The 2004 Cup champion Busch dominated much of the race, leading a race-high 116 laps, but emerged behind his younger brother’s Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after a round of pit stops under caution.
Following the restart, as Kyle Busch led the field, Kurt fell back to fourth before mounting a charge back to the front. After Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet driver Larson had passed Kyle Busch for the lead on lap 235 of 267, Kurt demoted Kyle to third two laps later.
From there, the 23XI Toyota patiently made up ground on Larson and dove inside the reigning champion at Turn 3 with eight laps to go to reclaim the lead and secure his first win of 2022 by 1.413 seconds.
It was only the second victory for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Cup driver Denny Hamlin, after Bubba Wallace’s Talladega breakthrough last October and 43-year-old Busch’s first win since Atlanta in July 2021.
Asked how it felt to get his 34th career win for a new team, Busch said: “It’s the most gratifying to work from the ground up with a brand new car. Everybody at 23XI – this is for us. This is what the hard work is all about.”
Behind Larson, JGR team-mates Kyle Busch, Hamlin fourth and pole-winner Christopher Bell rounded out the top-five.
Completing the top 10 were Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman and Wallace, who rebounded from a pit road penalty.
At the start, Bell took command early before Chase Briscoe spun off Turn 4 on lap six to put the race under an early caution. Tyler Reddick quickly passed Bell on the restart to move into the lead, but lost out to Larson on lap 34 – just before B.J. McLeod spun off Turn 4 to bring out another caution, from which Bell once again emerged in the lead.
Busch’s win was only the second for 23XI
Photo by: Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Images
Daniel Suarez restarted fourth, but brought out the next caution on lap 62 when he spun off Turn 4. During the caution, leader Bell cut a left-rear tyre.
When racing resumed, Kyle Busch powered into the lead for the first time in the race and held off Ross Chastain for the Stage 1 win as Chase Elliott finished third.
Elliott was the first off pit road for the restart, but along with Hamlin was penalised for equipment interference during their stops. Both had to restart from the rear of the field, as did Wallace for having a crew member over the wall too soon, while Kyle Busch lost nine spots by placing his car too close to pit wall.
When the race resumed on lap 88, Chastain led from Martin Truex Jr and William Byron, but the Hendrick driver soon passed both Chastain and Truex to lead.
However, Byron’s race was ruined when he had a left-rear tyre go down and tagged the wall on lap 113. His pitstop under green meant he lost two laps, as Kurt Busch inherited the lead.
Tyler Reddick also hit the wall in Turn 1 on Lap 117 and was also forced to pit under green for repairs.
A caution during the middle of the next round of pitstops, caused by Kevin Harvick spinning off pit road, prompted the remainder of the field to come in together after which Kurt Busch resumed the lead.
Busch held off his brother to win Stage 2, with Ryan Blaney third, while a flat tyre on the final lap of the stage for fourth-placed Truex caused him to hit the wall.
Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson battled side-by-side for victory before the 23XI driver won out
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Truex’s early pit visit meant he’d have to start Stage 3 from the rear of the field, along with Kyle Busch, who sped during his stop.
Kurt Busch headed Blaney and Larson at the restart but, as Blaney slipped back, Hamlin soon entered the picture and began challenging Larson for second.
Elliott’s spin off Turn 3 brought out the seventh caution of the race on lap 197, during which Wallace was demoted from running in the top-five to the rear of the field for an uncontrolled tyre.
Kurt Busch and Larson traded the lead after the lead, but Busch asserted his authority and continued to lead until the final caution arrived on lap 230 for possible fluid on the track – which cycled Kyle Busch to the front.
Reflecting on a race in which he appeared to have the fastest car, only for several tyre issues and pit road miscues – not to mention the side-by-side battles with Larson – to leave the outcome in doubt until the end, Busch said: “It’s all about teamwork, I don’t do this alone.
“The way that Toyota’s helped us and (Joe Gibbs Racing) and my little brother has been so important just on the family side. Bubba has been a tremendous team-mate.
“This is our first win for the #45 car and with the Jordan Brand on the hood I felt like I had to win like the GOAT, race like the GOAT and I had to beat the Kyles. I beat both of them – the ‘Kyle and Kyle show.’
“This #45 car is a winner now!”