LAS VEGAS, Nev.: For most of Sunday’s South Point 400, it appeared that Kurt Busch was going to have a better day than his brother Kyle, but two laps following a Lap 186 restart, Busch made contact with Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. in the sandwich of a four-wide battle, which cut down the tire of Busch’s No. 1 GearWrench Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sending him hard into the Turn 3 wall and out of the opening round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Before the crash, Busch had a strong run in his No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet hovering inside the top-10 throughout much of his hometown race, but with his dismal 39th place finish, Busch will have to rebound in the upcoming two races at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL to keep his Playoff hopes alive.
Busch was the only car not running following the 267-lap race on Sunday.
“We were trying to go for the same spot, in the middle. We ended up four wide, got a fender rub and the day is done,” said Busch. “It just happens that fast.
“Everyone wants to try to get in the middle and that’s where you make up the most spots. Martin Truex Jr. and I were going for the same piece of real estate.”
Entering Richmond (Va.) Raceway next weekend, Busch is 14th in the Playoff standings, 14 markers behind Aric Almirola who is 12th in the cutoff spot with two races to go. He finished 11th after starting on the outside pole in April at the Virginia short track.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
