Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), overcame a flat tire on lap 86 and a green-flag pit stop that put him a lap down to still contend for the win in the MyAFibRisk.com 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. However, a late-race caution took away what appeared to be a sure win and an automatic advance into the Contender Round for Busch and the No. 41 team.
Photo Credit: stewarthaasracing.com
“That was the difference-maker today,” Busch said of the late-race caution. “But overall, I’m really proud of this team and everybody at Haas Automation and Stewart-Haas Racing. This Chevy was fast. It was fast enough to win. When the caution came out there at the end, I thought we had the right strategy, but we didn’t. But this is a good point day. This is a long journey through these next 10 weeks. We weren’t given a hall pass now, through Loudon and through Dover. We’ve just got to work hard as a team and saddle up. This isn’t just a win and take a couple of weeks off, but we had a winning car today. It’s kind of a shame. We had a good run at Fontana earlier this year and it kind of ended up the same way.”
Busch struggled with an ill-handling racecar through Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions. But in the early going Sunday, he radioed crew chief Tony Gibson that the Haas Automation Chevrolet was much better than it had been, thanks to changes made prior to the start of the race. Busch made steady progress toward the front of the field, breaking inside the top-five on lap 40. He reported on lap 61 that he made contact with the wall, but he elected to stay on the racetrack based on a visual assessment of his red-and-black racecar that determined there wasn’t significant-enough damage to require an unscheduled pit stop. However, some 25 laps later Busch again made contact with the wall, and this time the damage to the right-rear quarter panel pushed the sheet metal into the tire, resulting in a flat. Busch made it to pit road, where the Haas Automation team was able to change four tires and repair the damage, but the No. 41was scored a lap down in 26th.
Following a cycle of green-flag pit stops and a timely caution, Busch was able to return to the lead lap and resume his run toward the front of the field. As the laps clicked off, Busch would establish himself as a strong contender. He took the race lead on lap 221 and appeared to be on his way to the win. But with less than 10 laps to go, NASCAR threw the caution flag for debris. Busch and Gibson debated their strategy, and it was decided that the No. 41 would stay out while others came to pit road for fresh tires.
When the green flag waved, just five laps remained. Busch lined up alongside Jeff Gordon, who had also stayed out. As Gordon raced Busch for the lead, Denny Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards were able to make their way around Busch. However, Busch was able to hold Gordon off to cross the finish line third in the opening round of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
“We win as a team and we lose as a team, and history said, Gibson said to me after the race, that staying out was going to prevail,” Busch said. “The problem is these restart zones are so tight that everybody rips and gouges and tears, and you get a little bit of extra grip with those fresher maybe one right-rear tire, versus both rears. You’re going to get that lunge forward, and Jeff Gordon and I were kind of sitting ducks. He wanted to mess with me, and I’m like, ‘Don’t mess with me on the restart. We’ve got all these guys with fresh tires,’ and they swallowed him up.”
There were six caution periods for 28 laps. All 43 drivers were racing at the conclusion of the 267-lap race.
Harvick and Kurt Busch are representing SHR in this year’s Chase. They entered the first race of the 10-race Chase seeded fifth and seventh, respectively, among the 16 Chase drivers in the Challenger Round. Busch leaves Chicagoland in fifth, four points behind Chase leader Kenseth. Harvick leaves Chicagoland in 16th, 43 points out of first. Following the third race of the Chase at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, only those Chase drivers who have won a race or are among the top-12 in points will advance to the Contender Round.
With two races remaining before the Contender Round begins, the top-16 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:
- Matt Kenseth (2,052 points)
- Denny Hamlin (2,050 points, -2)
- Carl Edwards (2,049 points, -3)
- Kyle Busch (2,049 points, -3)
- Kurt Busch (2,048 points, -4)
- Joey Logano (2,048 points, -4)
- Jimmie Johnson (2,045 points, -7)
- Ryan Newman (2,040 points, -12)
- Brad Keselowski (2,039 points, -13)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,038 points, -14)
- Martin Truex Jr. (2,035 points, -17)
- Jeff Gordon (2,031 points, -21)
- Jamie McMurray (2,028 points, -24)
- Paul Menard (2,027 points, -25)
- Clint Bowyer (2,025 points, -27)
- Kevin Harvick (2,009 points, -43)
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the second race of the Chase – is the Sept. 27 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.
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