NASCAR Playoffs at Richmond recap, finishing order: Kyle Busch comes to life late for 50th Cup Series win
By Nick Tylwalk
Order restored: The Big 3 swept the top three spots at Richmond, with Kyle Busch and the 18 team shining brightest as the night got later.
Would the wildness of Las Vegas be the new norm during the NASCAR Playoffs? Was Brad Keselowski now the man to beat? Not if the Big 3 have anything to say about it, and they certainly did during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway. On a night when Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick both made bids for a victory, it was Kyle Busch who ultimately prevailed, sweeping both Richmond races in 2018 and picking up his 50th career NASCAR Cup Series win in the process.
It didn’t come easy. Busch not only started the race from the 39th position, he had to engage in some white-knuckle laps while battling with Keselowski for the lead in the final 60 laps. It actually took the 18 laying back ever so slightly before making a move with about 37 laps to go.
With his longtime rival Keselowski fading, Busch had to fend off a late charge from Harvick, but the 4 never got closer than about half a second back before the 18 took the checkered flag.
“That was too close for my comfort,” Busch said to Rutledge Wood after performing his trademark bow. “I thought we were a little bit better than that on the long run. I know Harvick, that’s kind of his specialty. We had a really, really good race car tonight. The M&M’S Camry was awesome. The guys did a great job coming back from a dismal qualifying effort.”
Most of the night belonged to Truex, who won the first two stages and led every lap during Stage 2. But an uncontrolled tire penalty during the pit stop prior to the final stage proved to be the undoing for the 78 team, though Truex battled back to finish third.
Keselowski came home ninth, though he was already locked into the Round of 12 thanks to his Vegas victory and showed enough to suggest that it really might be a Big 4 now. The Charlotte ROVAL looms as the ultimate question mark next week, but at least for one night, the status quo established over the course of 26 regular season races returned to the forefront, and the result was one fans have been accustomed to seeing.
Federated Auto Parts 400 highlights, stage results. dark. Next
2018 Federated Auto Parts 400 finishing order for Richmond Raceway
- Kyle Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Chase Elliott
- Aric Almirola
- Austin Dillon
- Kyle Larson
- Jimmie Johnson
- Brad Keselowski
- Clint Bowyer
- Erik Jones
- Alex Bowman
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Joey Logano
- Ryan Newman
- Denny Hamlin
- Daniel Suarez
- Kurt Busch
- Ryan Blaney
- William Byron
- Jamie McMurray
- Paul Menard
- David Ragan
- Michael McDowell
- Matt Kenseth
- Cole Custer
- Bubba Wallace
- Ty Dillon
- AJ Allmendinger
- Chris Buescher
- Regan Smith
- Corey LaJoie
- Ross Chastain
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Joey Gase
- Landon Cassill
- Jeffrey Earnhardt
- Alon Day
- Timmy Hill
- Gray Gaulding