Busch puts Toyota in Sprint Cup victory lane at Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. – Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory Sunday, winning the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Toyota entered Cup competition last year and struggled with lesser and inexperienced teams. But the manufacturer joined Joe Gibbs Racing prior to the 2008 season, and the union has paid dividends.
Busch nearly completed a weekend sweep, as he won the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday and dominated the Nationwide Series event Saturday before breaking a shock mount and hitting the wall. He led 173 laps in a dominating performance and gave crew chief Steve Addington his first career Cup win.
"The 18's always been the car to beat here at Atlanta for many, many years … This means so much to do this," Busch said in victory lane.
JGR's Tony Stewart finished second in the race with Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr., Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle and Hendrick's Jeff Gordon rounding out the top five.
Busch inherited his final lead in the Cup race when Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards blew an engine on lap 275. Edwards had won the last two Sprint Cup races and was strong again at Atlanta.
Edwards’ Roush Fenway Racing team was embroiled in controversy this weekend since NASCAR docked the No. 99 team 100 points and 10 Chase For The Sprint Cup points for an unattached oil reservoir tank cover after the victory at Las Vegas last weekend.
Busch took the points lead from Edwards earlier in the week after the penalty and then built on it with the win. He has a 73-point lead over Biffle in the standings.
