Kyle Busch wins Autism Speaks 400

DOVER, Del. - Kyle Busch took advantage of a rare speeding penalty by Jimmie Johnson to pull away late Sunday and win his second race in two days, this time taking the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway.

Busch missed the tripleheader sweep on the one-mile concrete track by just a couple gallons of gas.

He was in position to win the Trucks Series race on Friday but ran out of gas at the end. He easily took the checkered flag in Saturday's Nationwide race and raced about 800 miles in three days.

"It's not going to hurt my feelings too bad to go to bed tonight and know that I lost Friday," Busch said. "I'm going to think more about today."

On Sunday, Busch swapped the lead with Johnson throughout most of the 400-mile race run in front of thousands of empty seats. Johnson, the four-time defending Cup champion, was hit with a late penalty for speeding exiting pit road.

Johnson was clocked at 40.09 mph in a 35 mph zone.

"Unfortunately for those guys, they got busted for speeding and we weren't able to beat them outright and race them around the end of the race," Busch said. "I'm going on a limb to say we could beat them today with or without the penalty."

Johnson, who won both Dover races last year, finished 16th after having the dominant car most of the race. Johnson led 225 laps to Busch's 131.

"I ran my guts out trying to pass him," Johnson said. "It's unfortunate we didn't have a chance there at the end."

Jeff Burton was second and Matt Kenseth third. Denny Hamlin and David Reutimann rounded out the top five.

Johnson recorded DNF's in two of his last three races and gave other drivers a feeling that he may finally be vulnerable.

Kenseth said it was too early to count out Johnson.

"It looked like he was going to win today," he said.

Instead Busch won his second race of the season - he won at Richmond International Raceway two weeks ago - and moved into second place in the standings behind seventh-place finisher Kevin Harvick.

Joe Gibbs Racing has been putting pressure on Johnson's four-year reign atop the standings. JGR drivers Busch and Hamlin have been two of the hottest drivers over Johnson's seven-race winless stretch and expect to contend for the title over the final 10 races.

"We're just getting started really here," owner Joe Gibbs said. "I'm thrilled that the last seven or eight weeks have gone so well for us, but the reality is, that can all turn in a week."

Busch became the second driver to win the Cup and Nationwide races in the same weekend at Dover. Harry Gant did it in September 1991.

Johnson led eight times and Busch six as two of the elite drivers in the sport engaged in back-and-fourth action at various times of the race.

When Johnson was hit for speeding, team members high-fived and briefly celebrated in the pits.

"It was a fun battle there racing him for the last 100 laps or so we had," Busch said.