HAMPTON, Ga. — Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory, driving away from the pack in the waning laps today to win the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Busch, winning for the first time since last March 25 at Bristol, took the lead for good with 50 laps to go when Carl Edwards, trying for a third straight victory, went out with a broken transmission.

The first win for the Japanese automaker in NASCAR's top series came in its 40th race and is the first NASCAR victory by a foreign manufacturer since Al Keller drove a Jaguar to a road course win in Linden, N.J., in June 1954.

The win 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 Joe 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 and the first since last March 25 at Bristol for the driver 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, 6 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. both passed Greg Biffle in the final laps to take second and third, with pole winner Gordon fifth.

Two-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson had another so-so day, coming back from a lap down twice to finish 13th, the last driver on the lead lap.