CONCORD, N.C. — Carrying on the Busch family legacy, Brexton Busch made his dad, Kyle Busch proud, by getting his first Charlotte Motor Speedway win at Cook Out Summer Shootout’s Dad Vibes Night presented by Pro-FABrication.
In the Bandits division, Camden Truett was ready to rock and roll starting on the pole position but quickly had the lead taken from him in the first lap by Wyatt Coffey, followed by Jack Smith. Starting P4, no one saw Busch coming, but using his toolbox tactics on the outside of lap three, Busch made his presence known at the top of the field.
Fishing for a win, Landon Thrasher used a caution to his advantage, snatching the lead from Busch in lap 12, but not taking his eye off the prize, Busch didn’t back down. The two nudged each other back and forth battling for first place before Busch and his lime green machine ultimately squeezed past Thrasher to regain his lead at lap 14.
Maintaining the lead for the last six laps, Busch emerged happier than a dad on a fishing trip, as he took his first trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s victory lane.
“The car felt really good, glad that we can finally get a win here,” Busch said. “It means a lot [to win at Charlotte], these were my first laps led here in Bandits, and it’s my first win, so I am very happy to win here today.”
Right behind Busch was Thrasher, Smith and Coffey finishing second, third and fourth, with Delaney Gray rounding out the top five.
Alex McCollum pounced on the lead early, implementing the Dad Tax, he grabbed his first Cook Out Summer Shootout win of the season. Showcasing his strategic driving skills by leading every lap, McCollum’s ability to hold off a determined Jake Bollman in the final laps further solidified his role-model status for the night.
McCollum quickly showed that the ‘early bird gets the worm’ as he got out to a hefty lead pacing the field, protecting the top spot from Joel Smith who continued to cut down on his winning margin.
Exemplifying dads advice of ‘it’s not where you start, but where you finish’, Bollman, who started sixth, didn’t give up the fight as he marched through the field, gaining three positions in an attempt to chase McCollum down. Not phased by Bollman’s bid at the lead, McCollum held him off with a hook, line and sinker in the final five laps, grilling the competition for his first win of the season.
“I have been working my butt off for one of these wins this year,” said McCollum on his race-winning effort. “We are getting better on the track, and we still have some work left to do.”
Daniel Wilk took third, while Smith and Jensen Jorgensen protected the top five with fourth and fifth-place finishes.
Also making fast laps in fanny packs, Roo Reaves (Night Owl Companies Beginner Bandos), Bryson Nichols (Bojangles Outlaws), JC Fickensher (Chargers), Nathan Lyons (Night Owl Companies Young Lion), Isaac Kitzmiller (VP Fuels Semi-Pro) and Kevin Rollins (Old Armor Beer Company Masters) all mowed through the competition in true dad-fashion.