WATCH: Kyle Busch wins dirt track race after crazy wreck
Veteran NASCAR driver Kyle Busch picked up his first win of the 2022 season and locked up his spot in the playoffs with a wild sequence of events allowed him to jump from third to first on the final lap of Sunday night’s dirt track race.
Well off the pace of Tyler Reddick’s 8 car and Chase Briscoe’s 14 car, Kyle Busch’s 18 car proved that you should race through the checkered flag no matter what the outlook, especially on a dirt track. As the two leaders battled for position, the then second-place car of Briscoe made a last effort attempt to take the lead in the final turn, drifting though the corner on the wet surface.
He slid up the track toward Reddick and made contact which eliminated traction for both cars. As the two spun toward the inside of the course, Reddick spun in a full 360 before continuing toward the finish line. However, unable to get back up to speed with his tires spinning, Busch made the pass on the outside just feet in front of the finish line.
NASCAR dirt track race
Sunday’s dirt track race at Bristol is the only one on NASCAR’s schedule this season and comes with many unique changes to the format. Many of the drivers started their careers in smaller models of cars and drove on dirt tracks around the country while developing their skills, making them well qualified to deal with the strange method of sliding in the corners rather than using grip on a high embankment.
The drivers will return to Bristol later this season to race on a more traditional version of the short track and the format will return to the status quo. As one of NASCAR’s most famous tracks, the ability to transform it from one format to the other makes it even more special in its legacy.