NASCAR at California results: Kyle Busch earns 200th career national series win in Auto Club 400

Dan Bernstein

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NASCAR at California results: Kyle Busch earns 200th career national series win in Auto Club 400 image

Kyle Busch could hardly have been more dominant in earning career national series win No. 200 on Sunday in the Auto Club 400, leading 134 of 200 laps and claiming every stage.

The milestone, reached with a second straight NASCAR Cup Series victory, helped cement his status as one of the premier drivers of the past 20 years.

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Joey Logano finished second, while Brad Keselowski earned third despite a slow start.

Busch became the first driver in the 2019 season with more than one race victory.

Auto Club 400: 2019 winner, order of finish for top 20

Finish Driver Team (Car No.) Laps led
1. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing (18) 134
2. Joey Logano Team Penske (22) 3
3. Brad Keselowski Team Penske (2) 42
4. Kevin Harvick Stewart Haas Racing (4) ...
5. Ryan Blaney Team Penske (12) 2
6. Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing (1) ...
7. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing (1) 8
8. Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing (19) ...
9. Aric Almirola Stewart Haas Racing (10) 7
10. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing (3) ...
11. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports (9) ...
12. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing (42) ...
13. Daniel Suarez Stewart Haas Racing (41) ...
14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Rousch Fenway Racing (17) 1
15. William Byron Hendrick Motorsports (24) 3
16. Chris Buescher JTG-Daugherty Racing (37) ...
17. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports (48) ...
18. Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing (95) ..
19. Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing (20) ...
20. Paul Menard Team Penske (21) ...

Lead changes: 17

Cautions: 4

Sporting News provided live coverage throughout the race. Here's how Busch won:

NASCAR at California: Highlights from Auto Club 400

(All times Eastern)

6:38 p.m. — Kyle Busch does it! National series win No. 200 for one of NASCAR's best modern drivers. 

6:32 p.m. — Ten more laps. It's still all Kyle Busch.

6:28 p.m. — With 15 laps to go, it's Kyle Busch, Logano and Keselowski atop the leaderboard.

6:22 p.m. — Kyle Busch is back in first.

6:17 p.m. — We're back to green with 31 laps to go.

6:08 p.m. — Caution. Bubba Wallace has a major tire failure amid green-flag pit stops, helping Kyle Busch, who hadn't pitted yet.

5:58 p.m. — There are 50 laps remaining and Keselowski still has a narrow edge over Logano (second) and Harvick (third). Kyle Busch is in sixth place following his speeding penalty earlier in the final stage.

5:43 p.m. — That Kyle Busch error really opens things up for others. Right now, Keselowski is in first place, and Kevin Harvick has slid into second.

5:37 p.m. — Kyle Busch takes a speeding penalty.

5:30 p.m. — Kyle Busch wins Stage 2! He now has two stage wins this afternoon and is well-positioned to sweep the race.

5:15 p.m. — We're exactly halfway through the Auto Club 400. Kyle Busch is in first, followed by Keselowski and Erik Jones.

5:03 p.m. — Brad Keselowski struggled in the early going, but he's up to third.

4:56 p.m. — And Kyle Busch retakes the lead moments later. He's led 55 of the 75 laps thus far.

4:54 p.m. — Joey Logano jumps up to first place.

4:48 p.m. —  Truex Jr. apparently had some rear damage from the stage-closing accident as well.

4:40 p.m. — Here's a look at that Stenhouse incident.

4:36 p.m. — Crazy end to Stage 1! Kyle Busch wins it and Stenhouse spins out. Kyle Larson also took damage.

4:30 p.m. — Caution for Austin Dillon. His rear right tire went out.

4:13 p.m. — William Byron takes the lead midway through Stage 1.

4:03 p.m. — Kyle Busch has moved to the front. He's going for his 200th career win.

3:57 p.m. — Ten laps in, Hamlin leads the way. Aric Almirola is in second place, and Kyle Busch is in third. Stenhouse runs fifth.

3:44 p.m. — And we're off!

Dan Bernstein