Bush steals the flag and punches are thrown

This year’s NASCAR Auto Club 400 was not troubled by rain like last year, it was a bright and sunny California day this past Sunday. The fans come out in the thousands to watch their favorite drivers fight for that coveted checker flag. Prior to the race the garage was swarming with fans hoping to get a glance of the drivers and to get their autographs. As the race started pole -sitter Denny Hamlin stayed in the front for the entire race battling it out with Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. In the final lap Logano and Hamlin continuing feud from previous races lead to a crash where Busch was able to steal the checkered flag. The crash between the two lead to Hamlin being airlifted and diagnosed with a fractured back. The excitement didn’t end there after getting to pit road Tony Stewart confronted Logano for blocking him on the final restart, which lead to punches being thrown. Busch not only won the Sprint car race but Saturday’s Nationwide as well. For a relatively uneventful track this year’s race was anything but.
-Story by Andrea Olivas and photos by Bill Harrington

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