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WATCH: Kyle Busch takes record-setting checkered flag at Fontana, wins Pala Casino 400

by:Austin Brezina02/27/23

AustinBrezina59

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Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Kyle Busch proved he’s still one of NASCAR’s fiercest drivers on Sunday as he won the Pala Casino 400 at Fontana by a clear margin. Busch took the lead late and never looked back as the race stayed clean down the stretch, with Busch winning by a nearly three-second margin.

Chase Elliott took second, Ross Chastain took third and Daniel Suarez came in fourth — giving Chevrolet the top four cars in Sunday’s race.

The win was Busch’s 61st career Cup Series win, and puts him at the top of the list for NASCAR-winning drivers when it comes to longevity. With his win this year, Busch has now won a NASCAR Cup Series race in 19 consecutive seasons and broken his tie with legendary driver Richard Petty.

Kyle Busch wins at Fontana

Busch didn’t take long to reintroduce himself to NASCAR as a member of Richard Childress Racing, taking a win in just his second race with his new team. After nearly pulling out a win at the Daytona 500 last week, Busch was at the front of the pack again this week and finished the job. The No. 8 car took the checkered flag and the team’s radio feed caught the first words said after crossing the finish line.

“RCR, baby.”

The win showed that his acclamation period to Richard Childress Racing didn’t take nearly as long as fans thought it could, so quickly after moving on from Joe Gibbs Racing. But with a new team — and possibly a huge chip on his shoulder — Busch is still racking up wins.

After the race Ross Chastain was interviewed about the race’s finish and what he felt the difference was between him and the No. 8 car down the stretch, leading him to joke that Busch somehow “got faster” down the stretch. Chastain was dominant for most of the day, winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2 before finishing third at the end.