Kyle Busch dominated this afternoon at Martinsville Speedway leading 352 laps en route to his first victory of the season in today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ STP 500. Meanwhile Carl Edwards battled back from a lap down to finish sixth, while Matt Kenseth finished 15th and an accident left Denny Hamlin back in 39th.
Kyle Busch started the No. 18 M&M’S 75th Anniversary Toyota from the seventh position but was fast from the outset driving his way to the front by lap 32. Busch would hold the lead through the opening round of pit stops on lap 93. He would relinquish the lead shortly after the restart to the 4 car but the change only lasted a few laps as Busch went back to the front and held the top spot until giving way to his teammate Kenseth on lap 132. He would get that lead back shortly after a restart on lap 148 before giving way again and running third on lap 200. Busch would restart second on lap 227 and was the leader when the race reached the halfway point. He would continue to lead when the afternoon’s next caution came out on lap 312. He would restart second to Kenseth on lap 321 but quickly returned to the lead with 150 to go. Busch continued a dominant afternoon restarting as the leader with 110 laps to go. A final caution with 15 laps remaining left the leaders with a decision and the M&M’S team made the call to remain out on the track. Busch managed to do the rest from there pulling away from the field on the restart with 11 laps to go and holding on to take the checkered flag. The win essentially assures the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion place in this year’s Chase.
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