NASCAR results at Pocono: Kyle Busch claims fourth victory of the season; moves to ninth on all-time wins list

Thomas Schlarp

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NASCAR results at Pocono: Kyle Busch claims fourth victory of the season; moves to ninth on all-time wins list image

Kyle Busch did what he's done all season. Busch made it look easy, running a nearly flawless race as he picked up this fourth win of the Monster Energy Cup Series season with a victory at Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon.

The win was Busch's third career victory at Pocono and the 55th of his Cup Series career, moving him into a tie with Rusty Wallace for ninth on the all-time list. Busch led a race-high 79 laps and cruised to victory at the end, despite not winning either of the race's first two stages.

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Kyle Larson appeared headed for his first win of the year after taking Stages 1 and 2 but hit the wall hard late in Stage 3 after a restart. The No. 42 car finished 26th after leading 35 laps.

Brad Keselowski finished second, his sixth top-five finish of the year, to stay near the top of the Cup Series standings. Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five. Elliott's fourth-place finish was his fifth consecutive top-five finish of the season.

Martin Truex Jr. entered Sunday as the defending race champion and favorite to build off his win last weekend at Charlotte, but spoiled any hopes of a repeat victory just 91 laps into the race. Truex hit pit road with a giant plume of smoke trailing his No. 19 and was quickly pushed back to the garage by his crew with engine failures.

Sunday's race was moved up in start time in an effort to beat approaching storms, but the precautionary moved ended up being for not, as rain never came as the sun shined when Busch claimed his checkered flag.

Sporting News tracked live lap-by-lap updates and highlights from the Pocono 400. Follow along below.

NASCAR at Pocono: Live updates, highlights from Pocono 400

(All times Eastern.)

Caution flags: 8

Lead changes: 13

Lap leaders: Kyle Busch (79), Kyle Larson (35), William Byron (26), Daniel Suarez (9), Brad Keselowski (4), Chase Elliott (2), Clint Bowyer (2), Denny Hamlin (1)

Pocono 400: 2019 winner, top 20 order of finish

Finish Driver Team (Car No.) Laps led
1. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing (18) 79
2. Brad Keselowski Team Penske (2) 4
3. Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing (20)
4. Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports (9) 2
5. Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing (14) 2
6. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing (11) 1
7. Joey Logano Team Penske (22)
8. Daniel Suarez Stewart-Haas (41) 9
9. William Byron Hendrick Motorsports (24) 26
10. Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas (10)
11. Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing (1)
12. Ryan Blaney Team Penske (12)
13. Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Racing (8) 3
14. Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing (37)
15. Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports (88)
16. Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing (6)
17. Matt DiBenedetto Leavine Family Racing (95)
18. Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing (21)
19. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports (48)
20. Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports (34)

5:02 p.m.: Kyle Rowdy wins his fourth race of the year, making it look pretty easy at the end.

4:59 p.m.: Three to go, and Busch is increasing the margin between first and second.

4:57 p.m.: Five laps left with Busch in front, followed by Keselowski, Jones and Chase Elliott.

4:55 p.m.: He had no choice, as Larson heads to pit road with a lot of damage. Tough way to end what's been a good day. Third time he's won two stages and failed to record a victory.

4:54 p.m.: Larson crushed the wall, but he's staying out there for now. Keselowksi has jumped to second.

4:53 p.m.: Restart with nine laps to go. Kyle Busch opted not to pit under caution and is still in the lead.

4:45 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse hits the wall hard with 14 laps remaining as another caution flag comes out. He goes straight to the garage. 21 drivers are on the lead lap.

4:43 p.m.: Fifteen laps left in this race. It's Busch, Jones and Bowyer in the top three.

4:38 p.m.: All drivers have now pitted, and Kyle Busch reassumes his lead.

4:33 p.m.: Now Byron takes the lead as Suarez pits. Byron and Daniel Hemric are 1-2 but haven't pitted with 25 laps remaining.

4:31 p.m.: Suarez has a 5.3-second lead over Byron with 28 laps left but has yet to pit.

4:26 p.m.: Harvick is penalized for having a tire roll away on pit road.

4:25 p.m.: Busch, Harvick and Hamlin all pit with 35 laps to go. Daniel Suarez is the new leader.

4:23 p.m.: Busch and Harvick are over five seconds in front of the rest of the field, but all five of the top-five drivers have yet to pit.

4:19 p.m.: Brad Keselowski is the first to hit pit road with 41 laps remaining. He takes two new tires.

4:14 p.m.: Kevin Harvick is beginning to eat into Busch's lead with 45 laps left.

4:08 p.m.: Whew. William Byron nearly spins out. He hit the wall, but he saved it.

4:06 p.m.: 56 laps to go as we start Stage 3 with Kyle Busch in first.

3:57 p.m.: Larson captures the flag for both Stage 1 and 2 at Pocono. Logano and Byron are second and third.

Stage 2 winner: Kyle Larson

3:55 p.m.: Now Kyle Larson is back out front.

3:52 p.m.: Chase Elliott takes the lead with five to go as Busch heads to the pits.

3:51 p.m.: And Truex is now being pushed to the garage. His day is finished.

3:50 p.m.: Truex hits pit road with eight to go and a whole lot of smoke coming from his car. He said he is "blowing up."

3:44 p.m.: Some unexpected issues as well for Aric Almirola with 13 laps left in the stage forces him to pit.

3:40 p.m.: David Ragan heads to pit row with a flat rear right tire due to body damage.

3:33 p.m.: Hello, Clint Bowyer. Bowyer passes Busch for the lead. Busch takes it right back.

3:32 p.m.: Restart with 28 laps left in Stage 2.

3:24 p.m.: Corey LaJoie makes contact with the wall, and it's another yellow flag from the debris.

3:22 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. was one of the favorites entering the day, but he's all the way back in 19th.

3:20 p.m.: Back under green with Kyle Busch in first and 35 laps left in Stage 2. Larson takes this restart four wide.

3:14 p.m.: Another caution almost immediately on the restart. Matt Tifft spins out after he hits the apron on the inside of the track.

3:07 p.m.: Caution on Lap 58 as Matt DiBenedetto goes into the wall.

3:06 p.m.: Kyle push makes the pass for first one lap after the restart.

3:00 p.m.: Brad Keselowski stayed off pit road, and as a result has taken the lead.

2:56 p.m.: Larson wins his second stage of the season.

Stage 1 winner: Kyle Larson

2:53 p.m.: Busch, Jones and Hamlin all pit with three laps left.

2:51 p.m.: Five to go in Stage 1 as a few raindrops start to fall.

2:46 p.m.: Ty Dillon turns into the wall and takes some damage on the right side. No wreck, but he'll need some repairs shortly.

2:40 p.m.: Restart on Lap 34 with Larson still in first. Austin Dillon's day is done.

2:33 p.m.: Austin Dillon goes into the wall pretty hard on Turn 3 of Lap 30. Paul Menard clipped him a bit, maybe. Caution.

2:28 p.m.: Back in the green and Brad Keselowski and Larson go back-and-forth for first.

2:25 p.m.: Kyle Larson takes just two tires and wins the race off pit road.

2:21 p.m.: Lap 20 competition caution for heavy rains overnight. Byron has led all 20 laps. Jones and Kyle Busch are second and third. Kevin Harvick changed all four tires a lap before the caution. Interesting to see if that'll pay off.

2:15 p.m.: Kurt Busch is doing everything he can to make it five more laps to the competition caution. He's complaining of pressure issues and is dropping quickly.

2:09 p.m.: Erik Jones makes an early pass on his teammate Kyle Busch to move up to second.

2:05 p.m.: Tought start already for Ryan Blaney. Maybe some contact, but he dropped 10 positions on Lap 2.

2:03 p.m.: Green flag! 160 laps to the checkers; need to complete the first two stages for this race to count.

1:54 p.m.: Engines fired. There will be a competition caution on Lap 20.

Thomas Schlarp