World News – US – NASCAR Las Vegas: Kurt Busch wins overtime playoffs

Kurt Busch became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to reserve his spot in the next round of the Playoffs with an overtime victory in Las Vegas

Busch in the No.1 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet had not followed the leading peloton, led by Denny Hamlin, to stand up halfway through the final stage, and took advantage when Jimmie Johnson’s car hit lost his right rear tire Goodyear, bringing out the warning flags

While Hamlin and the rest of the front runners, including Alex Bowman who undermined Hamlin in those stops by opposing Lap 232, fell to one lap, Busch – the only driver in the Playoff contention who failed a pas pit – could stop and start again in second place, behind Matt DiBenedetto of Wood Brothers Racing

Busch started the 243 lap on the inside line and passed No.21 DiBenedetto to take the lead, before a spin from John Hunter Nemechek seven laps later again neutralized the race on the 15 mile oval circuit

Hamlin, who ran in 11th place, then led a pitroad charge of those who lost on Johnson bail, with players like Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott following # 11 Joe Gibbs Toyota for fresh rubber

Bowman and Hamlin quickly began to push their way through the terrain, before a final warning for William Byron’s spin after Christopher Bell’s car suffered a tire failure This sent the race into overtime, with neither of the leaders choosing to place before the two-lap shootout.

Busch started ahead of DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney, Bowman and Hamlin, and quickly dropped the pursuit pack, as Hamlin tried to force his way past Blaney

Busch, who finished 16th and 17th respectively in stages one and two, was not troubled throughout overtime, allowing the 2004 Cup champion to register his first victory of 2020, 33rd in his career, first since Kentucky in July 2019, and secure his place in the round of 16 of the Playoffs

DiBenedetto equalized his best result of the season with a second place in his Ford, also arriving in Las Vegas in February, ahead of second stage winner Hamlin, who scored his first top 10 since the road race of Daytona

Playoff prospects Truex Jr, Bowman and defending champion Kyle Busch were fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, with eliminated Ryan Blaney, Team Penske first in seventh

Erik Jones followed the third time in Bristol with an eighth for JGR, ahead of Chris Buescher and Harvick – who recorded his 25th result in the top 10 of 2020 in an otherwise calm afternoon for the polesitter in his machine n ° 4

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson was hit with a speeding penalty in the pit lane halfway through the 268 laps, but defended well to place 11th, ahead of Penske duo Brad Keselowski ( 13th) and Joey Logano (14th) Logano had been one lap late for most of the race after the 88th lap, contact with Kyle Busch left # 22 with minor damage

Elliott looked comfortable in front during times of the first leg, which driver # 9 Hendrick claimed ahead of Hamlin, but struggled in the later legs, coming back to 22nd place

Austin Dillon, who had been the star of the Playoffs with a solid Round of 16, looked set to continue his good form in his # 3 machine Richard Childress, conceding a pair of sixth places in both 80-lap segments. p>

However, a suspected piece of debris damaged the belts inside his Camaro’s engine, resulting in a power steering failure, and left the No.3 seven laps down to 32nd in the flag

Kurt Busch, NASCAR, NASCAR Cup Series, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto