Kyle Busch edges Larson after bump in thrilling final lap

Kyle Busch outlasted Kyle Larson in a final lap that saw both drivers lead and trade paint multiple times to win a thrilling Overton’s 400 on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.

Busch, the leader for the last 59 laps after a very sharp final pit stop, saw Larson sneak past him in Turns 1 and 2, and the two vehicles brushed sides as Larson’s Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 rode high.

But Busch responded quickly, closing the gap and nosing the front bumper of his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota into the back of Larson, who slid through Turns 3 and 4 and then spun, allowing Busch to take the checkered flag.

The win was Busch’s second at Chicagoland and fifth of the year, equaling Kevin Harvick for most in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. Busch now leads Harvick in the 2018 standings by 62 points.

Harvick won Stage 2 and led 39 laps, third most in the race, before taking third place. Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five.

Aric Almirola, who led a race-high 70 laps, took Stage 1, but he had to pit twice to fix a loose wheel, first while leading in Lap 142 and again in Lap 221 after he had used a Stage 2 caution to regain ground. The second stop left him down in 28th place, and he finished in 25th.

Truex started last in the 39-car field after failing inspection on Saturday, but he found his way into the top 10 after just 22 laps before finishing fourth.

–Field Level Media