NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond 2014 Results: Winner, Standings, Reaction
Kyle Busch absolutely dominated theย Virginia529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Speedway on Friday. The No. 54 car started at the front of the pack and finished in the very same spot, leading all 250 laps en route to his fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory this season.
Jeff Gluck ofย USA Today summed up the driver's performance perfectly:
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The pristine showing we saw from Busch on Friday doesn't come around often, but when it does, the racing world stops and takes notice. Jim Utter ofย The Charlotte Observerย tweeted the last time a driver obtained a wire-to-wire victory in a Nationwide race:
Busch took the checkered flag and celebrated his impeccable win with a lengthy burnout. Take a look at the final laps of the race and theย commemorationย of his victory thereafter:
During a press conference, via Jerry Bonkowski of NBC Sports, Busch spoke of his victory and the momentum it gives him, "Good car, good engine and good execution tonight. I'm pumped about being back in Victory Lane in the Nationwide Series and here at Richmond. It's been a while.ย It's fun to come back here and get back on track and get some mojo for tomorrow night."
Here's a look at the race's top-10 finishers:
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 250 | 0 |
| 2 | Chase Elliott | 0 | 916 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Brian Scott | 0 | 859 |
| 6 | Regan Smith | 0 | 897 |
| 7 | Dakoda Armstrong | 0 | 589 |
| 8 | Elliott Sadler | 0 | 862 |
| 9 | Ty Dillon | 0 | 874 |
| 10 | Chris Buescher | 0 | 747 |
The complete race results can be viewed at NASCAR.com.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. liked what he saw out of JR Motorsports:
Another solid showing from Chase Elliott strengthened his standing atop the Nationwide leaderboard, gaining a bit of separation between himself and the pack. However, Regan Smith and Ty Dillon are still nipping at his heels, maintaining their spots in second and third, respectively, with top-10 performances on Friday.
One unexpected top-10 finisher was Dakoda Armstrong, who earned a career-best finish of seventh place. Here's what he had to say after the race, via NASCAR on ESPN:
"Armstrong (career-best 7th) "We got some better track position for that last green-flag run I'm glad we're getting better & better each week
โ NASCAR on ESPN (@ESPNNASCAR) September 6, 2014"
The young driver certainly appears to be budding into a potential contender in the very near future, and we shouldn't be surprised if the Series' top drivers begin looking over their shoulders.
Here's a look at the updated Nationwide Series standings:
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 916 | -- |
| 2 | Regan Smith | 897 | -19 |
| 3 | Ty Dillon | 874 | -42 |
| 4 | Elliott Sadler | 862 | -54 |
| 5 | Brian Scott | 859 | -57 |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne | 832 | -84 |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 747 | -169 |
| 8 | Brendan Gaughan | 720 | -196 |
| 9 | Ryan Reed | 686 | -230 |
| 10 | James Buescher | 671 | -245 |
Full standings can be viewed at NASCAR.com.
Elliott doesn't have a stranglehold on the Nationwide Series; however, the season is quickly winding down, giving opposing drivers very little opportunity to catch him.
Next on the slate is the Jimmy John's Freaky Fast 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. There's a possibility we could see lightning strike twice in a row considering Busch has won the race three previous times and is the defending champion.
Kevin Harvick could give him a challenge, as he is the only other driver in the race's history to take the checkered flag more than once.
As the season winds down, we're certainly in for some more compelling driving, as the Series' top drivers continue jockeying for position down to the final race. Hang on to your hats.
