It may be home for Denny Hamlin but the Busch brothers owned it for the weekend at Richmond International Raceway.
Friday night for the Nationwide “Virginia 529 College Savings 250”, Kurt Busch drove the #54 Monster Energy Toyota to Victory Lane. Denny Hamlin made a run on the final lap to the finish with a drag race to the checkers and was a nose behind at the line. Kevin Harvick seemed to have it wrapped up for most of the race but Busch slipped by with 8 laps to go and took a comfortable lead until Hamlin filled the mirrors. Apparently, Kurt Busch had just enough to hold Hamlin to the line.
The #54 Toyota, by the way, is owned by Kurt’s brother, Kyle, who drove to Victory Lane on Saturday night in the Sprint Cup race.
Denny Hamlin also ran in the top 10 throughout the “Capitol City 400 presented by Virginia is for Lovers” but couldn’t quite make it into the top spot. He rode the #2 slot for a few laps but finished fourth at the end of the night.
Kyle Busch also ran the top 10 all night. He had the lead with 100 to go but Tony Stewart’s #14 car had found footing and was running too well for Busch to hold it at that point in the race.
Stewart started in the middle of the pack at the 22nd slot and as the race progressed, the #14 team tweaked and trimmed the Mobil 1 / Office Depot Chevy to a point that Tony moved up to the top 10 by the first 100 laps.
Mark Martin had the pole and was fast in practice but was down as far as 19th at the halfway point. He drove back and edged into the 8th slot by the finish.
The race seemed to belong to Carl Edwards for the most part. However, he was chased hard by Harvick, Hamlin and yes, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. None could get by until Tony Stewart made it around and took over the lead spot. With 25 laps to go, Stewart had passed Carl Edwards again, putting the #99 a lap down.
The latter part of the race, the last 30 or so laps, were Stewart’s for the taking. Kyle Busch was driving hard but couldn’t close the gap. It might have been Tony’s night but a caution for debris at lap 388 bunched everyone up again with Kyle taking the lead after some pit issues for the #14 of Stewart. The caution also put Carl Edwards back on the lead lap and in position to finish 10th overall.
The restart was all Kyle Busch. Tony spun the tires and fell back to the 3rd slot and could not get any better with only a few laps to go. Tony fell to third…? Yes… And who was there to pass Stewart…? None other than Dale Earnhardt, Jr.!
Dale drove the #88 Chevy hard but could not get ground on Busch but did keep the #14 of Stewart at bay. Kyle Busch drove the front straight out of the final turn with the lead and the win.
Dale Jr. was second, Stewart third, Hamlin fourth and Kasey Kahne rolled under the flag for fifth.
Jimmie Johnson took sixth. After the penalties and poor start at the beginning of the season, Johnson continues to push and matches his Richmond finish in the points total, sitting 6th overall.
Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards round out the top 10 to finish at Richmond.
For the weekend, it was a chase to to Victory Lane for the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup. The Busch brothers drove well both nights and stayed in positions to take advantage at the finish.
Richmond marks “firsts” in several ways for the Busch boys. Both have their first win of the season. It is also Kyle Busch’s first win as a car owner with brother Kurt’s victory in the #54 Toyota on Friday. Also of note, it is Kyle’s 4th consecutive Spring win at Richmond International Raceway.
Points leader, Greg Biffle could not get up front to challenge all night. He finished 18th and keeps the points lead. However, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is moving up. His second place at Richmond matches his current position in the points.
All eyes may be on the Busch brothers for the weekend at Richmond but the #88 is quietly making a run. At this point, it’s a fair bet that somewhere on the schedule the grandstands of an as yet unknown speedway are going to be tested when Dale Jr. wins.
For now, on the way to Talladega, it’s the Busch’s week to celebrate.
Photos from Richmond International Raceway: April 27-28/2012
Virginia 529 College Savings 250 / Nationwide Series
Capitol City 400 presented by Virginia Is For Lovers / Sprint Cup