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By Kenny Bruce, NASCAR.com
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A dominant performance goes awry, another item on the defending series champion's bucket list gets checked off and NASCAR's Young Guns are still blazing.
Those are just a few of the items that unfolded Saturday night at Kansas Speedway, site of the Go Bowling 400 Sprint Cup Series race. A future Chase stop, Kansas under the lights provided plenty to chew on as the series, and the weather, begin to heat up.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A dominant performance goes awry, another item on the defending series champion's bucket list gets checked off and NASCAR's Young Guns are still blazing.
Those are just a few of the items that unfolded Saturday night at Kansas Speedway, site of the Go Bowling 400 Sprint Cup Series race. A future Chase stop, Kansas under the lights provided plenty to chew on as the series, and the weather, begin to heat up.
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Rookies rising
Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) seemed to struggle most of the night before the No. 24 came on late, but the end result was a ninth-place finish. It was the seventh top-10 of the year for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.
Fellow ROY candidate Ryan Blaney, on the other hand, ran in the top 10 all evening before eventually coming home in fifth. It was his second top-five since making the move to Sprint Cup.
Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) seemed to struggle most of the night before the No. 24 came on late, but the end result was a ninth-place finish. It was the seventh top-10 of the year for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.
Fellow ROY candidate Ryan Blaney, on the other hand, ran in the top 10 all evening before eventually coming home in fifth. It was his second top-five since making the move to Sprint Cup.
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And then there were two
For all his success in the Sprint Cup Series, defending series champion Kyle Busch rolled into Kansas as one of several non-winners at the 1.5-mile venue. The track was one of only three on the current schedule where Busch had won -- until now.
'Certainly this is a place that's been tough on me over the years,' Busch said in his winner's interview. 'Probably almost caused me to go into retirement.'
With 37 career wins, Busch can now set his sights on the two remaining tracks where he has yet to win Sprint Cup points races -- Charlotte and Pocono.
For all his success in the Sprint Cup Series, defending series champion Kyle Busch rolled into Kansas as one of several non-winners at the 1.5-mile venue. The track was one of only three on the current schedule where Busch had won -- until now.
'Certainly this is a place that's been tough on me over the years,' Busch said in his winner's interview. 'Probably almost caused me to go into retirement.'
With 37 career wins, Busch can now set his sights on the two remaining tracks where he has yet to win Sprint Cup points races -- Charlotte and Pocono.
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Close only counts ...
Martin Truex Jr. and his Furniture Row Racing team saw another dominant performance fail to pay off at the end of the day as a broken bolt on a wheel late in the race cut short his bid for victory.
Truex led 172 laps of the 267-lap event; it was the second time he's led the most laps this season only to see the win go to someone else.
Martin Truex Jr. and his Furniture Row Racing team saw another dominant performance fail to pay off at the end of the day as a broken bolt on a wheel late in the race cut short his bid for victory.
Truex led 172 laps of the 267-lap event; it was the second time he's led the most laps this season only to see the win go to someone else.
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Wrong place, wrong time
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson had one of his best outings of the season, running in the top five for much of the night and climbing as high as second. It was the kind of outing most have expected from the youngster, a former open-wheel standout.
But a three-wide move by Denny Hamlin on Lap 241 resulted in a four-car crash that swept up Larson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Hamlin. Larson finished 35th, the seventh time this season he's finished 15th or worse.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson had one of his best outings of the season, running in the top five for much of the night and climbing as high as second. It was the kind of outing most have expected from the youngster, a former open-wheel standout.
But a three-wide move by Denny Hamlin on Lap 241 resulted in a four-car crash that swept up Larson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Hamlin. Larson finished 35th, the seventh time this season he's finished 15th or worse.
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Stewart-Haas rebound?
It was a positive outing for the four-team Stewart-Haas Racing organization, which saw Kevin Harvick finish second, Kurt Busch place third, co-owner/driver Tony Stewart finish 12th in spite of vibration issues throughout the race and Danica Patrick lead laps for the second consecutive event.
Harvick appeared to have a car equal to that of Busch in the waning laps, until contact with debris damaged the front end of his No. 4 Chevrolet.
'Hit a big piece of debris and knocked a big hunk out of the nose and knocked the splitter down,' Harvick said afterward. 'From that point on it was tight. Otherwise I would have (driven) around him.'
It was a positive outing for the four-team Stewart-Haas Racing organization, which saw Kevin Harvick finish second, Kurt Busch place third, co-owner/driver Tony Stewart finish 12th in spite of vibration issues throughout the race and Danica Patrick lead laps for the second consecutive event.
Harvick appeared to have a car equal to that of Busch in the waning laps, until contact with debris damaged the front end of his No. 4 Chevrolet.
'Hit a big piece of debris and knocked a big hunk out of the nose and knocked the splitter down,' Harvick said afterward. 'From that point on it was tight. Otherwise I would have (driven) around him.'
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Coming into his own
Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon scored his sixth top-10 finish of the season, finishing sixth and perhaps proving that he and his No. 3 team shouldn't be ignored as the season rolls forward. Dillon wasn't able to crack the top 10 until late in the race, but once there he was able to race with the front-runners.
'We had some good lap times,' Dillon said. 'We just needed to get the track position. It was really hard to pass out there tonight.'
Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon scored his sixth top-10 finish of the season, finishing sixth and perhaps proving that he and his No. 3 team shouldn't be ignored as the season rolls forward. Dillon wasn't able to crack the top 10 until late in the race, but once there he was able to race with the front-runners.
'We had some good lap times,' Dillon said. 'We just needed to get the track position. It was really hard to pass out there tonight.'
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Pit-road pitfalls for No. 11
Denny Hamlin was flagged for speeding twice during Saturday night's race, giving up hard-earned track position and forcing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to fight his way back through the field.
Hamlin had raced his way back inside the top five when he was involved in the sixth caution on Lap 241. The damage ended his night and left him 37th in the 40-car field.
'Our car was a fast car today,' Hamlin said. 'Just didn't show it. We were just in the back because I sped twice. I've got to get better on pit lane to give us a chance.'
Denny Hamlin was flagged for speeding twice during Saturday night's race, giving up hard-earned track position and forcing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to fight his way back through the field.
Hamlin had raced his way back inside the top five when he was involved in the sixth caution on Lap 241. The damage ended his night and left him 37th in the 40-car field.
'Our car was a fast car today,' Hamlin said. 'Just didn't show it. We were just in the back because I sped twice. I've got to get better on pit lane to give us a chance.'