Busch earns his first NASCAR win by shutting down Fontana

FONTANA, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Busch still smiles at the memory of being kicked out of California Speedway on his first competitive road trip in 2001. The 16-year-old rising star dominated NASCAR Truck Series practices, only to being informed that he was unable to participate in the Marlboro-sponsored race, as he was too young to smoke.

“It was my ‘welcome to NASCAR’ moment and my ‘welcome to California Speedway’ moment,” Busch recalled.

Annoyance, conflict and disrespect seem to have always been Busch’s fuel of choice, and the record-winning veteran burned enough on Sunday to reward his new team and bid farewell to his beloved track in style.

Busch stormed from behind after a speeding penalty to claim his first win for Richard Childress Racing, winning at the Southern California track for the fifth and final time.

Busch held off Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain in the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series on the gloriously worn asphalt of the speedway that will soon be razed to make way for a new half-mile track.