Busch's run from the back indicative of season's trials (cont'd)

"You just got to stay on pace and take your time," Busch said. "You can have a bad pit stop at the beginning of the race and go to the back. You just have to stay consistent and stay smooth."

Lap-by-Lap

Tony Stewart got by Matt Kenseth for good on Lap 233 and went on to win the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland.

• Lap-by-Lap, click here
• Race Video, click here

He had moved up to 31st after just 15 laps, 17th by Lap 45, and was 12th by Lap 60. He finally broke into the top 10 around Lap 165 and eventually climbed as high as fourth before falling back just a little by the end.

"We were good. I just couldn't run the top groove," he said. "I needed the lapped cars to yield, but they're not going to get out of the way. I needed that bottom groove, it seemed like, at the end. That was where we were making hay. It was just tough when the lapped cars were there, I couldn't quite get around them as quickly as some of the other guys could.

"I'm bummed that we didn't get a top-five. I've only got three tracks that I've raced on that I don't have a top-five on [Chicagoland, Kansas and Watkins Glen] but sixth is great, especially coming from where we did."

Busch's team has had to overcome adversity all year. He began the season with Roy McCauley as his crew chief, but McCauley took a leave of absence to be with his ill wife. Pat Tryson, who began the season as crew chief of Greg Biffle's No. 16 car at Roush Fenway Racing but left to join Penske Racing, eventually took over for McCauley.

Busch said Tryson is beginning to make a positive difference as the team heads into an off-week prior to the next Cup race at Indianapolis on July 29.

"We're just plugging away. Everybody is hitting their stride," Busch said. "Pat Tryson has had some good input the last few weeks. It's nice to have a week off to see what we can add to our Indy car, so hopefully we're even better there.

"Who knows what we can do? Right now we're just trying to stay consistent. ... It just seems like we keep getting cards dealt to us that are tough to play. But if we just sit there and take our time and wait for the right cards to come to us, we'll be in great shape. I'm hoping that they do, because a third and a sixth the last two weeks feel really good right now."