Kyle Busch Claims Food City 300 Pole

Custer stayed on the track under yellow and took the lead, but Larson stormed past on lap 80 and hung on for the Stage 1 victory.

On Sunday, Harvick’s six-year old son Keelan was allowed to meet up with his father on track after the victory lap. “It’s a long race tomorrow and we’ll have to deal with traffic, and try and get to the front”. Martin Truex Jr. had his race ended when Busch made contact with his left rear, sending the defending Cup Series champion hard into the inside wall.

“The vehicle bottomed out somewhat there in the first lap, so I’m not sure what happened”, Dixon said.

Kyle Busch brought out the race’s final caution as well with a spin because of a flat tire. With 46 laps to go, the two were side by side, with Larson working the high side in the corners like he had all race. Teammate Ryan Blaney could be even more of a threat.

Just like Busch, the action wasn’t done for the night.

The points leader already is locked into the playoffs, so finishing Saturday night was about pride and his love of Bristol. Larson held off a challenge from Justin Allgaier on the restart.

Larson started on the pole and looked like he had the best shot to beat Kurt Busch over the final laps.

“It was fast every round in qualifying”, Larson said. He kicked the side of his auto in anger after the wreck.

Truex was running second at the time when Busch inadvertently turned the No. 78 Furniture Row Motorsports Toyota into the inside frontstretch retaining wall.

That something was Kyle Busch. I just kept trying to pass him on the inside. “Hopefully, he’s all right and everything is OK there”. Paul Menard, who almost stormed to the lead at the start of the race, had an issue just laps later, taking him out for the night.

Busch crew chief Adam Stevens figured the Truex team is upset with Busch.

Kurt Busch had a good restart, but Kyle Larson, on fresher tires, was desperately trying to catch him for the win.

“For me, it’s kind of full circle and I think over the last nearly five years now we’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success – nothing is really different this year”.

“It is just the way it goes sometimes”.

STILL SEEKING A BRISTOL WIN: Truex Jr. has never won on a short track and felt he had a chance to snap that streak at Bristol. He had accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2017.

Sixteen drivers make the playoffs.

Occasionally, Harvick can be found in the television booth talking about what is unfolding in front of him on the race track. The drivers then introduce themselves.

Busch likely didn’t gain any more fans with his role in forcing Truex out of the race. Success this weekend wasn’t meant to be, he said.

“They’ll probably throw that one away anyways”, Busch quipped, “but it ruined their day from being able to get a win or even a second”. Busch entered the night leading the points standings.

Harvick boasts the fifth best driver rating among his competition and has won at the famous half-miler twice before, most recently this same Fall night race in 2016.

In 2014, he won five races in 36 attempts; he has seven wins so far this season with 12 races remaining after Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.