LEBANON, Tennessee – Ryan Blaney said thank you. Martin Truex said unfortunately. Kyle Bush said, “It’s going to be bad.”
A late warning sent some of the best cars in the race out of the way and out of a chance to win when others, including some who fought, stayed outside and found themselves in front of a four-lap shootout.
The easiest decision was for eventual winner Chase Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson. Elliot took the lead when the warning about Josh Bilicki’s blown-out eight-lap Superspeedway engine came out.
Kyle Bush was second, Danny Hamlin third, Truex fourth, and Ross Chastain fifth at the time.
The four stood up, though that wasn’t the way he was supposed to go.
Crew chief James Small said the plan was for Truex to stay out if it could start again on the front row. With Bush and Hamlin opposing, Truex would start again next to Elliott in the front row, staying outside. Instead, he stood up.
Small said Truex apologized for the pitting. Truex restarted 14th and finished 22nd.
Bush lost the lead to Elliott on the previous restart when Bush had a choice of lane. Once Elliott did it, Bush couldn’t get close to the challenge. Often teams do the opposite of the leader. With Elliott outside, Bush stood up. As for the exact arguments, crew chief Ben Beshor declined to comment after the race.
Busch was the first car off the pit road after changing only the right tires. When told he was the only car to change two tires, he commented on the radio how difficult it would be. He was right. Bush restarted 12th and finished 21st.
Among those who did not detach from Pitt Road was Kurt Bush. He was sixth in the warning and restarted second after Elliott. But Elliott ran into Kurt Bush quickly and was not challenged.
“I became soft on him,” Kurt Bush told Elliott. “I had to throw some fenders and move a little momentum. I did not adhere to our strength. “
However, he finished second.
Ryan Blaney was ninth when the warning waved and moved to third for a restart, staying outside. This is where he finished, ending a chaotic night that saw him run forward early, struggle with management, turn 205, and then finish in the top five.
“I was surprised that so many dropped out,” Blaney said. “The tires didn’t mean much tonight, especially for the first handful of laps, they didn’t really mean that much. Our plan was to remain ours independently. … Then I saw that many cars were in the pit. I was quite shocked.
“To line up in the second row, with a small chance of trying to make something happen at the end of the race. Ends with a good chance “
Kyle Larson was fourth when caution wavered and did not recede. He finished fourth.
Chastain uses his four fresh tires to go from 11th to fifth, the tallest car that went down before the last restart.
“As soon as we got into Turn 1, we had a grip,” Chastain said. “I reached (Cole Custer’s) rear bumper and pushed it as long as I could. I wanted to try to tandem and help him and help me.
“I got out and had some fresh air, and then I just cut my way in there and kept some guys on the last lap to stay on their heels. This is where the seas split into turns 1 and 2 into new tires.
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