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Kyle Busch wins NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis

Kyle Busch celebrates after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Indiana 250 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday.
(Doug McSchooler / Associated Press)
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INDIANAPOLIS — Despite having the dominant car, Kyle Busch nearly saw victory slip away in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday.

Busch was passed by Brian Scott on the final restart with six laps left. But Busch reclaimed the lead and won the Indiana 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It was Busch’s eighth win of the season in the Nationwide Series, a second-level circuit to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, where Busch primarily races.

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“It’s cool to win in this place,” Busch said of the famed race 2.5-mile race track, where he started on the pole position and led 92 of the 100 laps. “A victory here ranks pretty high.”

Scott, still searching for his first Nationwide win, finished second, and Joey Logano was third. Brian Vickers finished fourth, and Kevin Harvick was fifth.

Busch, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, appeared to be cruising to victory until the late restart.

As the cars again got up to speed, Busch was pressured by Scott and Logano, with Scott’s No. 2 Chevrolet slipping past Busch.

“I had no friends around me on the restart,” said Busch, who drives the No. 54 Toyota. Then, “there comes the 2 out of nowhere.”

After being passed by Scott, “I had to go to work,” Busch said. “He was doing a lot of bIocking. I made him loose and got back by him.”

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Busch quickly dispatched Scott back to second place to earn his 59th career Nationwide victory.

Busch “had the fastest car all weekend, and I think we all knew that,” Logano said.

james.peltz@latimes.com

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