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NASCAR: Kyle Busch dominates New Hampshire to advance in Playoffs

By Alex Herbst

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Busch dominated the second half of the ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire today to advance forward in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway may have hosted their final fall race for a while on Sunday, but the fans clearly did not get the message. It was a packed house in Loudon for the second race of the Round of 16 for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. And after a calamitous race on the magic mile, Kyle Busch is advancing forward into the Round of 12 with a win.

Busch, who started Sunday’s ISM Connect 300 at NHMS on pole, led with authority for the second half of the event, cruising to victory over Kyle Larson by close to three seconds. Leading 187 of the 300 laps in the event, Kyle Busch joins Martin Truex Jr. as drivers locked into the next round of the playoffs beginning at Charlotte. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson are also locked into the Round of 12, assuring themselves a spot thanks to a sizeable points cushion.

The moment that changed the entire face of the race at New Hampshire came on the final lap of the second stage. Martin Truex Jr., the points leader so far this season in the Cup Series, had already won the first stage and was on his way to winning the second. Then, Kevin Harvick spun on the backstretch, causing a major snarling of cars out of turn 2. Martin Truex Jr. would get spun around coming up to the accident, then losing the lead to Kyle Busch. Among other collected in the incident were Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeffrey Earnhardt.

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The playoff field now heads into the final race of the Round of 16 next weekend at the Monster Mile. Four drivers will enter Dover at the bottom of the standings, and four will be eliminated at the end of the race from the championship hunt. Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, and Ryan Newman enter Dover in the elimination spots.

Here are the full race results from the ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (playoff drivers in italics):

  1. Kyle Busch, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
  2. Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
  3. Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
  4. Brad Keselowski, Ford, Team Penske
  5. Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
  6. Erik Jones, Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
  7. Clint Bowyer, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
  8. Daniel Suarez, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
  9. Ryan Blaney, Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
  10. Joey Logano, Ford, Team Penske
  11. Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
  12. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
  13. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
  14. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
  15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
  16. Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
  17. A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
  18. Danica Patrick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
  19. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
  20. Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
  21. Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing
  22. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Germain Racing
  23. Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Leavine Family Racing
  24. Trevor Bayne, Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing
  25. Landon Cassill, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
  26. Aric Almirola, Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
  27. Corey LaJoie, Toyota, BK Racing
  28. Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports
  29. David Ragan, Ford, Front Row Motorsports
  30. Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, TriStar Motorsports
  31. Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Go Fas Racing
  32. Brett Moffitt, Toyota, BK Racing
  33. Gray Gaulding, Toyota, Premium Motorsports
  34. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
  35. Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
  36. Kevin Harvick, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
  37. Kurt Busch, Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
  38. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, TMG-Circle Sport Racing
  39. Cody Ware, Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing

Next: NASCAR Surprises and Disappointments

The next race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is an elimination race in the playoffs. All eyes turn to Miles the Monster in Dover, Delaware as four drivers will see their championship hopes vanish. Be sure to tune in for racing from Dover International Speedway, next Sunday afternoon on NBCSN.

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