Most eyes in Bristol, Tenn., were on Kevin Harvick, who won a Cup race that seemed to last forever because of extended rain delays over the weekend.

Many fans also felt compelled to take a peek at Tony Stewart, who did a victory burnout after a gentlemanly gesture from Harvick, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate. He asked his boss Stewart — competing in his final season — to tag along for one last salute to fans.

But some fans may have missed a good sidebar on another Stewart-Haas guy, Kurt Busch. He crashed on Lap 373 while vying for the lead. Busch moved down on the track during a restart, sending his car into a slide. Brad Keselowski's Ford bumped Busch's Chevy on the driver's side, thwarting both cars. It was a noteworthy mishap given this context:

Until that point, Busch had completed every lap this season in 23 starts. Read again: No DNFs. He still ended up completing 372 of 500 laps, keeping his ironman reputation intact.

“I just missed the bottom groove by a few inches, got loose and the wreck was on,” said Busch, who finished 38th. “The way that our car was restarting it felt comfortable, it felt good. That inside with the rosin and the (traction compound), if you don't hit it exactly right, you lose a lot of time. I tried to make up for it and got loose.

“I feel really bad for the Monster Energy guys. We had a win in our sights and I just drove the car at 101 percent instead of that 99.”

Don't be silly. Busch — who earned the nickname “The Outlaw” for his rambunctious behavior, usually in the heat of the moment after a race — remains in contention for King of the Road in 2016.

Despite the bumpy ride in Bristol, Busch is third in the points standings behind Harvick and Keselowski.

When it comes to marketing, Busch usually trails teammates Stewart, Harvick and Danica Patrick. But he still packs considerable muscle. Busch won the Cup title in 2004, then driving for Roush Racing, and finished eighth last season. His third-place Chase-qualifying slot this season includes six top 5s and 16 top 10s along with a June victory at Pocono.

Busch is comfortable when he has been the No. 1 guy. If someone wants to focus on him, then bring it.

“You feel it,” Busch said at the start of the season. “The team feels it. It's because you accomplished something so special the year before that you want to reward yourself in a way to where you're that first team going through tech inspection each Friday morning, or you're the first car that hits the track in practice every weekend because of those special perks that come along with winning a championship.

“So, yeah, everybody wants to be that guy. You're that guy for the moment. That's why everybody wants to take you down.''

So far, the rival plan to take down Busch doesn't seem to be working.

gdiaz@orlandosentinel.com