Kurt Busch turned into the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to book his spot in the following round of the Playoffs with triumph in extra time at Las Vegas.
Busch in the #1 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet had not followed the main pack, headed by Denny Hamlin, in pitting halfway through the last stage, and profited when Jimmie Johnson’s vehicle shed its correct back Goodyear tire, drawing out the alert banners.
While Hamlin and the remainder of the main gaggle, including Alex Bowman who undercut Hamlin during these stops by pitting on lap 232, dropped to a lap down, Busch – the sole driver in Playoff conflict who didn’t pit – had the option to take his stop and restart in runner up, behind Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto.
Busch took the lap 243 restart within line and built past the #21 of DiBenedetto to start to lead the pack, before a John Hunter Nemechek turn seven laps later by and by killed the race on the 1.5-mile oval circuit.
Hamlin, who was running in eleventh spot at that point drove a charge to pitroad of the individuals who had missed out under the Johnson alert, with any semblance of Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott followed the #11 Joe Gibbs Toyota for new elastic.
Bowman and Hamlin immediately started to cut through the field, before a last alert for William Byron’s turn after Christopher Bell’s vehicle endured a tire disappointment. This sent the race into additional time, with none of the pioneers selecting to pit in front of the two-lap shootout.
Busch took the restart in front of DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney, Bowman and Hamlin, and immediately dropped the pursuing pack, while Hamlin attempted to battle his way past Blaney.
Busch, who took sixteenth and seventeenth separately in stages one and two, was untroubled all through the additional time frame, permitting the 2004 Cup champion to record his first success of 2020, 33rd of his profession, first since Kentucky in July 2019, and guarantee his place in the Round of 8 of the Playoffs.
DiBenedetto equalled his best aftereffect of the period with second in his Ford, which likewise came at Las Vegas in February, in front of stage two champ Hamlin, who scored his first top 10 completion since the Daytona street course race.
Season finisher hopefuls Truex Jr, Bowman and ruling hero Kyle Busch took fourth, fifth and 6th separately, with the as of now disposed of Ryan Blaney the lead finisher for Team Penske in seventh.
Erik Jones followed up third last break at Bristol with eighth for JGR, in front of Chris Buescher and Harvick – who recorded his 25th top 10 aftereffect of 2020 out of a generally calm evening for the polesitter in his #4 machine.
Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson was hit with a pitlane speeding punishment halfway through the 268-lapper, however retaliated well to guarantee eleventh, in front of Penske pair Brad Keselowski (thirteenth) and Joey Logano (fourteenth). Logano had been a lap down for a larger part of the race following lap 88 contact with Kyle Busch left the #22 with minor harm.
Elliott had watched agreeable out in front during times of stage one, which the #9 Hendrick driver asserted in front of Hamlin, however battled in the last stages, returning home 22nd.
Austin Dillon, who had been the star of the Playoffs with a solid Round of 16 looked set to proceed with his great structure in his #3 Richard Childress machine, banking a couple of 6th spot completes in the two 80-lap portions.
Nonetheless, an associated piece with flotsam and jetsam harmed belts inside the motor of his Camaro, which prompted a force directing disappointment, and left the #3 seven laps down in 32nd situation at the banner.
NASCAR Las Vegas race results – 268 laps
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | – |
| 2 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | s |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | s |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | s |
| 5 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | s |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | s |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | s |
| 8 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | s |
| 9 | Chris Buescher | Roush Fenway Racing | s |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | s |
| 11 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | s |
| 12 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | s |
| 13 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | s |
| 14 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | s |
| 15 | Ryan Newman | Roush Fenway Racing | s |
| 16 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | s |
| 17 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | s |
| 18 | Matt Kenseth | Chip Ganassi Racing | s |
| 19 | Ryan Preece | JTG Daugherty Racing | s |
| 20 | John Hunter Nemechek | Front Row Motorsports | s |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | s |
| 22 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | s |
| 23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | s |
| 24 | Christopher Bell | Leavine Family Racing | s |
| 25 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | s |
| 26 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | 1 Lap |
| 27 | Corey LaJoie | Go FAS Racing | 1 Lap |
| 28 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | 2 Laps |
| 29 | Daniel Suarez | Gaunt Brothers Racing | 3 Laps |
| 30 | Brennan Poole | Premium Motorsports | 3 Laps |
| 31 | Gray Gaulding | Rick Ware Racing | 6 Laps |
| 32 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | 7 Laps |
| 33 | J.J. Yeley | Spire Motorsports | 7 Laps |
| 34 | Quin Houff | StarCom Racing | 9 Laps |
| 35 | Joey Gase | Petty Ware Racing | 12 Laps |
| 36 | Josh Bilicki | Rick Ware Racing | Suspension |
| 37 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Rear end |
| 38 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Accident |
| 39 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Overheating |