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23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch, who had continuously struggled in the 2022 NASCAR season so far, made a strong comeback on Sunday by winning his first race of the season at Kansas Speedway.
The 43-year-old emerged victorious in a wild finish when he squeezed race leader Kyle Larson into the outside wall in a side-by-side battle on lap 259 of 267. Seven laps later, Busch drove his Michael Jordan’s new Air Jordan sneaker-inspired paint scheme #45 Toyota to take his first victory at Kansas.
With his victory at Kansas, the 2004 Cup Series champion ended his 27-race winless streak and marked the 34th victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
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The Las Vegas native, who started in fifth place, led 116 of the 267 laps and reached Victory Lane for the first time since winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July 2021.
The action-packed AdventHealth 400 saw eighteen lead changes among ten different drivers.
The venue hosted the Next Gen car for the first time on NASCAR’s non-superspeedway track and witnessed eight caution flags. Racing was not easy for Busch on the tri-oval track as after topping the Stage 2 some pit stop mistakes saw the driver lose the lead during the caution.
With 23 laps remaining in the final restart, Busch dropped from first to third place. The #45 driver made his way back around his younger brother Kyle and then around Larson.
Kurt Busch is elated after Kansas victory
Kurt Busch was ecstatic after Sunday's victory. With the win, he gained 50 points and stands 18th in the latest release of the Cup Series points table.
During the post-race interview, speaking about his first win of the 2022 season at Kansas Speedway, Busch said:
“But this is 23XI. This is our first win with the 45 car, and with Jordan Brand on the hood, I felt like I had to play like the GOAT, race like the GOAT. I had to beat the Kyles. I beat both. I beat both of them – the ‘Kyle and Kyle show’. This No. 45 car is a winner now!”
Busch, who is competing in his first season with 23XI Racing, captured his first win with the organization and is the second victory in the team's history.
