Kurt Busch happy to finish 2nd to brother Kyle

Normally Kurt Busch would’ve preferred to have won, but considering the circumstances he wasn’t too disappointed to finish second to younger brother Kyle Busch on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

Even though Kyle now owns 30 Sprint Cup victories and Kurt 27, the result marked the first time the brothers had ever finished first and second.

“That’s a pretty special moment,” Kurt Busch said. “I’ve got over 500 starts. I know he’s over 300. Can you imagine, 800 starts between the two of us, we almost have 30 wins each, and that’s the first time we’ve ever finished one-two?”

Kurt then quipped: “I wish I would have gotten up there and moved him.”

The win carried added importance -- it was Kyle’s first since suffering injuries in a February crash during an Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway. He missed 11 races recovering from a broken right leg and left foot before returning late last month. Sonoma was just his fifth start since coming back.

“It was emotional,” Kurt Busch said. “I know he’s been through quite a bit; to have your leg broken, your foot shattered, to never be injured and out of the car, I don’t know what that feels like ... rehab is very difficult, and it is a mental challenge.

“I’m very proud of Kyle for what he’s done to get back in the car as soon as he did get back in the car. Then, to be competitive at a track with hard, hard braking and to use his left foot to drive to victory lane, I’m very proud of him.”

Kurt had the best car Sunday, leading a race-high 43 laps. But he lost track position when he went off course trying to pass Joey Logano and suffered a flat left-rear tire. A timely caution for Casey Mears’ stranded car prevented Busch from dropping to the rear.

On the ensuing restart with seven laps to go, Kurt quickly moved towards the front. But the charge wasn’t enough to run down Kyle.

And what would’ve Kurt done had he caught his brother?

“If I would have gotten to Kyle, still I would have had to have given him a couple shots to try to mess up his rhythm,” Kurt Busch said. “I wasn’t going to flat‑out move him, but when somebody is holding you up three to four times a lap, then you’ve got the opportunity to try to make a pass, and I just never got there.”