Busch takes fourth win in Cup finale at Homestead

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Kurt Busch passed Ryan Newman with 11 laps remaining to win the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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Busch, driver of the No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford, was behind Newman for several laps before reeling him in and passing Newman's Ford to the inside.

Joe Nemechek, who led a race-high 111 laps had to settle for second. Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five.

Newman fell back to sixth.

Tony Stewart won the race within the race between he and Mark Martin for the Winston Cup title by finishing 18th.

The race win was Busch's fourth of the season and it came from the Bud Pole.

	Kurt Busch led 28 of the race's 267 laps. Credit: Autostock

"Unbelievable, this is just unbelievable," Busch said. "I couldn't believe it with as many competitors that were up there at the end. I just shut them out and knew we had to go for the victory.

"There was no way they could get by us if we did that. This is unbelievable to have a car that would work good to get a pole, and to work well enough to win is unbelievable."

For Busch, this was also his third win in the past five races. The 24-year-old Busch is ready to get started on next year's campaign.

"We can't wait until next year," Busch said. "We're testing at Talladega, Daytona and the Las Vegas and I can't wait to get back in the car. Our shop (Roush Racing) got a lot of work done this year."

Jack Roush's year  Jack Roush's cars won 10 races -- four more than any other team.  Matt Kenseth: 5 wins  Kurt Busch: 4 wins  Mark Martin: 1 win

The final pit stop cost Nemechek some valued positions on the track.

"We got a little behind there with that pit stop when Jimmie (Johnson) just got gas and some other guys beat us out," Nemechek said. "When you line up outside in ninth or 10th, you have all those lap cars to beat.

"I just beat up my tires some trying to get back to the front. But when we restarted in eighth instead of fourth, we just got bogged down there.

This was Nemechek's second runner-up finish in the past four races in the No. 25 UAW-Delphi Chevrolet.

"I really feel like I'm in the prime of my career," Nemechek said. "I'm only 39 and I feel there is a lot of race still left in me."

	Kurt Busch captured his fourth Winston Cup victory of 2002 on Sunday at Homestead. Credit: Autostock

Gordon's finish allowed him to win a tight batle for fourth in the final standings while Jimmie Johnson fell from fourth to fifth. Newman's finish lifted him to sixth in the final tally, one spot over teammate Rusty Wallace, who finished Sunday's race 14th, ending a 16-year streak of seasons with at least one victory.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the outside pole and led twice for 46 laps, but a faulty valve spring slowed the No. 8 Chevrolet and relegated Junior to a 21st-place finish.

Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th in the season standings.

Jimmy Spencer nearly ended his tenure with the No. 41 Dodge team with a top-five finish, but a few laps after telling the crew he felt like he was losing a tire, he spun into the outside wall at Turn 1.

The car then burst into flames as it slid along the wall before coming to a stop. Spencer was not injured and finished 41st.

The race had 12 lead changes among six drivers and there were six cautions for 41 laps.