FORT WORTH, Texas -- A dream debut for Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch and crew chief Dave Rogers went up in fumes with less than three laps left in Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Busch, who earlier this weekend won the Truck and Nationwide race, dominated Sunday but failed in his quest at a historic three-peat when he had to pit for fuel on Lap 332 of 334.

“

I thought we had one of the best cars throughout the entire race, but it just didn't work out that way. We were a little short on fuel.

”

-- DAVE ROGERS

The No. 18 Toyota driver, who led 232 laps before his demise, slipped to 11th at the finish. His older brother Kurt, who'd threatened all day, grabbed his second win of the season and exhibited sparse sympathy for his little brother.

"It was quite a bit of fun," Kurt Busch said. "Knowing he was going for the sweep, I was rooting for him, but I don't think he could have picked a better driver to lose to. It's bittersweet because we took the sweet part, which is the victory in Cup. We raced like that in Legends [Cars] but to do it in Cup, for the win -- this was definitely one of those fun days."

The outcome was only bitter for Kyle, who's led the most laps four times this season in Cup alone, but won only one of those events, at Bristol in the spring. Busch, who left the garage with virtually no words for the public, was also leading with less than 300 yards to go at Daytona before crashing with race winner Tony Stewart.

"He's frustrated," Rogers said of his driver, with whom he won a Nationwide race last season in Mexico City. "He didn't say nothing. He said we were out of fuel and after the race, he took his helmet off and went to his motorhome and calmed down.

"I think he handled it well -- it's tough. You lead all these laps and he could have gone for the clean sweep this weekend -- win all three in a row. He deserved to win all three in a row and to get beat -- it's tough."

A lesser man than Rogers, who this weekend kicked off his second career stint as a Cup crew chief, might've been daunted by Sunday night's outcome. But Rogers backed off neither from the decision, nor his responsibilities in its wake. (Continued)