NASCAR Cup

Bristol II: Series contingency awards

Triple Crown Sweep at Bristol Earns Three Contingency Awards for Kyle Busch Dominating performance, powerful engine lead to historic three-race sweep CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With a convincing performance in Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at ...

Published: Aug 27, 2010, 4:52 AM

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Triple Crown Sweep at Bristol Earns Three Contingency Awards for Kyle Busch
Dominating performance, powerful engine lead to historic three-race sweep

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With a convincing performance in Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Doublemint Toyotateam visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the third time this season, picking up the race win and three post-race contingency awards.

While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series celebrated its 100th race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Busch capped off the night with a historical milestone of his own, becoming the first driver in the history of the sport to win all three major national series races in a single weekend.

Adding to the victory, Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing's chief engine builder Mark Cronquist picked up the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race, Sunoco Diamond Performance and WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race awards. The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the Contingency Program, which provides teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

Busch, who led the most laps - a resounding 282 - during the 500-lap event, captured his fifth WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race Award of 2010. As the race winner, Busch also racked up his third Sunoco Diamond Performance Award of the year as the highest-finishing eligible driver.

With top-notch, reliable horsepower under the hood of the No. 18 Camry, JGR's engine builder, Mark Cronquist, was awarded the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race Award, which is given weekly based on qualifying and finishing position.

"Our performance on the track is really attributed to everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing," said Cronquist. "I've got a great team of guys in my engine department and everyone at JGR is dedicated to keeping our cars running up front. We appreciate MAHLE Clevite for recognizing our team."

Fending off strong challenges from David Reutimann and Jamie McMurray in the final laps, Busch pulled away Saturday night for his third win of the weekend, capping off a historic run that also saw him win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Wednesday night and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday night.

In the 15 years that NASCAR has been running three national series, Busch is the first driver to win in all three of NASCAR's national series in the same weekend. The weekend gives him 16 overall wins on the season, helping Busch close in on his own two-year old NASCAR record of 21 wins among the three national series in a single season.

"It's so cool to be here [Victory Lane] three nights on this weekend," said Busch post-race. "To put this Doublemint Camry in Victory Lane, the second time they've been on the car, just real proud of the effort by these guys. I can't thank Dave and all the guys at Joe Gibbs Racing enough."

Busch's victory Saturdayvaulted him up five positions from eighth to third place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings with two races remaining until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set. The Race to the Chase continues on Sept. 5, 2010 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Emory Healthcare 500 (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET).

Official winners of this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Prize Money & Decal Program special awards include:

* COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Jimmie Johnson, 123.475 mph

* DIRECTV CREW CHIEF OF THE RACE AWARD: Rodney Childers(crew chief for David Reutimann)

* GOODYEAR GATORBACK BELTS FASTEST LAP AWARD: Jimmie Johnson (120.407 mph, Lap 4)

* MAHLE CLEVITE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE RACE AWARD: Mark Cronquist (engine builder for Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing )

* MOBIL 1 "COMMAND PERFORMANCE DRIVER OF THE RACE" AWARD: David Reutimann

* MOOG CHASSIS PARTS PROBLEM SOLVER OF THE RACE AWARD: Shane Wilson (crew chief for Clint Bowyer)

* O'REILLY AUTO PARTS POSITION IMPROVEMENT AWARD: Clint Bowyer (20 places)

* RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: Kevin Conway

* SUNOCO DIAMOND PERFORMANCE AWARD: Kyle Busch

* TISSOT "PIT ROAD PRECISION" AWARD: David Reutimann (199.713 secs)

* WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD: Kyle Busch (282 laps)

-source: nascar

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