NASCAR Sprint Cup- Win for Kurt Busch in Texas

With two races left until the grand finale of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, the ferocity and intensity of the competition only increase. As is common in the sport, event after event, the situation of each driver changes, often quite dramatically. In previous races, the leader of the tournament, Jimmie Johnson, described each individual competition as a whole new challenge; each track is very different and it is very difficult to predict what might happen next. This quality was revealed very clearly last weekend at the Dickies 500, the thirty-fourth event of the top racing category in NASCAR. The event took place at the Texas Motor Speedway Circuit. In Texas, Johnson caused great amazement, but not because he won; instead, he suffered a serious accident that left the crows agape. The result left the three-time champion in the pits area for more than an hour while his team tried to repair his car. The lost time led him to end in 38th place, adding only 49 points and shortening his lead against Mark Martin, the driver in second place, to 73 points. While Johnson waited to return to the track, a fierce battle ensued between Kyle Busch and his older brother, Kurt Busch, for first place in the race. During the confrontation Denny Hamlin, driver of Joe Gibbs racing, managed to lead the race for two laps. The event proceeded with increasing speed and a growing enthusiasm within both the drivers and the crowd; the competitors were trying to give a good show. The Busch brothers were the center of attention, their clash watched with bated breath. It was a tough battle and neither of the two was willing to give any ground. This confrontation only grew until late in the competition, when Kyle was able to situate himself in first after he passed through the pit area in the 269th lap. Kurt joined the pits in lap 271, and, after exiting speedily, quickly reached his younger brother. Trying to maximize his resources, Kyle didn’t refuel, and as a result in lap 331 he ran out of gas. His brother seized on the moment to pass him and snag first place. Kurt was able to save his fuel to stay at the wheel of his Dodge and complete the scheduled 334 laps, crossing the finish line in first place. With the victory, his third of the season and the twentieth of his professional career in the Sprint Cup, Kurt, the driver of the #2 Penske Racing team, won a total of 190 points, giving him the opportunity to advance two positions in the standings, at 4th place with 6,126 points. Another driver who took advantage of Kyle’s missing fuel – the younger Busch finished at eleventh – was Hamlin, who crossed the finish line in second place, followed by Matt Kenseth in third. After this event, Johnson, who is seeking a fourth consecutive title (a feat unprecedented in NASCAR history) adds a total of 6,297 points, with Martin trailing him very closely. His victory, then, is hardly guaranteed.