NASCAR: Kyle Busch wins Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen, N.Y. • There was no slipup on the final lap this time, so Kyle Busch's victory celebration at Watkins Glen International was as sweet as it gets.

Bumped aside a year ago by Brad Keselowski on the final lap as they sped around an oil-covered track, Busch held the reigning Sprint Cup champion at bay on a two-lap dash to the checkered flag Sunday.

Busch kept his foot on the accelerator a tad longer than usual during his postrace burnout, even sticking half his body out the window while smoke swirled all around and the tires kept churning.

"A big sigh of relief, just a deep breath. Whew!" said Busch, who also was victimized two years ago while leading on a green-white-checkered finish and finished third. "I was just trying to take it all in and figure it all out. The last couple of years here have been tough, and today it could have been tough again."

Keselowski, who finished second in this race for the third straight time, challenged Busch on the final lap, pulling to his rear bumper at one point. There was no bump this time.

"We had a shot at it," Keselowski said. "I was going to have to wreck him to really get it, and I didn't want to do that. There's racing and there's wrecking. Those are two different things.

"Everybody defines them a little differently, and I guess that's the code you live your life by. If I was going to take out Kyle, it would have been wrecking in my mind, and there's a distinct difference."

Racing can be all about luck sometimes, and Busch couldn't get much luckier than he was on this day.

Pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose dominated the race, leading 51 laps, but his good fortune — he was seeking his third straight Cup win at The Glen — finally ran out just past the halfway point of the 90-lap race.

Crew chief Dave Rogers was planning to have Busch pit on lap 60, but his crew noticed fluid on the track and brought the No. 18 Toyota in a lap early. Busch was in the pits when a caution flew and Ambrose had to pit under yellow, losing his spot to Busch at the front.

"That was a game-changer right there," said Busch, who won from the pole in 2008 at The Glen.

Busch held on through a series of cautions over the final 28 laps. Ambrose, who restarted 12th, crashed late trying to make a run with an ill-handling car and finished 23rd. He entered the race with an average finish of second in five previous starts at Watkins Glen and also had won all three Nationwide races he'd entered at the storied road course in upstate New York.

"That's just the way it goes," Ambrose said. "We put on a strong showing. It wasn't our day, but we've had plenty of good days here."

Martin Truex Jr. was third, followed by Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya. —

Sprint Cup standings

Pts. Beh.

1. J. Johnson 808 —

2. C. Bowyer 733 -75

3. C. Edwards 728 -80

4. K. Harvick 707 -101

5. Kyle Busch 693 -115

6. Earnhardt Jr. 670 -138

7. M. Kenseth 659 -149

8. B. Keselowski 634 -174

9. G. Biffle 627 -181

10. M. Truex Jr. 625 -183

11. Kurt Busch 623 -185

12. K. Kahne 622 -186