SPARTA, KY. — Here’s a look at all the action and results from Saturday night’s NASCAR race at Kentucky Speedway:

WINNER: Kyle Busch won his second race in three weeks Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, giving his Chase for the Sprint Cup hopes a major boost with eight races remaining before the playoff field is set. Busch will still have to make it into the top 30 in points, but he helped his average finish by scoring the win and getting maximum points (including leading the most laps). It is his second career Kentucky victory.

“That was awesome. I can’t say enough about (crew chief) Adam Stevens and this whole M&M’s team,” Busch said during a televised interview from victory lane. “It’s pretty cool to come to Kentucky, one of my favorite tracks, and score a win. It was just a great race car to move around the track. I had a blast. I know I won, but I really like this race package.”

Busch passed Joey Logano with 19 laps remaining and held on for the win. Logano was second. Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.

WATCH: Kyle Busch celebrates in victory lane at Kentucky

“There’s just no quit in Kyle Busch. He’s proven it time and time again. When the pressure is on, he’s at his best, and he’s proven it here again at Kentucky,” Stevens said during a televised interview just after Busch crossed the finish line.

Busch missed the first 11 races of the season as he recovered from a broken leg and foot suffered in a crash at Daytona International Speedway in the Xfinity Series opener on Feb. 21.

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POPULAR CLASH: Dale Earnhardt Jr. accidentally ran into the back of Danica Patrick with 60 laps to go because he had no brakes, but Patrick, in 27th place at the time, wasn’t impressed. She cursed Earnhardt and said he should have picked a different lane, then ran into the back of him while both cars came to pit road. Earnhardt had been battling brake issues all night.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. perplexed after contact with Danica Patrick at Kentucky

ONE OF THOSE YEARS: Tony Stewart’s miserable season continued at Kentucky. Early in the race, he slowed after getting so loose that he almost hit the wall. And with 127 laps to go, Stewart was riding toward the back of the field when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into Jeb Burton right in front of the No. 14 car, which caused Stewart to hit the wall and go into a lazy spin.

NEW PACKAGE: Saturday night’s race was the first with a new aero rules package. The lower-downforce package was intended to make the cars harder to drive, which would theoretically make a better show while providing more passing. But with Goodyear not ready to bring a tire to fit that package yet, the full debut will have to wait until September’s race at Darlington Raceway. Still, the racing seemed to get a positive response on social media.

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Jeff Gordon’s 2015 farewell tour: Kentucky

START: After weather delays and cancellations on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday followed last week’s two rain-delayed races at Daytona International Speedway, it was a relief for NASCAR to start the Kentucky race on time. With qualifying canceled due to weather, Kyle Larson started from the pole position after he was fastest in practice.

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PHOTOS: 2015 Sprint Cup race winners

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Drivers who win a race are almost assured a berth in
Feb 22: Joey Logano wins the season-opening Daytona
March 1: Jimmie Johnson wins the Folds of Honor QuikTrip
March 8: Reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick,
March 15: Kevin Harvick wins the CampingWorld.com 500
March 22: Brad Keselowski wins the Auto Club 400 at
March 29: Denny Hamlin wins the STP 500 at Martinsville
April 11: Jimmie Johnson wins the Duck Commander 500
April 19: Matt Kenseth wins the Food City 500 at Bristol
April 26: Kurt Busch wins the Toyota Owners 400 at
May 3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Geico 500 at Talladega
May 9: Jimmie Johnson wins the Spongebob Squarepants
May 24: Carl Edwards wins the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
May 31: Jimmie Johnson wins the FedEx 400 Benefiting
June 7: Martin Truex Jr. wins the Axalta 'We Paint
June 14: Kurt Busch wins the rain-shortened Quicken
June 28: Kyle Busch wins the Toyota SaveMart 350 at
July 5: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Coke Zero 400 at
July 11: Kyle Busch wins the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky
  • Drivers who win a race are almost assured a berth in
  • Feb 22: Joey Logano wins the season-opening Daytona
  • March 1: Jimmie Johnson wins the Folds of Honor QuikTrip
  • March 8: Reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick,
  • March 15: Kevin Harvick wins the CampingWorld.com 500
  • March 22: Brad Keselowski wins the Auto Club 400 at
  • March 29: Denny Hamlin wins the STP 500 at Martinsville
  • April 11: Jimmie Johnson wins the Duck Commander 500
  • April 19: Matt Kenseth wins the Food City 500 at Bristol
  • April 26: Kurt Busch wins the Toyota Owners 400 at
  • May 3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Geico 500 at Talladega
  • May 9: Jimmie Johnson wins the Spongebob Squarepants
  • May 24: Carl Edwards wins the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
  • May 31: Jimmie Johnson wins the FedEx 400 Benefiting
  • June 7: Martin Truex Jr. wins the Axalta 'We Paint
  • June 14: Kurt Busch wins the rain-shortened Quicken
  • June 28: Kyle Busch wins the Toyota SaveMart 350 at
  • July 5: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Coke Zero 400 at
  • July 11: Kyle Busch wins the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Lap length: 1.5 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (9) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 267 laps, 48 points, $209,316.

2. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, 43, $161,118.

3. (8) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, 42, $125,335.

4. (20) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 267, 41, $124,295.

5. (16) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 267, 39, $142,111.

6. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, 39, $140,656.

7. (3) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267, 37, $135,176.

8. (15) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 267, 36, $137,640.

9. (6) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267, 35, $132,151.

10. (13) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267, 34, $102,715.

11. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 267, 33, $95,890.

12. (12) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267, 32, $123,951.

13. (28) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 267, 31, $126,790.

14. (7) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 267, 30, $116,156.

15. (14) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 267, 29, $93,915.

16. (27) Greg Biffle, Ford, 267, 28, $116,523.

17. (5) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 267, 27, $111,035.

18. (25) David Ragan, Toyota, 267, 26, $11,479.

19. (30) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 267, 25, $118,123.

20. (26) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 267, 25, $121,290.

21. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267, 23, $99,365.

22. (18) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 267, 22, $109,660.

23. (21) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 267, 21, $109,248.

24. (32) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 267, 20, $106,998.

25. (11) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267, 19, $119,526.

26. (24) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 267, 18, $111,423.

27. (19) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 266, 17, $97,090.

28. (36) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 266, 0, $82,065.

29. (34) David Gilliland, Ford, 266, 15, $101,523.

30. (29) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 266, 14, $83,290.

31. (31) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 266, 14, $90,772.

32. (38) Brett Moffitt, Ford, 266, 12, $80,115.

33. (22) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 265, 11, $105,779.

34. (23) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 265, 10, $86,515.

35. (1) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 265, 9, $112,373.

36. (42) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 264, 9, $78,410.

37. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 264, 7, $78,352.

38. (40) Will Kimmel, Ford, 263, 6, $73,752.

39. (41) J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 260, 0, $69,680.

40. (43) Alex Kennedy, Chevrolet, 247, 4, $65,680.

41. (35) Jeb Burton, Toyota, suspension, 175, 3, $61,680.

42. (39) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, accident, 145, 2, $57,680.

43. (37) Josh Wise, Ford, accident, 17, 1, $54,180.

———

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 129.402 mph.

Time of Race: 3 hours, 5 minutes, 42 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.594 seconds.

Caution Flags: 11 for 49 laps.

Lead Changes: 13 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders: B.Keselowski 1-32; R.Sorenson 33; Ky.Busch 34-94; B.Keselowski 95-124; Ky.Busch 125-188; R.Newman 189-190; Ky.Busch 191-208; A.Bowman 209-210; D.Hamlin 211-212; C.Edwards 213; D.Hamlin 214-224; J.Logano 225-247; Ky.Busch 248-267.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): Ky.Busch, 4 times for 163 laps; B.Keselowski, 2 times for 62 laps; J.Logano, 1 time for 23 laps; D.Hamlin, 2 times for 13 laps; R.Newman, 1 time for 2 laps; A.Bowman, 1 time for 2 laps; C.Edwards, 1 time for 1 lap; R.Sorenson, 1 time for 1 lap.

Wins: J.Johnson, 4; Ku.Busch, 2; Ky.Busch, 2; D.Earnhardt Jr., 2; K.Harvick, 2; C.Edwards, 1; D.Hamlin, 1; M.Kenseth, 1; B.Keselowski, 1; J.Logano, 1; M.Truex Jr., 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. K.Harvick, 692; 2. J.Johnson, 624; 3. J.Logano, 624; 4. D.Earnhardt Jr., 616; 5. M.Truex Jr., 596; 6. B.Keselowski, 559; 7. J.McMurray, 556; 8. Ku.Busch, 542; 9. M.Kenseth, 540; 10. J.Gordon, 537; 11. D.Hamlin, 522; 12. K.Kahne, 513; 13. P.Menard, 509; 14. R.Newman, 497; 15. C.Bowyer, 490; 16. A.Almirola, 473.