Kyle Busch Falls Short at COTA Despite Aggressive Defense Against Bell
Kyle Busch deployed aggressive defensive tactics but ultimately finished fifth at Circuit of The Americas after losing the lead to Christopher Bell in the closing laps of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race.
Race cars compete on racing track
Leading 42 of 95 laps, Busch held command until a late caution with 17 laps remaining erased his 4-second advantage. On the restart, Bell quickly moved to second position and engaged in an intense but clean battle for the lead.
"I was cutting him off and blocking and doing all the stupid stuff that you need to do to try to protect the lead," Busch admitted. "But he was much faster than me and able to do a good job of biding his time and waiting for me to make a couple of mistakes in a row."
The battle concluded cleanly despite their history at COTA, where Bell had previously spun Busch in both 2022 and 2023 events. Bell made the winning pass with five laps remaining, showing particular restraint to execute a clean overtake.
After losing the lead, Busch's performance declined due to contact that bent his Chevrolet's right rear. He subsequently lost positions to William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott, resulting in a fifth-place finish.
"I wish we had a little bit more there at the end," said Busch, who praised his Richard Childress Racing team's efforts while acknowledging Bell's superior late-race pace and respectful racing. Busch continues to seek his first win since June 4, 2023, at St. Louis.
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