Texas provided the midpoint in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of Eight and the spots really filled up here. As the eight drivers go for the remaining four spots, one was already claimed by Kyle Busch last week at Martinsville while two others would get spots this race.
The race started with a bang as Kyle Busch had a problem with his car and got into Brad Keselowski right at the start of the race. Then, the middle of the race was a fight for survival as many teams had difficulties in making their car competitive. In the end, Kevin Harvick got around Martin Truex Jr. with 10 laps to go to win at Texas and go to the Championship Four at Homestead-Miami Speedway. While Truex didn’t win, he clinched a spot on points meaning five drivers (Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson) will be competing for the lone spot at Phoenix.
Joey Meier (Brad Keselowski’s spotter) – That’s Kyle (Busch) to your left, your lane is moving great. Gonna get up behind the #18. One back. Come on, Kyle. Inside, inside, inside, inside.
Jason Hedlesky (Matt Kenseth’s spotter) – Slow one’s on exit. Watch this #18 up top.
Meier – You cut a tire?
Keselowski – Flat left rear, flat!
Kyle Busch – Something’s broke!
Martin Truex Jr had an issue with Joey Logano pitting in front of him. Sometimes when a car pits too short or too far in their box, it disrupts the teams around them trying to get in and out of their pit.
Cole Pearn (Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief) – Be ready to back him up here guys in case we can’t get out. You tell that asshole, if he does that again we’re knocking him off the fucking jack!
At the same time, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson suffer suspected loose wheels. While their crew chiefs both tell them everything is great, the drivers call BS and pit. What happened was very rare as both had lug nuts that got placed in between the wheel and the tire so the tire couldn’t be tightened. To tell you how rare this is, imagine flipping a coin and it falls on its edge. That’s how rare the Kyle’s situations were and it happened at the same time. Even though they got it fixed, Larson crashed and his day came to a fiery end.
Kurt Busch – You ain’t got ‘em fucking tight! Fuck!
Tony Gibson (Kurt Busch’s crew chief) – They say we’re good.
Kyle Larson – Do I have a loose wheel? Did you guys leave lug nuts off?
Chad Johnston (Kyle Larson’s crew chief) – They’re saying we’re good.
Larson – I don’t think so.
Busch – There’s no way. Coming in this time. It’s horrible. Fuck me.
Gibson – The right front had a lug nut between the wheel and the hat there, old man.
Johnston – You’re gonna need to bring it back to us here.
Larson – What’s wrong?
Johnston – There’s a hat on the right front wheel spacer that’s backed out not letting the right front be tight.
Larson – A what?
Derek Kneeland (Kyle Larson’s spotter) – You’re on fire here, Kyle. Come to a stop, come to a stop, come to a stop.
Johnston – He wanted to talk about how shitty the car was and he fucking wrecked it.
