Kyle Busch Finishes Second at Richmond

Despite a valiant effort to catch fellow Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver John Hunter Nemechek in the closing laps, Kyle Busch brought home a runner-up finish in the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.
 
Stage One Recap
 
  • Busch started from the 12th position after a performance matrix based on off finishing position from the previous race, ranking in owner points standings and the fastest lap from the previous race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
  • With the first stage going green for the entire length, Busch finished the stage in third.
 
Stage Two Recap:
 
  • At the stage break, Busch radioed to crew chief Mardy Lindley that his Cessna Tundra needed grip. Lindley summoned his driver to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. With a speedy stop administered by the over-the-wall crew, Busch was the first driver off pit road.
  • Throughout the stage, Busch radioed that his Cessna Tundra was tight and would surrender the race lead to Nemechek on Lap 100.
  • Busch would lose a few more spots in the closing laps of the stanza and would finish the second stage in the fifth position.
 
Final Stage Recap:
 
  • Under the break, Lindley brought Busch down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Busch would come off pit road in the seventh position as the over-the-wall crew worked on the left rear of the Cessna Tundra to help performance during the final stage.
  • At the 10th caution on lap 197, Busch radioed that his Tundra was rolling well through the center of the corner and he was able to manage it throughout the rest of the turns. Lindley called Busch to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Busch would restart in the 10th position due to various pit strategies in play among the top 10.
  • By the 11th caution of the day on lap 214, Busch had worked his way up to the sixth position.
  • Busch would continue to move up through the field to finish the race in the second position.
 
 
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Cessna Tundra for KBM:
 
What more did you need to get up front and battle for the victory?
“Definitely not good enough in the long run, it would just overheat the tires. We tried to free it up and we got loose and that helped us last another five laps, but as soon as I felt tight and saw the 4 (John Hunter Nemechek) wiggle loose, I was like, ’Oh, we don’t have a shot to pass him.’ We hung with him at least. You know what the most discouraging thing about today is? KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) 1-2-4 with three entirely different setups so what do we come back here with? That’s what’s most confusing now to me is the next time back, what do we do? Think the 4 was just overall better than us. It was fun to race up there with him and fun to race up there with the rest of the guys. I’m glad we could kind of get single-filed out at the end a little bit to where we could race amongst ourselves, but they were just better than us there.”
 
How happy are you with the performance of Kyle Busch Motorsports this season with four consecutive wins this season?
“It’s awesome. I joked with John Hunter (Nemechek) at the beginning of the year that if you win one and then I win one and you win one and then I win one, it would be pretty good to go back and forth. I didn’t think he was serious, but so far that’s kind of the way it’s going so I guess I get Kansas.”
 
ToyotaCare 250 Recap
 
  • John Hunter Nemechek captured his second victory of 2021 in the NASCAR beating Kyle Busch by 0.307 seconds. Tyler Ankrum, Chandler Smith, and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top five.
  • There were 11 cautions for 79 laps. There were nine lead changes among six drivers with Busch leading once for 26 laps.
 
How John Hunter Nemechek’s KBM Teammates Fared:
 
  • John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished first.
  • Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished fourth.
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
 
After six races, The No. 51 team sits second in the owner’s standings just 10 points behind the No. 4 team.
 
Next Race
 
The No. 51 returns to the track with Kyle Busch when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series resumes action on Saturday, May 1 at Kansas Speedway. Live coverage will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET.

KBM PR