Kyle Busch wins on Bristol dirt course after wild ending

[April 18, 2022]  In a wild finish in NASCAR's only Cup Series dirt event, Kyle Busch came from third to first off the final turn at Bristol Motor Speedway to win the Food City Dirt Race Sunday night in Bristol, Tenn.

Chase Briscoe ran down leader Tyler Reddick in a 24-lap shootout at the end, then Briscoe slid into Reddick and wrecked both cars, which slid down onto the Turn 4 apron.

Running third, Busch moved his Toyota by Reddick -- who led a race-high 99 laps -- to win for the first time in 2022.

The victory snapped a 25-race losing streak by Busch, an eight-time winner on Bristol's concrete surface.

"We got one. You know, it doesn't matter how you get them. It's all about getting them," said Busch, whose 18 straight seasons with a Cup Series win tied Richard Petty for the record. "Overall, just real pumped to be back. Real pumped to get a win. This one means a lot.

"I can win on any surface here at Bristol. Bring it on, baby."

Reddick, who finished second, held the point until rain brought the cars to pit road after the 13th caution with 28 laps to go. Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.

"I don't think I did everything right," said Reddick, who also led the most laps at Auto Club Speedway in California in February. "Briscoe was able to run me back down there. I shouldn't have let him get that close. I should've done a better job and pulled away."

Briscoe and Reddick shook hands on pit road.

"I was going to spin out either way," Briscoe told Reddick. "But I'm sorry, I just wanted to let you know. I couldn't run any harder. I'm sorry, I wish you would've won."

Apr 17, 2022; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (14) leads driver Christopher Bell (20) and driver Daniel Suarez (99) at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

In NASCAR's first race on Easter Sunday since 1989, the first caution flew on Lap 13 when NASCAR gave the teams the option to bring their cars to pit road to clean their grilles after many of them developed a serious accumulation of clay.

On the race's third caution on Lap 74, Justin Allgaier's Chevrolet struck the wall just as Larson won the first segment -- the reigning Cup champion's first stage-win this season.

With rain beginning to fall over the east Tennessee track dubbed the "World's Fastest Half-Mile," Briscoe and Daniel Suarez fought for the lead on Lap 140, with Briscoe edging ahead.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver beat Christopher Bell to the stripe to win the second stage, but a red-flag delay began on Lap 151 as rain muddied the track.

Following the red-flag break, Briscoe and Bell fell back after one-third of the field stayed out for track position instead of pitting as the duo did.

--Field Level Media

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