LEBANON, Tenn. — Kyle Busch raced to his one hundredth profession Xfinity Sequence victory Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, the place he gained for the fourth time.
Busch gained within the Xfinity Sequence in 2009 and the Truck Sequence in 2010 and 2011, however the observe closed the 12 months he gained his final race. The speedway re-opened this weekend and can host its first Cup race Sunday.
Busch led seven instances for 123 laps and beat Justin Allgaier in additional time for his third victory in three Xfinity races this season. His one hundredth win in his 360th profession begin is an almost 28% profitable share.
“I bear in mind rising up as a child watching Mark Martin win each week and questioning, ‘Can anyone beat this man?’ And that was 49 wins,” Busch mentioned. “So I simply can’t fathom, proper now myself, what 100 actually means. It is actually one thing I’ll look again on as soon as all is alleged and performed and I am in a rocking chair someplace.”
It may be all mentioned and performed after two extra Xfinity Sequence races. Busch would not assume Joe Gibbs Racing has bought any Xfinity races but for him in 2022 and so this 12 months might be his final operating his allowed 5 occasions a season.
“Why? Did you hear the group? No one likes me,” Busch mentioned. “I get beat up, whether or not it’s the followers or (media), like ‘Why am I doing it? What am I doing it for? Why am I beating on the little guys?’ I like profitable. If I can not win on the Cup aspect, hell, I’ll stop that and are available again and run Xfinity full time.”
NASCAR solely permits Cup drivers to compete in 5 Xfinity and 5 Truck Sequence races a 12 months and Busch makes use of all his begins. NASCAR first set the restrict at 10 races in 2017, minimize it to seven in 2018 after which 5 final 12 months.
“Should you look again on the final 10 years, with all the constraints, I imply hell, I in all probability may have made that quantity 150 by now, 160, 70, no matter,” Busch mentioned. “However with all the pieces that went down and solely been in a position to run 5 a 12 months, it is 100 now.”
Busch and Allgaier had a spirited late battle and swapped the lead six instances within the remaining 49 laps. As the group booed him after he collected the checkered flag, he thanked his “Rowdy Nation” supporters and mocked the haters.
“I noticed a variety of you standing up when Allgaier took the lead,” Busch instructed the group, “after which a variety of you sat again down after I took the lead.”
Busch was vilified by followers in 2009 for smashing the winner’s Gibson guitar trophy in victory lane and he playfully pretended he was going to do it once more whereas celebrating NASCAR’s re-opening. However after lifting the Gibson over his head, he as an alternative pretended to play it like a rock star.
Allgaier completed second and was adopted by Harrison Burton, Josh Berry and AJ Allmendinger.
Reigning Xfinity Sequence champion retained a 90-point lead over Allmendinger within the standings regardless of crashing and ending thirty second.
“Each time we rise up to a 100-point factors lead, we find yourself getting wrecked,” Cindric mentioned. “It is irritating, however that is racing. There’s nothing you are able to do.”