Kyle Busch outlasts rain, Larson to win Food City 500 at Bristol

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 15: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, racees during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 15, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 15: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, racees during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 15, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

In a race that stretched over parts of two afternoons and featured more than its share of yellow and red flags, the Food City 500 produced a familiar Bristol winner.

Bristol Motor Speedway always throws its share of adversity at Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers, but the 2018 race was trickier than most. Because of the threat of rain, the race was moved up an hour on Sunday, got underway and needed to be postponed before the halfway point until Monday afternoon. None of that mattered to Kyle Busch, who persevered and took the checkered flag at Bristol for the seventh time in his career.

On both days, Busch’s No. 18 Skittles Toyota was better on long runs than short ones, and he didn’t always get a chance to utilize that long term speed thanks to more than 10 cautions and red flags. The trouble started almost right from the green flag on Sunday, and Ryan Blaney got caught up in it as well, crashing out while in the lead before the end of Stage 1.

Brad Keselowski ended up taking both Stage 1 and Stage 2 but was bitten by the Bristol bug late. That turned the race for the win into a battle between Kyle Larson, who led more than 200 laps, and Kyle Busch. With just five laps to go, Busch pulled off the bump and run on Larson and never looked back.

Even though Larson was disappointed after the race by finishing second to Busch again, it was a good day for a 42 team that has seemed a half-step off its 2017 form. The same could be said for the Hendrick Motorsports camp, which placed two drivers in the top five for the first time in 2018, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished fourth.

Next: Food City 500 Day 2 highlights, stage results

2018 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway – Complete finishing order

  1. Kyle Busch
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Jimmie Johnson
  4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  5. Alex Bowman
  6. Aric Almirola
  7. Kevin Harvick
  8. Clint Bowyer
  9. Joey Logano
  10. Ryan Newman
  11. Daniel Suarez
  12. David Ragan
  13. Paul Menard
  14. Denny Hamlin
  15. Austin Dillon
  16. Bubba Wallace
  17. AJ Allmendinger
  18. William Byron
  19. Jamie McMurray
  20. Landon Cassill
  21. Matt DiBenedetto
  22. Kurt Busch
  23. Brad Keselowski (Stage 1`and 2 winner)
  24. Trevor Bayne
  25. Corey LaJoie
  26. Erik Jones
  27. D.J. Kennington
  28. Ty Dillon
  29. Chase Elliott
  30. Martin Truex Jr.
  31. Gray Gaulding
  32. Reed Sorensen
  33. Chad Finchum
  34. Kasey Kahne
  35. Ryan Blaney
  36. Chris Buescher
  37. Harrison Rhodes
  38. Michael McDowell
  39. Ross Chastain