By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor
HAMPTON, Ga. — Kyle Busch appeared to be following his typical protocol in Saturday’s Active Pest Control 200.
The 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion had started up front in his No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota. He’d endured a fierce challenge from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series field, but with the laps winding down Busch appeared to be driving off into the Georgia sunset with his 50th-career Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Then the caution flag flew and his run fell apart in an all-too literal sense.
Busch had a comfortable lead when the caution flag flew for a Josh Reaume spin on Lap 126 of the scheduled 130-lap distance. But once the field were bunched back up under the yellow ahead of NASCAR Overtime, it became evident that the race would come down to a final round of pit stops for fresh rubber to attack the aged 1.5-mile oval.
The Nevadan led the field onto pit road on Lap 128, but a miscue during his stop led Busch to drive off of pit road while his crew was working on his left-rear tire. The veteran was the first driver off of pit road, but his tire fell off before he could maneuver his machine back to the racing surface.
Gulp. #Active200CHOA pic.twitter.com/r5h4cmCb7T
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) February 24, 2018
The run effectively killed Busch’s evening. He was able to limp his race truck to pit road for a new tire, but fell a lap down in the process. The lost track position and resulting damage from the incident left him mired back in the field en-route to a 21st-place result after leading a race-high 67 laps.
Busch kept quiet about the incident after the race, telling Kickin’ the Tires, “I had a bad pit stop.”
He later claimed that he was told to leave his pit box in response to a fan on Twitter.
He said go. Then stop. Get all the facts. https://t.co/rYSxfzzO6e
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) February 25, 2018
Brett Moffitt went on to win the event, passing Myatt Snider on the final restart and soaring to his second-career Truck Series victory.
Busch will get another chance at an Atlanta victory in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, where he’ll start from the pole.