Vintage Kyle Busch returned for his 63rd career NASCAR Cup Series win at Gateway as other drivers looked to seize a golden opportunity.
Kyle Busch ended the 63rd win of his NASCAR Cup Series career with his signature bow at Gateway. Busch qualified on pole for the first time in the Cup Series since 2019. An era of NASCAR where a race like this would be called The Kyle Busch Show. The closest competition for Busch throughout the race came from last week’s winner Ryan Blaney, who led 83 laps. Late cautions gave Kyle Larson the chance to take restart up front after taking two tires but Busch held all of them off convincingly. With his third victory of the Cup Series season, Busch now moves into third place in the projected playoff standings.
Corey Lajoie’s Golden Opportunity
With Chase Elliott was suspended from racing at Gateway, the opportunity emerged for two drivers to make a name for themselves. Corey Lajoie was brought in to drive Elliott’s No. 9 car while Carson Hocevar would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut filling in for Lajoie. The weekend got off to a rocky start for Lajoie during qualifying as he scraped the wall, resulting in a starting position of 30th. His race got even worse after he accidentally hit the kill switch inside the car, dropping to last place on Lap 1. Lajoie struggled with the balance of his car all day long, ending with an unsatisfying 21st-place finish.