Breaking down the O’Reilly Challenge

Posted Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009 Comments   (0) Print Share Share Reprints
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Why Kyle Busch won

He simply had "more motor" than anyone else, in the words of fifth-place finisher Brad Keselowski. Busch started sixth but ate up ground fast — he was six seconds ahead of the field just 46 laps in. He led six times for 179 laps, and he dominated the restart after the final caution.

Turning point

Let’s say there were two. On Lap 71, Busch went low to grab the lead from Kevin Harvick, who had been getting stronger but faded after that. On Lap 112, another challenger, Kasey Kahne, went to the garage with a suspension problem and didn’t return.

Points leader

Kyle Busch increased his lead to 272 points with two races to go. He gained 10 bonus points for leading the most laps. It was his eighth victory, 24th top-five and 28th top-10 finish of the season. But a first-day inspection revealed an "improperly secured weight," which could lead to a points penalty.

Who’s up

Brad Keselowski can’t be pushed out of the top five, it seems. He wound up there again Saturday with a fifth-place finish. It was his 12th top-five in the last 14 Nationwide races. He also had a top-five at TMS in April’s Nationwide race.

Who’s down

Steve Wallace went out because of an accident for the second time in three races. He was able to finish only 179 of the 200 laps to finish 21st. He was fifth in the points coming out of Kansas at the start of October, but he is seventh now. He has been 29th, 31st, 20th and 21st since.

They said it

"Track position was important today. The 38 [Leffler] made a little mistake there at the end, and we got by him. We might have had something for the 18 [Busch] today if we had just been there." Casey Mears, runner-up in Saturday’s race

"I just got loose with two to go. I was just driving, and I don’t know why I was driving so hard. I was pulling away from the 29 [Mears], but I wasn’t catching the 18. I was trying to run consistent laps, and I think I ran on the apron a little bit and it took me out of the race." Jason Leffler, third-place finisher

"Keselowski and Carl made it a lot closer than I expected this year. They really stepped up their game." Kyle Busch on the competition for the Nationwide points lead provided by Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards.

By the numbers

4Nationwide victories at TMS for Busch and Kevin Harvick, the most at TMS.

16Finish for Brendan Gaughan, the top rookie in the O’Reilly Challenge.

61Victories in NASCAR’s top three series for Kyle Busch.

272Points lead in the driver standings for Kyle Busch.

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