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Kurt Busch wins 3M Performance
After two days of rain postponements at Michigan International Speedway, Kurt Busch won NASCAR's 3M Performance 400 on Tuesday.
Michigan:
A NASCAR race was held on a Tuesday for the first time at Michigan Intenational Speedway, as the 3M Performance 400 finally got underway after two days of rain postponements.
There was a 32-minute fog delay after the first 10 laps, but the race was otherwise run without any weather problems.
Series leader Jeff Gordon, who started from the pole, was in the top five most of the day before some late problems relegated him to a 27th-place finish.
Gordon's crew had to make a quick repair on a loose flap along the edge of the rear window during a late pit stop, costing the four-time Cup champion several positions.
He then narrowly avoided a collision with Matt Kenseth and spun into the infield, where he became stuck in the grass, which had been left soft and muddy by two days of heavy rain.
A spin from Greg Biffle with just two laps remaining sent the race into overtime. But Kurt Busch cruised away from Truex's DEI Chevrolet when the green flag waved for a two-lap sprint on lap 202.
Busch, who led on four separate occasions - the first time on lap 102 - held off Martin Truex Jr over the closing laps.
He beat Truex to the finish line by 0.495 seconds - about eight car lengths - on the high-banked, two-mile oval.
Reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson finished third, followed by Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Dave Blaney and Carl Edwards, who won here in June.
It was Busch's second win in the last three races and the 17th of his career. With just three races remaining until the start of the 10-race stock car playoff, Busch remains 12th in the standings, with 2529 points.
Kevin Harvick is tenth, with 2655 points, while Jeff Gordon leads with 3384.
There was a 32-minute fog delay after the first 10 laps, but the race was otherwise run without any weather problems.
Series leader Jeff Gordon, who started from the pole, was in the top five most of the day before some late problems relegated him to a 27th-place finish.
Gordon's crew had to make a quick repair on a loose flap along the edge of the rear window during a late pit stop, costing the four-time Cup champion several positions.
He then narrowly avoided a collision with Matt Kenseth and spun into the infield, where he became stuck in the grass, which had been left soft and muddy by two days of heavy rain.
A spin from Greg Biffle with just two laps remaining sent the race into overtime. But Kurt Busch cruised away from Truex's DEI Chevrolet when the green flag waved for a two-lap sprint on lap 202.
Busch, who led on four separate occasions - the first time on lap 102 - held off Martin Truex Jr over the closing laps.
He beat Truex to the finish line by 0.495 seconds - about eight car lengths - on the high-banked, two-mile oval.
Reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson finished third, followed by Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Dave Blaney and Carl Edwards, who won here in June.
It was Busch's second win in the last three races and the 17th of his career. With just three races remaining until the start of the 10-race stock car playoff, Busch remains 12th in the standings, with 2529 points.
Kevin Harvick is tenth, with 2655 points, while Jeff Gordon leads with 3384.
Topics mentioned in this article
Formula 1