Kyle Busch Leaves Fans Breathless with Win in Atlanta

As one well-known Bush left office and the top of the political game in 2009—another Busch is sweeping into office in NASCAR and capturing the hearts and the imagination of all racing fans. One storied victory after another leaves pundits scurrying for superlatives grand enough to encompass the skill of the remarkable Mr. Busch.

The 23-year-old wunderkind leaves us breathless with his courage and his innate ability to drive his No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Toyota to the peak of its performance capabilities and then tickle it just enough to pass the best in the game and find himself alone atop the leader board.

Today’s race was no certainty. Unlike California, where Busch led practically from start to finish, there was no sureness in today’s results.

Sitting on the pole once again, Busch was passed in the opening lap and hotly contested all the way by an outstanding race from Kevin Harvick; who ultimately finished second in this hard-fought contest in his No. 2 Charter Chevrolet.

Near the conclusion, with 8 laps to go, Busch not only didn’t have the lead, he also didn’t have second or third gear. All he had was eight laps to make his way back to the lead.

It turned out to be just enough to coax No. 51 back into the lead with some innovative and courageous driving, along with some bull-headed determination and gutsy moves.

He caught and passed Todd Bodine; and then managed to hold off a serious charge from the determined Kevin Harvick. It was no easy task, folks!

It was masterful driving and as thrilling a finish as we have witnessed all year. We were all cheering the mighty Busch on his way to the electrical finish!

It proved to be Rowdy’s fourth win in five Truck Series starts at this 1.54-mile track as well as another surreal clip for his personal racing highlight reel.

"He is a phenomenal driver," said Doug George, Busch's crew chief on the Billy Ballew Racing team.

"I just had to lug it along there," Busch said of his hesitant transmission on the restart.

"Fortunately, it got going sooner than later and we were able to make it up. At least we made it exciting for the fans."

Busch reported that he lost third gear on a restart on Lap 79. Then, when he mashed the throttle at the green on Lap 123, he lost second. Whoa Nellie!

"I just had to put it up in fourth gear and pray there was even a gear there," Busch said.

By the time Busch realized his engine was beginning to pull, Bodine had shot into the lead and was trying to pull away and capture the race.

Bodine knew Busch was back there, and he also knew that Kevin Harvick—who had to make separate stops for tires and then fuel with less than 15 laps left under the new Truck Series rules—was truly on his tail.

While Busch pulled even on Lap 126 and cleared Bodine on the next lap, Harvick took second on the next lap. Coming past the white flag, he moved in on Busch, trying to find room on the low side. Busch decidedly took that line away. When Harvick lost the nose on his truck, he reluctantly settled in for second.

"That was a lot of fun there at the end," said Harvick, who said the pit crew for the team he owns struggled all day. "If we had come out in front...it would have been no contest. ...The thing was fast, but it doesn't matter when you can't do a pit stop."

It was a tug of war as these two competitors fought it out toe-to-toe and tire-to-tire all along the final two laps—with the victor screaming home to a victory that will be remembered in the annals of time!

Kyle Busch hung on for the victory; and he deserved it since he gambled the most.

The fact that Kyle Busch is considering an expansion into USF1 was utilized widely to obtain some tag-along publicity in the United States. Rowdy Busch is on a big roll. 

Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch won the American Commercial Lines 200, his 11th victory in 57 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

This is Busch's second victory in 2009. Busch also finished second in the season-opener at Daytona and then won two in a row (Auto Club and Atlanta)—both from the pole. This is his second straight year to win back-to-back races at Auto Club and Atlanta.

This is also his fourth victory and fifth top-10 finish in five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Bodine settled for third in his No. 30 Tilted Kilt Toyota while posting his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Atlanta—including five top-fives. 

Toyota drivers dominated the series with Mike Skinner and Terry Cook rounding out the top five. 

Busch now leads the point standings by 25 points over Todd Bodine.

If you missed this one, folks, you missed a classic.

Kyle Busch is the second coming for NASCAR!