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New Hampshire NASCAR: Kyle Busch wins, damaged Truex falls back

Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch took the win at New Hampshire after playoff points leader Martin Truex Jr picked up damage in a pileup

Championship leader and Furniture Row Racing driver Truex dominated the first half of the race after moving past poleman Busch to lead halfway through stage one, and continued to take his 19th stage win of the year.

Truex then led all of stage two until its final lap when Kevin Harvick spun and created a plume of smoke on the back straight after contact from behind by Austin Dillon.

Busch, who had been running a close second, was able to just avoid the melee to win the stage, and he dominated the race to take his third win of the season.

His victory books his place as one of the 12 drivers who will remain in championship playoff contention following the next round at Dover.

While the earlier pileup played into his hands, it damaged Kurt Busch's hopes as he retired in the collision and remains in the in the playoff 'drop zone' with just one more race before the playoffs drop to 12 drivers.

Truex was able to continue after the incident with just rear left corner damage, he then dropped to 18th place for the eventual restart after repairs and became the last car on the lead lap.

He recovered to seventh place and then briefly vaulted to the lead after making a two-tyre pitstop under a caution with 36 laps to go after Kasey Kahne stopped on track with a suspension breakage.

Kahne also received a penalty for deliberately starting the caution and lost several laps making repairs and he remains in the playoff drop zone.

After green flag racing resumed, Truex on his older rubber hung on to finish fifth.

Chip Ganassi Racing's Kyle Larson finished second, just as he did in the July race at this track, and secured passage into the round of 12 on points.

He was followed home by Matt Kenseth of Joe Gibbs Racing in third and Keselowski in fourth with the Penske driver now into the next round.

Erik Jones finished sixth for Furniture Row Racing and Clint Bowyer got seventh for Stewart-Haas. Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing, who won the July race at this track, dropped back by pitting under green just after half distance because his right rear wheel was loose and finished 12th.

While the Toyota driver struggled, the manufacturer continued its recent dominance of Cup races, with only one lap of the race led by a non-Toyota car.

Race result

Pos Driver Team Car Gap Laps
1 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2h54m47.s 300
2 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2.641s 300
3 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 6.936s 300
4 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 7.551s 300
5 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 8.804s 300
6 Erik Jones Furniture Row Racing Toyota 9.357s 300
7 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 10.003s 300
8 Daniel Suarez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13.845s 300
9 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 14.374s 300
10 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 14.725s 300
11 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15.522s 300
12 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 15.701s 300
13 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 16.205s 300
14 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16.374s 300
15 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17.203s 300
16 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 17.978s 300
17 A.J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 18.385s 300
18 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 18.776s 300
19 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.566s 300
20 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.985s 300
21 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 1 Lap 299
22 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 2 Laps 298
23 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 2 Laps 298
24 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 2 Laps 298
25 Landon Cassill Front Row Motorsports Ford 2 Laps 298
26 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 3 Laps 297
27 Corey LaJoie BK Racing Toyota 3 Laps 297
28 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 3 Laps 297
29 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 4 Laps 296
30 Cole Whitt TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet 4 Laps 296
31 Matt DiBenedetto Go FAS Racing Ford 5 Laps 295
32 Brett Moffitt BK Racing Toyota 6 Laps 294
33 Gray Gaulding Premium Motorsports Toyota 7 Laps 293
34 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 Laps 289
35 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 Laps 289
36 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Accident 148
37 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Accident 148
38 Jeffrey Earnhardt Circle Sport / TMG Chevrolet Accident 143
39 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet Rear Gear 74


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