JOLIET, Ill. - A pit-crew change for Kyle Busch didn't work out as expected for Joe Gibbs Racing in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup playoffs.
After winning the opening stage and leading 85 of the first 87 laps Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, Busch lost two laps when he had to pit for a loose wheel and then come down pit road again when he was penalized for the gas man being over the wall too soon.
His 15th-place finish shouldn't hurt him too much in advancing to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs as he dropped from third to fifth in the standings and still has a 35-point cushion on 13th, the current elimination cutoff with two races left in the opening round.