Hampton, GA (My Sportsbook) - Not even late-race transmission problems could stop Kyle Busch from winning his fourth Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway as he bounced back in the final laps to take Saturday's American Commercial Lines 200.
Busch, who started on the pole, held the lead for a restart with 12 laps to go, but dropped back in the field after loosing second and third gears. He overcame his mechanical issues by driving past Todd Bodine for the top spot with five laps remaining. Busch then fought off a furious charge by fellow Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick in the final two laps to follow up on his victory two weeks ago at California.
"The restart there, I stepped in it, and as soon as I stepped in it and I applied power, it snapped it into (second gear), and I had to go all the way to fourth," Busch said. "I kind of had to lug it all the way around there. I got out of the way so those guys could go and race and did not want to block them up. It felt like an eternity to get this thing up to speed and get going. Once we got there man, I didn't lift those final 12 laps, and I stayed in the gas wide open right in the middle groove and it prevailed."
On the restart, Busch did not get up to speed while Terry Cook passed him for the lead. Colin Braun also passed Busch on the backstretch, but Braun bumped into the back of Cook and then was tapped from behind by Brian Scott. Braun spun and slammed into the inside wall. The fifth and final caution setup an eight-lap shootout to the finish.
Cook held the lead for the final restart, while Busch ran in the ninth spot. But Busch charged to the front in three laps after he got back up to speed.
"I don't think we out trucked them today, but we out drove them at the end," Busch said.
The victory was Busch's 11th career in the series. He won last year's spring event at Atlanta.
Busch has finished either first or second in the first three races this season.
Harvick led the most laps with 68, but finished a truck-length behind in second.
"That was a lot of fun there at the end," Harvick said. "The thing was fast, but it doesn't matter if you can't do a pit stop."
Harvick, competing in his first truck race this season, struggled on his pit stops.
Bodine finished third. Mike Skinner came in fourth, and Cook was fifth.
Chad McCumbee, Ron Hornaday Jr., Mike Bliss, Johnny Benson and Scott completed the top-10.
On lap 74, Braun hit Ricky Carmichael from behind, turning Carmichael around. Dennis Setzer slammed into Carmichael's truck while trying to avoid the incident.
With the victory, Busch increased his lead to 25 points over Bodine.
The next race is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at Martinsville Speedway.