Erik Jones drove to victory Saturday in the inaugural Dash for Cash competition at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 34th addition of the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 saw the talented young driver receive a $100,000 bonus for his efforts. Erik Jones led 62 of the 200 laps turned and jumped out to the lead during the crucial restart with only three laps to go. Jones outraced Xfinity’s most dominate driver, Kyle Busch, to seize his first Xfinity Series victory of the season and end Busch’s three-race win streak.
Erik Jones started on the pole position and proved he had a competitive car for the duration of the event. Jones was slotted in the fourth position for race’s final re-start and climbed immediately into second when Kyle Busch’s NOS Energy Drink Toyota lost momentum in the bottom lane. Kyle Larson was out in front but left the preferred outside lane open through turns two and three. Jones took full advantage and passed Larson’s Belkin Chevrolet on the top half of the speedway with two laps remaining.
Kyle Busch followed his teammate’s higher line and drove his hot-rod into second. Erik Jones Gamestop/Performance Toyota carried too much speed into the final lap for Busch to make up the necessary ground. The victory not only ended Busch’s three win streak in the Xfinity Series but also a chance for the defending Sprint Cup Series champions bid for a third, record setting, NASCAR weekend sweep.
“I figured at some point in the year we could get a win when those guys weren’t in the field, but it would be a tall task with them in the field,” said Jones. “Here at Bristol, for those two guys, this is one of their best tracks. I’m just so excited and you can tell – I’m out of breath. I wasn’t working that hard. Just so excited about the win and to be here in Victory Lane and beat those guys. This is a really big day for us.”
Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones’s teammate, finished in the sixth spot. Suarez got bottled up behind Busch in the fourth spot on the crucial re-start and was passed by fourth place finisher Austin Dillon and fifth place finisher Justin Allgaier. The #19 Juniper Networks Toyota did not lead any laps but was competitive for the better part of the race. Suarez was alotted the slower inside position with three to go which proved to be a disadvantage for the race’s final sprint.
As NASCAR contests go, many times the fastest cars don’t see the checkered flag in the first position. The 34th Annual Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 was one of these events. Kyle Larson led a race high 94 of the 200 circuits turned but choose the slower bottom of the track and fell short. Kyle Busch once again flexed his muscle and led the third most laps at 46. It was becoming clear though that Busch’s team had his Toyota Camry dialed in towards the race’s conclusion.
“I just did a really bad job on that restart – really bad,” Larson said. “I knew I gave it away. I’m really disappointed in myself. I just ran half a groove too low through (Turns) 3 and 4.”
“The two cars that were the class of the field today didn’t win – oh, well,” Busch said. “It’s a great day for Erik Jones. He certainly stole one today. He didn’t out-race the two Kyles up front, but he certainly did in the final laps that counted.”
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series stand-outs, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, fielded fast cars at Bristol’s race on Saturday. Harvick’s #88 Hunts Brothers sponsored Chevrolet started in the tenth position and found itself finishing in the eighth spot. Logano’s #22 Fitzgerald Ford began in sixth and finished one spot behind Harvick in ninth.
Final Results of the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway:
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