AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Kurt Busch knew he had the best car Saturday night, but he had to keep coming from behind to prove it. "It's probably one of our best wins,'' Busch said after holding off a determined Michael Waltrip in the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway.

"You think you've got it put together but something happens and you get behind. It says a lot for the team that we were able to overcome all the things that happened to put us behind.''

Busch was able to forget all about being stiff and sore as he raced to his first victory of the season.

The defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion led 219 of 312 laps on the mile oval, emphatically putting behind him a streak of bad luck that included crashes at four consecutive events, including an IROC race a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway. More