Kyle Busch celebrated the 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in Texas, and then took it away from him.
Busch’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Toyota failed the post-race inspection Saturday after finishing ahead of Austin Cindric, who was declared the winner of the third consecutive victory after taking both races at Xfinity in Kentucky.
NASCAR said Busch’s car was disqualified for missing heights, with the rear left too low.
It would have been Busch’s 98th career victory of the series. Instead, Cindric took fifth place in 83 career starts despite crossing the finish line 0.949 seconds behind Busch. That made Ford finish 1-2 with Cindric ahead of series point leader Chase Briscoe.
Busch recovered on Saturday night to win his fifth Truck Series race in Texas, his 59th overall victory in that series. It was his 212th win in the three best NASCAR series, including 56 in the Cup.
Cindric, 21, the son of Penske team president Tim Cindric, said he had put his street clothes back on his truck when he realized they were all still in car # 54. He said it’s great get a victory no matter how it happens.
“I felt we had an opportunity to do that today. And maybe it didn’t run as well as it should, but that’s what kept us out, “said Cindric.” But fast race cars and being in position, that’s what counts. “
Busch had to return across the field three times in the race, including an early pit speed penalty. He got a 3.3-second lead before a final caution flag when Joe Graf Jr. made contact with the wall. Busch led only 15 of the 201 laps.
Justin Allgaier had regained Cindric’s lead when the two faced each other on lap 159, but he was penalized for a mixing line penalty upon returning to the track. After making his transfer penalty 10 laps later, he lost two laps before recovering for third place.
“I would like an explanation, because that has been the same way we have done it now during the time I have been in NASCAR,” Allgaier said. “Disappointing. … Winning both stages and knowing we had a car capable of winning was really a solid afternoon.”
Cindric led three times for 44 laps. Allgaier, who won both stages during the race, was in front four times for 98 laps.
Texas is a 1 1/2 mile track like Kentucky, where Cindric won twice last weekend. His other victories at Xfinity were in consecutive road course races at Watkins-Glen and Mid-Ohio last July. Xfinity’s last campaign to win three races in a row was Christopher Bell in July 2018.
“I have more victories in ovals than in racetracks. I will take it, I will move with it. It’s great to be able to capitalize on fast race cars, ”said Cindric. “I don’t do it this weekend, we were as good as Kentucky. But overall, being able to race the front all day, get great points on the stage and have something to say in every race was great. We just have to keep building on that. “
There were no spectators allowed for the Xfinity race, or the Truck Series race on Saturday night when Busch was competing again. Thousands of fans will be in the stands for the Cup race on Sunday.
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Noah Gragson, who entered the race second in points of the season, crashed into Turn 3 on Lap 117 after he was released once he took the air out of his butt with Cindric behind him. There seemed to be no contact. Gragson finished 30th and fell to third place on points, while Cindric moved up to second.
Gragson was behind Riley Herbst in a similar incident over five laps to the race, when Herbst crashed into the outside wall as he exited Turn 4 and ended his day to finish last in the 37-car field, though he moved one place. then Busch’s disqualification. Gragson said on the radio that there was no contact.
“We were learning the track here in Texas the first time on this circuit and we were driven by car 9 (Gragson),” said Herbst. “Just a little disrespect.”
