Enjoy Illinois 300
The NASCAR Cup Series experienced a weird afternoon at World Wide Technology Raceway. A Lap 1 caution for the No. 45 of Tyler Reddick led to a nearly two-hour lightning delay. Throughout the race, multiple drivers experienced brake rotor failures resulting in lengthy clean-ups. And to top it all, a facility-wide technology outage presented multiple issues for viewers, listeners, and teams alike.
Rich MARvelous Move of the Race
The final 43 laps were filled with four cautions involving six different drivers and a red flag for wall repairs.
But the one constant? Kyle Busch.
The No. 8 Richard Childress Racing driver qualified on the pole, won Stage 1, and finished the second stage in P2.
Most impressively, through four restarts, including NASCAR Overtime, Busch led the field to green and held onto that lead as long as necessary. Busch ultimately led 121 laps on his way to winning his third race of the 2023 season.
During his post-race interview, Busch told FS1, “That was pretty awesome! Man, to sit on the pole, lead a lot of laps and have my guys do such a great job today was pretty phenomenal for us.”
Honorable Mention
There were a decent amount of two-tire stop strategies throughout the race. Michael McDowell’s team tried it first at the beginning of Stage 2 (along with Front Row Motorsports teammate Todd Gilliland and Wood Brothers Racing driver, Harrison Burton). This move bumped the No. 34 of McDowell from 19th at the close of the opening stage to P8 at the start of the second.
Unfortunately, McDowell tangled with the No. 1 of Ross Chastain on the opening laps of the stage and was shuffled to P33 after pitting for repairs.
It felt like another day of misfortune. However, the team rallied and crew chief, Travis Peterson opted for the same call late in the race.
This time, it paid off for the FRM driver. With 57 laps remaining, McDowell restarted P5 and held steady in the top 10 through the caution-filled closing laps.
Once the checkered flag waved, McDowell collected his second top-10 finish of the season (P9) – a finish the team desperately needed after a rough stretch of races.
Next race: Sonoma Raceway!
Pit Pass Network would like to extend a huge thank you to Rich Mar Florist for their partnership in the Rich MARvelous Move of the race! Be sure to check out their website for all your floral needs. Follow them on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and stay up-to-date with all the Team Rich Mar NASCAR happenings.
