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Driving the #18 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch secured a third-place finish at hometown race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Sunday, but it wasn’t an easy day for him.
Busch suffered two setbacks that threatened his chance of a good run in the 400-mile race, but the #18 driver overcame an early spin and the left-rear tire coming off under caution to cross the finish line in third place. It was his eighth top-five finish of the season and his 14th top-ten finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Speaking about the race during the post-race interview, Busch praised Team Penske, saying that he had a really fast #18 Toyota Camry car but not as good as race winner Joey Logano, who took advantage of fresh tires in closing laps. He added that he worked throughout the race and eventually got a strong finish. Busch said:
“Just kept fighting in it and digging hard all day long. We had a really fast Camry anyway. Not as good as the Penske guys. They really have a hold of this place. We worked on ours all day long and got it better. Certainly, a top-five car and a good third-place finish. Just salvaged what we could there after a lot of ups and downs.”
He continued:
“Thanks to the guys. They had good pit stops all day. I left a little early on that one that we had a loose wheel, but all in all, we had a good recovery. It keeps us a good finish here and hopefully try to get back in the top 10 in points. That’s where it’s at.”
Kyle Busch’s team will face penalties following loose wheel during Las Vegas race
Kyle Busch started South Point 400 in 18th place, but quickly found his way into the top-10 and finished Stage 2 there. On lap 229, Busch came down pit road in fourth-place for pit stops along with the rest of the field after a caution.
The 37-year-old exited the pit road in third place, but his left rear tire was smoking. The tire eventually came off on Busch’s car rolling away halfway down the backstretch, which will result in a four-race suspension for crew chief Ben Beshore and two other crew members of #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
Catch Kyle Busch at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the second race of Round of 8 on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
