BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kurt Busch had to wait 58 races to return to Victory Lane, but he got there Saturday night in Bristol.  His win on the Tennessee short-track was his first since he claimed the 2017 Daytona 500.

Busch had won in Bristol on five previous occasions, but that last came back in March of 2006.  Busch drew on his experience, once he was in position to win on Saturday night.

"Always have to stay cool here," Busch said after the win.  "You have to roll with what damage you have here. You have to find lanes, that on re-starts, will work.  And at the end of the day, if you're in  position at a certain lap number, you gotta deliver.  I'm glad (crew chief) Billy (Scott) put me in that spot to win here.  It's great to win on the old one, and to win on the new one.  It's been a while."

The victory gets Busch into the Cup series playoffs, with just a pair of races left in the regular season, but he has gone overlooked by some because he hadn't won in so long.

Busch gained 29 points on the leaders on Saturday night, and remains fourth overall in points.  He has been consistent all season long, but without the validation of a checkered flag, his season has been lost behind the six-win seasons of Kevin Harvick and brother Kyle Busch, and the four victories scored by the reigning Cup series champion, Martin Truex, Jr.

"We turned the corner at Loudon (NH), a few weeks ago," Busch said.  "We treated it like it was the second Phoenix (race). We sat on the pole, led the most laps, at a flat one-mile track.  And, it was..'it's time now.'  We've been a consistent team, but we're starting to crest that corner of 'now we need to win.'  And we got the win tonight."

After an open weekend, the series heads to Darlington for their "Throwback Weekend," and the Southern 500 on September 2.