Accident Ends Kurt Busch’s All-Star Race

Race Winner:  Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner:  Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 3 Winner:  Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap:

Busch started 15th, but a spin on just the second lap sent him backward into the turn four wall. He finished the stage in 21st.

The impact caused minor rear-end damage to the No. 41 Monster Energy Ford Fusion.

Repairs were made on pit road during the subsequent caution, allowing Busch to complete the stage.

Busch finished one lap down, but took the wave-around and earned his lap back before pitting.

 

Stage 2 Recap:

Busch started 21st and finished 20th.

Busch radioed that his No. 41 Monster Energy Ford Fusion was “still pretty loose” as the stage drew to a close.

Crew chief Billy Scott called for significant changes during the four-tire pit stop at the end of the stage, one of which was a massive left-rear wedge adjustment.

 

Stage 3 Recap:

Busch started 20th and finished 18th after getting collected in a multicar accident.

A caution period on lap 57 allowed Busch to pit for four tires and fuel with another series of chassis adjustments.

When the race returned to green on lap 59, Busch remained in 20th, but climbed to 12th before another caution flag waved.

While others used the caution to pit, Busch stayed out to gain track position. He was eighth for the restart.

The well-earned track position went for naught when Busch was collected in a crash three laps from the end of the stage.

With his No. 41 Monster Energy Ford Fusion too damaged to continue, Busch was forced to the garage.

 

Notes:

● This was Busch’s 17th career start in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. Harvick and Matt Kenseth are the only active drivers with more All-Star Race starts.

● Busch won the All-Star Race in 2010.

● Harvick’s victory in the All-Star Race marked the 50th overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s third non-points victory in the NASCAR Cup Series to go along with its 45 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins and two NASCAR Xfinity Series wins.

● This was SHR’s second All-Star Race win. SHR’s first All-Star Race victory came in 2009 when Tony Stewart took the first win of any kind for SHR along with his first win in the All-Star Race.

● Twenty-one drivers comprised the field, which consisted of drivers who won a points-paying race in 2017 or 2018, fulltime drivers who have previously won the All-Star Race, fulltime drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, and drivers who advanced from the undercard Monster Energy Open.

 

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 6 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX beginning at 5:30 p.m.

 

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