DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 04: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, exits the track for the garage after the engine expires during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 04, 2022 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 04: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, exits the track for the garage after the engine expires during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 04, 2022 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Toyota to Examine Darlington Engine Failures

Toyota Racing Development officials are taking the engines from the Nos. 18 and 19 Joe Gibbs Racing cars of Kyle Busch to their headquarters in Costa Mesa, California, for a thorough examination after failures in the Southern 500.

Martin Truex Jr. fell out of Sunday’s race due to overheating after losing the water pump belt. Truex was leading when his car began to fall off the pace with less than 40 laps to go.

Busch took the lead from Truex with 32 laps to go as Truex began falling off the pace. A win would have advanced Busch to the next round of the playoffs, but he experienced a valve train failure under caution with 28 laps to go. The leaders had just made their final pit stops, and Busch was leading when his car began to smoke, and he drove to the garage.

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