Kyle Busch Scores Spring Richmond Win

The 2010 Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400 at Richmond International saw plenty of long green flag runs but ended with a flurry of cautions. Kyle Busch dominated the first half of the race leading almost every lap. Then Jeff Gordon took over at the top and lead most of the next half. Three late race cautions closed up the field and allowed Kyle Busch to charge past to claim the win.

Qualifying

The front row was all Toyota as Kyle Busch started on the pole along side David Reutimann. Feuding Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon made up row number two. Ryan Newman rounded out the top five.

Drop Of The Green

Kyle Busch got the jump on the start and lead lap one. Busch never looked back as he pulled away and lead the rest of the early going over Jeff Gordon. This race enjoyed a long green flag run to start the race as we first saw the yellow flag fly on lap 45.

Kevin Harvick was one driver that was on the move early in the race and quickly raced his way up into the top three on lap fifteen. Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick were the class of the field going into the first round of pit stops.

Storylines

This race was dominated by long green flag runs. The first half of the race saw a long run and then from lap 177 through to the finish. The long green at the end was the longest green flag run in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing since 2004.

Kyle Busch simply dominated the first half of the race. By lap 145 there were less than ten cars left on the lead lap. At that same point in the race Busch's lead was almost eight seconds over Jeff Gordon and more than fourteen seconds over Kevin Harvick.

A couple of quick cautions changed the character of the race as Kyle's lead evaporated in an instant and twenty cars were added back to the lead lap.

Jeff Burton started chippping away at Busch's lead and closed up on his back bumper just past the halfway. He chewed on Busch for twenty laps and finally took over the top spot on lap 230. Shortly after that Jeff Gordon moved into the lead and controlled the race into the closing laps.

Chasing The Checkers

With 36 laps to go the leaders made their final pit stops under green. Jeff Gordon had a 2.6 second lead over Jeff Burton with Kevin Harvick 4.6 seconds off the lead. It all disappeared in an instant as Elliott Sadler cut a tire and spun on the front straight with 34 laps to go.

Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton lead them to the green with 23 laps to go. Gordon got the run on the bottom but the yellow flag wouldn't stay home.

The green flag flew again with fifteen laps to go. Jeff Gordon got a run on the bottom as Jeff Burton had to hold off Kyle Busch for second place. Kyle Busch came back on the bottom and while those two raced for second Jeff Burton continued to drive off until the caution flew yet again.

This time Kyle Busch started second. Can Jeff Gordon still win the race into turn one with just five laps to go? The green flag flew and they were side-by-side into turn one. Coming off turn four Kyle Busch got a run and took the lead.

Harvick looked under Gordon for second and Kyle Busch continued to pull away as the laps ticked away. Kyle Busch coasted home for the win.

Top Ten

1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Jeff Burton
5. Carl Edwards
6. Juan Montoya
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Ryan Newman
9. Marcos Ambrose
10. Jimmie Johnson

The Points

Jimmie Johnson finished tenth but it wasn't good enough to hold onto his point lead. Kevin Harvick moves into the top spot by ten points over Johnson. No one else is within 100 points.

The top twelve are now:

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jimmie Johnson -10
3. Kyle Busch -109
4. Matt Kenseth -119
5. Greg Biffle -133
6. Jeff Gordon -162
7. Denny Hamlin -199
8. Kurt Busch -212
9. Jeff Burton -220
10. Mark Martin -225
11. Carl Edwards -240
12. Clint Bowyer -254