HAMPTON, Ga. – If Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was Kyle Busch’s final NASCAR Xfinity Series race, he made sure to go out with a bang.
Busch captured his 102nd Xfinity Series victory in his final start of the year, completing a perfect five-for-five season aboard Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra.
The victory wasn’t without drama, as Busch spent the better part of the last 40 laps chasing his teammate Daniel Hemric, who appeared to have the better race car. However, contact during a restart with six laps to go sent Hemric into the wall and Busch into the lead.
RESULTS: Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250
“You don’t take solace in having a win like that,” Busch said.
Hemric had managed to get ahead of Busch after the pair were among a group of cars who pitted for tires during a caution period just shy of the 100 lap mark. Hemric marched through the field on fresh tires from 14th to take the lead on lap 105, while Busch followed and was up within the next five laps.
Busch trailed Hemric from there, unable to gain on Hemric but also not losing any ground. The caution flag would wave on lap 119 for Brandon Jones crashing, setting up the a round of pit stops that saw Hemric beat Busch off pit road.
When the race resumed on lap 125 Hemric went right back to work, rocketing around the outside to regain the lead with Busch right in his tire tracks. Hemric would again inch away as Busch tried to keep up, though he appeared unable to get close enough to challenge Hemric.
The last round of pit stops for the leaders came with 17 laps left when Carson Ware crashed down the backstretch. Everyone hit the pits for tires and fuel, with Hemric again getting off pit road ahead of Busch.
Hemric lined up second for the restart as Kyle Weatherman opted not to pit. That proved to be a poor decision for Weatherman as he was immediately swallowed up by the pack before making contact with Brandon Brown and Harrison Burton to bring out another caution flag.
By the time the caution waved Hemric was back out front with Busch again in second. Utilizing the choose rule, Hemric and Busch both lined up on the bottom for the restart with six laps left.
That would prove to be Hemric’s undoing. Busch tried to push Hemric into turn one on the restart, but instead the contact got Hemric sideways and he clipped A.J. Allmendinger on the top.
The contact sent Hemric into the outside wall and out of contention for his first Xfinity Series victory. He finished 30th.
“Obviously I meant to push him, I wanted to hit him. I just wanted to hit him forward and straight,” Busch said. “It turned him sideways a little bit and I think he got more help on his right side. Just trying to help a teammate there and that’s why I restarted behind him.”
Busch, meanwhile, had inherited the lead as Jeb Burton started alongside him on the top for the overtime restart thanks to the choose rule. Jeb Burton hang tough on the outside and appeared to have a shot at stopping Busch, but Busch overpowered him down the backstretch and into turn three to retain the lead.
From there it was smooth sailing for Busch as he completed a perfect five-for-five season in the Xfinity Series in what may have been his final series start.
“Overall great day for our 54 car, but the 18 (Hemric) was better and deserved this win,” Busch said. “I’m sorry to Daniel and those guys. I hate it that all that transpired. That’s restarts at Atlanta I guess.”
Busch has said for several seasons that once he reached the 100 victory plateau, he would retire from Xfinity Series competition. He said that to the best of his knowledge, this was final Xfinity Series race.
“Never say never, but yeah, this is it,” Busch said.
Jeb Burton held on to finish second, with Noah Gragson earning one of his best finishes of the season in third. Justin Haley and Ty Dillon completed the top-five.