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Kyle Busch wrapped up his sensational season in the Nationwide Series by winning the Ford 300 after already clinching the championship when the green flag waved.
Busch held off a hard-charging Carl Edwards in the last laps of a fitting conclusion, as the top two drivers in points finished first and second, respectively, in the season-ending race. MiamiHerald.com
“It was a tough race, for sure,” Busch said. “We weren’t the best car here for a long time. All these guys made some great race calls—[crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and everybody else. That’s why we’re a championship team. That’s why we made it here [Saturday], because these guys can fight through stuff.”
Two laps after a restart on Lap 163, after pitting for new tires, Busch passed Edwards for the lead and held it the rest of the way, despite a caution for Jason Leffler’s contact with the wall on Lap 184.
“We made some adjustments to the car that really brought it to life, and I was able to pass those guys on that restart and get up towards the front and lead those laps, and when that last caution came out, Carl did the exact same thing I just did.”
Edwards came to the pits for tires under caution on Lap 186 and restarted eighth on Lap 190. Despite a strong run into the third turn on the final lap, his bid for the win fell just short.
“I thought we were going to win the race on that last restart, but the No. 18 [Busch] was just too fast on those [old] tires,” Edwards said. NASCAR
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Ford 300 at Homestead - Race Results
Busch finished with nine wins in the second-tier series and had 11 second-place finishes. He finished with a 210-point lead over polesitter Edwards.
Busch, who won his 30th career Nationwide race, wasn’t the only driver setting off fireworks.
Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin added another chapter to their simmering feud early in the race.
The latest run-in came when Hamlin made good on his promise to go after Keselowski. Hamlin tapped Keselowski from behind and spun him out on lap 35, though not a serious enough hit to end his day.
The two raced side-by-side or bumper-to-bumper for most of the race, sparking some life into a finale that needed some juice after Busch wrapped up his title at the start.
NASCAR parked Hamlin for a lap for rough driving. Hamlin said crews from the other teams cheered and applauded as he pulled the No. 11 Toyota into pit road.
“I don’t really hold any grudges. I’m ready to move on,” Keselowski said. “Hell, I’ve already moved on. Hopefully, he feels the same way.”
Jeff Burton, Joey Logano and Hamlin round out the top five. Keselowski, third in the final standings, was 12th. The Associated Press
