Kyle Busch started both races at the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend from the front row and went on to win Nationwide’s
O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Friday night, his third-consecutive series win, and Sprint Cup’s
NRA 500 under the lights on Saturday. It was the seventh time in his NASCAR career that Busch sweep weekend races and the second time in 2013. Busch completed the double three weeks ago in Fontana, California.
“Tonight, it was all about staying up front, keeping it clean and running as hard as we could,” Busch said. “That was a fast race, man. There was a lot of speed out there and being able to carry a lot of speed throughout the turns and down the straightaways. I ran 100 per cent much of the race.”
Martin Truex Jr. was the runner-up in the Sprint Cup Series race and
Carl Edwards finished third. Truex Jr. voiced his displeasure at the turn of events.
“It is pretty frustrating to run second again. Running second sucks,” he said. “I feel like we’ve been in this boat and this position a bunch of times. Nothing about it is much fun.”
The NRA 500 was Busch’s 300th career Sprint Cup start and has won nine times at the Texas Motor Speedway. He is the third driver to win from the pole position in Texas and the first to sweep
Sprint Cup and
Nationwide races held in April at the track.
“Not a bad way to celebrate it (300th career start), sitting on the pole with a new track record and going to Victory Lane,” Busch said. “It feels good.”
Jimmie Johnson continues to lead the
Sprint Cup Series standings, nine points ahead of
Brad Keselowski. This week’s win moves Busch into third place, 18 points behind the leader.
The first night race of the
2013 Sprint Cup season goes Saturday, April 13. The NRA 500 will run at Texas Motor Speedway, in Fort Worth.
