After spending much of the race swapping the lead, Kyle Busch emerged as the leader on lap 213 of 260 following the final round of green-flag pitstops.
But Kurt did not go away and methodically began chasing Kyle back down. With the help of Ross Chastain, Kurt’s Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate, slowing up Kyle, Kurt regained the lead with 25 laps remaining.
Although Kyle mounted several more challenges for the lead, Kurt was finally able to put some distance between the two after Kyle brushed the wall Kurt went on to claim the win by 1.237 seconds.
“Hell yeah, we beat Kyle,” Kurt exclaimed after exiting his #1 Chevrolet. “I taught that kid everything I know. He should be grateful.”
Together, the Busch brothers combined to lead 235 of the 260 laps with Kurt on top on 144.
“That’s the biggest thing, just trying to pull out all the tricks and beat little brother,” Kurt said. “He’s one of the best in our sport. It took a team-mate, in Ross Chastain, but what an incredible car and execution all day.
“We’ve won a race, we’re in the playoffs, no sweat going into September.”
The race was the last on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s current surface and configuration, which is likely to be a good thing, as the race was halted for 20 minutes between Stages 2 and 3 to repair chunks of track that came up on the front straight.
The win is Kurt Busch’s first of the season and locks him into the series playoffs, while four spots in the 16-driver field remain open with five races left in the regular season.
“I just kept asking the track, ‘Hey I’ve been here a long time with you. I missed the race in 2000, then I came back and won in 2002’. To win this, on the old asphalt, I’m very appreciative to win the last race on this asphalt at Atlanta,” Kurt said.
Kyle Busch was not nearly as pleased with Chastain as his brother.
“Would’ve been a hell of a lot better if it wasn’t for some butthead. But it is what it is,” Kyle said. “It was ours to lose and we lost it.”
Martin Truex Jr, who started the race from the rear of the field, fought back to finish third for Joe Gibbs Racing, with Alex Bowman in fourth for Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney completing the top five.
Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick claimed sixth place ahead of last weekend’s winner at Road America Chase Elliott, as Job Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, Matt DiBenedetto (Wood Brothers Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) rounded out the top 10.
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