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The victory also put the No. 18 back in Victory Circle at Atlanta, where former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte won six races in that car.

The significance was not lost on Busch.

“The 18! The 18! The 18 is back at Atlanta,” Busch screamed on the radio after crossing the finish line ahead of teammate Tony Stewart. “Congratulations, (crew chief Steve) Addington, it’s your first one.”

Former crew chief Jimmy Makar, the first person hired by Gibbs when he decided to go NASCAR racing, radioed the winner, “Kyle Busch, this is Jimmy. Thank you for bringing the 18 back.”

It was the fifth Cup victory for Busch, who will turn 23 on May 2. He became the youngest winner on Atlanta’s 1.5-mile oval since Jeff Gordon won in 1995 at 23 years, six months.

After climbing out of his Camry, Busch said, “This guy here, Steve Addington, the boys on the 18 car from the beginning, and the 18 has always been the car to beat here at Atlanta for many, many years when the place was redone with Bobby Labonte. This means so much to come back and do this and Jimmy Makar coming up and giving me congratulations made it set in.

Stewart, who continued to complain bitterly about the tires furnished this year by Goodyear, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Greg Biffle in the final laps to take second and third, with pole winner Gordon fifth.

Kittie Allison dies

Kittie Allison , mother of NASCAR drivers Bobby and Donnie Allison , has died. She was 101.

Allison died Thursday at the Little Flower Catholic Assisted Living Community in Charlotte, N.C.