The Race Report.(Racing)

Every fall down in NASCAR-land, it's the same old thing: Somebody wins a race but he's largely overshadowed when somebody else wins the Winston Cup or virtually clinches it.

This time, it was Kurt Busch in the NAPA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Busch, in a Jack Roush-owned, Jimmy Fennig-prepared Ford, led four times for 84 of the 248 laps in the rain-shortened race. He led in clumps of one, four and 36 laps before leading the final 43. He was comfortably ahead when the day's third measurable rain shower stopped the 500-miler after 382 miles.

Busch's third career win came over the Chevrolet of Joe Nemechek and the Ford of Dale Jarrett. Busch started eighth (points set the grid because qualifying was rained out) and was never lower than sixth at any of the 13 scoring intervals. ``It was perfect execution all week long,'' he said. ``A lot of points guys were racing up front, but we kept digging and drove ourselves into victory lane. It was just a matter of making ends meet because the car was fast all weekend.''

While Busch celebrated, Tony Stewart, crew chief Greg Zipadelli and team owner Joe Gibbs counted points. They found themselves 146 ahead of Mark Martin and 150 ahead of Jimmie Johnson, and that's the largest 1-2 spread this season. With only Rockingham, Phoenix and Homestead remaining, almost nothing looms between Stewart and the first of what likely will be ...