Kurt Busch takes Sprint Cup Series win at Richmond

Kurt Busch won the rain-delayed Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Sunday afternoon, taking the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet to victory for the first time since his reinstatement from his suspension that covered the races at Daytona, Atlanta and Las Vegas earlier this year. Busch, who started third, led 291 of 400 laps. Polesitter Joey Logano led the first 94 laps before falling back several positions. Broadcaster Fox honored their late announcer Steve Byrnes, who died Tuesday after battling cancer, throughout Sunday as well as their short airtime on Saturday evening just after the race was postponed.

Logano's Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski also lost a cylinder during the race and had to ride it out on a long green flag run. Busch's teammate Kevin Harvick finished second, but not before having issues of his own right in the middle of the race, although he did lead two non-consecutive laps. After a competition caution on lap 50 due to the green track condition, the #98 Ford of Josh Wise brought out a pair of cautions for a stoppage on the track due to loss of oil pressure, and then for a fire on the front of the car. Joey Gase then spun the #32 Ford to bring out a caution, followed by Brett Moffitt cutting a tire on the #55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota (in his last Cup start for the time being) during green flag pit stops on lap 170. Keselowski, Busch and Justin Allgaier had not yet pitted when the caution was thrown, and the entire rest of the field was at least one lap down as a result of the pit cycles. The three leaders at the time pitted during the caution and the drivers one lap down took the wave-around to get back on the lead lap.

On lap 361, with Jamie McMurray getting into the battle for the lead, Tony Stewart, another teammate of Busch and Harvick as well as the co-owner of their cars, spun his #14 Chevrolet after apparent contact with the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Stewart was upset with Earnhardt because he believed that Earnhardt had tapped him and caused him to spin. Stewart's day was done and he wound up in 41st place, while Dale Jr. went on to finish 14th. On the ensuing restart, the #9 Ford of Sam Hornish Jr. and the #23 Toyota of Jeb Burton tangled on the backstretch bringing out the final caution. Kurt Busch then pulled away on the final restart to take his 26th series win, his first since last year's spring Martinsville race (also a Virginia short track).

Another big story was Xfinity Series driver Chase Elliott competing in his second Cup race in the part-time #25 Hendrick Chevrolet. Elliott, who had trouble in his series debut at Martinsville four weeks ago, drove to a 16th-place finish on the lead lap this time around. Next Sunday, the series races in Talladega, Alabama at the sister track of Daytona.

Race Results:

1. (3) 41-Kurt Busch - Chevrolet - 400 laps, led 291 laps
2. (5) 4-Kevin Harvick - Chevrolet - 400 laps, led 2 laps
3. (36) 48-Jimmie Johnson - Chevrolet - 400 laps
4. (9) 1-Jamie McMurray - Chevrolet - 400 laps, led 9 laps
5. (1) 22-Joey Logano - Ford - 400 laps, led 94 laps
6. (40) 5-Kasey Kahne - Chevrolet - 400 laps
7. (8) 20-Matt Kenseth - Toyota - 400 laps
8. (11) 24-Jeff Gordon - Chevrolet - 400 laps
9. (17) 15-Clint Bowyer - Toyota - 400 laps
10. (6) 78-Martin Truex Jr, - Chevrolet - 400 laps