 points. So,there are many who could be in trouble. Stewart could be if his luck doesn't change. Kasey Khane was a disappointing 15th on a 1.5-mile track.  It was just in May he was unstoppable on such a track and Saturday you rarely noticed him. Which Kahne is the true Kahne? The one who went on a big run starting at Charlotte or the one that has one top 10 finish in the last four races?

 

OK, since the race ended late for many editions, here's the finishing order and below that is the points

 

FINISH

 

1. Kyle Busch

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Kevin Harvick

4. Greg Biffle

5. Tony Stewart

6. Brian Vickers

7. Matt Kenseth

8. David Ragan

9. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Ryan Newman

11. Jeff Gordon

12. Elliott Sadler

13. AJ Allmendinger

14. David Reutimann

15. Kasey Kahne

16. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

17. Mark Martin

18. Juan Pablo Montoya

19. Jeff Burton

20. Scott Riggs

21. Jamie McMurray

22. Clint Bowyer

23. Dave Blaney

24. J.J. Yeley

25. Robby Gordon

26. Paul Menard

27. Jason Leffler

28. Kurt Busch

29. Bobby Labonte

30. Patrick Carpentier

31. Reed Sorenson

32. Carl Edwards

33. Casey Mears

34. Regan Smith

35. Bill Elliott

36. Michael Waltrip

37. Sam Hornish Jr.

38. Terry Labonte

39. Joe Nemechek

40. Denny Hamlin

41. Travis Kvapil

42. David Gilliland

43. Michael McDowell

 

POINTS STANDINGS

 

1. Kyle Busch ... 2,881 points

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... 262 points behind leader

3. Jeff Burton ... 291 points behind leader

4. Carl Edwards ... 372 points behind leader

5. Jimmie Johnson ... 387 points behind leader

6. Jeff Gordon ... 497 points behind leader

7. Greg Biffle ...62 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

8. Matt Kenseth ... 61 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

9. Kevin Harvick ... 52 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

10. Tony Stewart ... 49 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

11. Kasey Kahne ... 39 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

12. Denny Hamlin ... 27 POINTS AHEAD OF 13th

13. Clint Bowyer ... 27 points BEHIND 12th

14. Brian Vickers ... 95 points BEHIND 12th

15. David Ragan ... 98 points BEHIND 12th

 

 

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