NASCAR Xfinity Series | Texas Review | Ralph Arvesen
NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Pit Boss 250 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on May 22, 2021. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Kyle Busch essentially went to school Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to learn the challenging Circuit of The Americas road course in preparation for Sunday’s much-anticipated NASCAR Cup Series race there. The result, however, was that Busch absolutely schooled the field, earning an 11-second victory in the Pit Boss 250, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series debut on the famed 3.41-mile, 20-turn circuit in the Lone Star State's capital city.

It marked the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s record 98th win in the Xfinity Series. His No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led a race-best 36-of-46 laps. No other driver led more than three laps.
“It’s really really cool to come here for the first race at a new track and to win," Busch said. “Real proud of the effort. I think the biggest thing is just all the resources and stuff we have and being able to get laps on the track today, feel the tire, everything like that and then being able to get back out there tomorrow and do everything all over again with the Cup car," the Las Vegas native added. “Thanks to Toyota and TRD, we’ve got some really cool tools we’ve been able to use and I feel like it was a plus for us today."
NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contender A.J. Allmendinger, one of NASCAR’s best on road courses, finished second to Busch. Justin Allgaier placed third. Another NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kevin Harvick was fourth, also getting some laps in preparation for Sunday’s race. NASCAR Xfinity Series championship leader Austin Cindric was fifth.

Harrison Burton, Cup regulars Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick and Allmendinger’s Kaulig Racing teammates Justin Haley and Jeb Burton rounded out the Top 10. Allmendinger and Haley won Stage 1 and Stage 2, respectively. Championship contenders, they opted to stay on track and earn the points rather than join in Busch’s strategy of pitting just prior to the stage breaks. What he conceded in points, he made up for winning the inaugural trophy.

The only laps Busch, 36, didn’t lead were when he pitted or when he made a brief rally after stage breaks. Following the first stage break, for example, he restarted fourth and was leading the field two laps later.
“It’s shocking, Kyle Busch is actually pretty good," Allmendinger said smiling. “It’s always fun to race Kyle. Did everything we could, got a stage win, got a lot of points and finished second. That was as good as we were going to do."
The victory marked the 17th season Busch has won an Xfinity Series race and the 27th different NASCAR track where he has hoisted a trophy. While the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, held hours earlier, had some light rain and was run on rain tires, the weather had cleared nicely by the drop of the Xfinity Series green flag. The vast majority of the field opted to pit for slicks (dry tires) during the parade laps and by the race’s midpoint, it was a sunny afternoon.

Source: NASCAR Wire Service

PositionDriverCar NumberStarting Position
1Kyle Busch541
2AJ Allmendinger167
3Justin Allgaier79
4Kevin Harvick512
5Austin Cindric228
6Harrison Burton2010
7Cole Custer173
8Tyler Reddick315
9Justin Haley116
10Jeb Burton1011

NASCAR
NASCAR is the largest racing organization in the United States and is most famous for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Each year NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states as well as in Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Looking to the future, NASCAR is developing the Next Gen car, expected to hit the track in 2021. The new car is going to feature a redesigned body and under-the-hood enhancements to make NASCAR stock cars even more like the cars in showrooms across America.

Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is the premier destination for world-class motorsports and entertainment in the United States. Set on 1,500 acres in the rolling hills just outside downtown Austin, Circuit of The Americas has hosted the biggest names in racing, action sports and music since 2012. At its heart is a 3.41-mile racetrack that was designed to challenge the world's most exacting competitors while providing a thrilling spectacle for audiences.

The 20-turn, counterclockwise circuit takes advantage of the naturally undulating landscape, including an intimidating 133-foot hill at Turn 1 that must be seen in person to be believed. It is home to Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, NASCAR EchoPark Texas Grand Prix, and MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, and has played host to ESPN's X Games, the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge and more.

NASCAR
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Circuit of The Americas
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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