Kyle Busch Wins His Third Rowdy 251 At Berlin

Kyle Busch is all smiles after winning his third Rowdy 251 at Berlin Raceway. Photo courtesy Berlin Raceway

After not winning the Inaugural Rowdy event back in 2009 at Berlin Raceway  in Marne, MI, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch has since put a stranglehold on the fast 7/16s (0.437) mile semi-banked paved oval in the Great Lakes State as the Las Vegas, NV driver put an exclamation point on his dominance at the historic fairgrounds oval in West Michigan by bringing home his third consecutive Rowdy 251 victory in front of a packed house.

Busch, behind the wheel of his own #51 JoinAPS.com Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota,  took the lead for the second and final time on lap 212 of the 251-Lap event from three-time track champion, Tom Thomas and from there, the 24-time event winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and former NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion held off a late charge from 16-year-old sensation, Chase Elliott to win the race bearing his nickname.

“I knew when I saw Chase next to me on that last restart, I thought it was going to be tough to pull this one off,” Busch stated in victory lane surrounded by a mob of photographers and media. “We had a good car all day long in practice and as the race went on I knew we’d be in good shape. We were just biding our time, turning laps to get us closer to the end and fortunately we got the lead there and held on. Very proud of all of the guys at Kyle Busch Motorsports and thankful for them giving me such a good car.”

Berlin Raceway weekly stars Tom Thomas and Chris Anthony started on the front row of the massive 30-car field and at the drop of the green, Anthony took control of the race. An early caution on lap three bunched up several cars in the middle of the pack which ended the day for Daytona Beach, Florida driver, Ben Kennedy. Last Chance Race Winner and 2011 Winchester 400 Champion Boris Jurkovic as well as 2011 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts Champion, 16-year-old Erik Jones were also involved. Both pitted for repairs and restarted at the rear of the pack.

Anthony continued to pace the field after the restart until mechanical problems forced him to slow on the race track as the field was working on lap 16 and hand the lead over to 18-year-old Seth Moody, who had 19-year-old Ross Kenseth on his back bumper. Kenseth finally found a way around the Middleville, Michigan teenager on lap 33 and would set a torrid pace around the Marne, Michigan speed plant as the race would stay green up to lap 100 when 19-year-old Jay Niewiek looped his mount bringing out the caution.

On the restart, Kenseth’s handling began fading, which allowed EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier and Two-Time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion from near-by Coopersville, Michigan, Johnny VanDoorn, the winner of the last ARCA/CRA event at Springport (MI) Motor Speedway back on June 16^th to slip by for the lead. VanDoorn brought Kyle Busch with him and the two would pull away from the rest of the field.

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On the ensuing restart, VanDoorn took off and ran away from the rest of the field while Tim DeVos, who restarted seventh, began picking off the leaders one by one until he got to VanDoorn’s back bumper. On lap 155, the three-time track champion overpowered VanDoorn to take the lead for the first time and he brought Busch with him. The NASCAR invader would then hound the Comstock Park, Michigan driver over the next 50+ laps before a caution flew on lap 202.

Tire strategy came into play as the majority of the leaders all went down pit road to take on two right sides. Only Thomas and current JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Points Leader Daniel Hemric were amongst the lead lap cars that didn’t pit and would restart 1-2. Busch came out of the pits first amongst those who pitted and would start the race on Thomas’ back bumper in the double file restarts. Soon after the green flew again, Busch was immediately stalking Thomas and would take the lead on lap 212. Hemric would then tuck in behind Busch and follow him through to retake the second spot.

The night’s most serious accident occurred on lap 213 when Kenzie Ruston, who’s currently in second place in the chase for the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship, made contact with two other cars and flew off the wall less backstretch and slammed head on into the tire barrier around the turn three wall. She was ok, but the car was done for the night. Kenseth and VanHaitsma also suffered damage to their machines, but both were able to continue.

On the next restart, Chase Elliott, who had been quiet for most of the event, began his assault on Busch as the NASCAR K&N East Series points leader worked his way up to second on lap 221, bringing VanDoorn with him. While both drivers tried to get within striking distance of Busch, neither could do so, despite one more caution that would bunch up the field. In the end, Busch would keep the two drivers at a safe distance behind him the rest of the way and the Las Vegas, Nevada driver would hang on to cross the start/finish line first to score the popular win and to the delight of the packed grandstands, did a series of impressive burnouts up and down the front stretch to the roar and approval of the crowd.

The ARCA/CRA Super Series will wrap up the marathon three races in eight days slate with the Winchester 100 at the famed ½ (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana. Joining them will be the ARCA Trucks Series as well as the premier series within ARCA, the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards who will qualify on June 23 before racing in the Herr’s Chase the Taste 200 on Sunday Afternoon, June 24.