With his first win in 46 races, Kurt Busch became the first driver to make the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. While all the pre-race talk centered around Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, or Joey Logano, Kurt used his experience to stun the field and register his 32nd career NASCAR win.

The older of the Busch brothers won his first race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway – his home track, ahead of Matt DiBenedetto and Denny Hamlin.

“I knew the race would come to us. We needed to get to nightfall…We got lucky, and you have to be lucky in any race and we did it tonight with teamwork. Just not giving up,” Kurt Busch said in Victory Lane.

“11 had a ton of speed. I pulled out some drag racing skills on the restarts. That was our strong suit and I knew that was the Ford’s weak suit,” he added.

Kurt Busch fulfills the ‘Las Vegas dream’

Busch said his Chip Ganassi Racing team owner was ‘breathing down his neck’, demanding a win. “Chip Ganassi was up in the suite somewhere and I could feel him breathing down my neck, (saying) ‘I want a win’ and we did it,” Busch expressed.

He won at Las Vegas for the first time in 22 attempts. Just before the race as well, he spoke about how much it would mean for him to win in his home race. He was ecstatic, to say the least, on Sunday.

“This is what kids dream of. When you grow up racing, you dream of winning at your hometown track. For two decades, it’s kicked my bu**,” he said. “This is Vegas. I miss the fans, I miss them so much. My hometown is special. This Vegas place is special.”

Eyes on the big prize

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This win also makes things much easier for Busch, heading into the challenge of Talladega and The Roval. However, his eyes are on the big prize.

“It’s an incredible feeling. It’s sinking in, no Talladega worries, no Roval worries. But we’re still going there to get points. We’re still there to add up what we need to do to win this championship,” Busch said.

Busch began the race at the back of the playoff standings and ends the race at the top as the only driver yet to seal a Round of 8 spot.