Sue Parzych
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1000Bulbs.com 500 Advance
October 12, 2018
Venue: Talladega Superspeedway
The Race: 1000Bulbs.com 500
The Date: Sunday, October 14, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race in the Round of 12. Kyle Busch is coming off of a hard fought 8th place finish in Dover last weekend and is running second in the points, just 5 points behind leader Kevin Harvick. Chase Elliott won the battle with Miles in Dover last weekend and is currently the only driver locked into the coming Round of 8.
The leader of Rowdy Nation has had mixed results at Talladega in his fourteen Cup seasons, often faring better in the spring races here than in the fall events. The goal on Sunday, first and foremost, is survival. A win would certainly be the best scenario but, as the saying goes, "to finish first, you must first finish." No truer words can be spoken about the races held at this long Alabama oval.
Let's run down some stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
As the stats show, this is not one of Busch's strongest tracks. He has finished as high as third in the fall event here, however. If Rowdy wants to continue his run for the Cup, a strong finish here could go a long way. On the other hand, a disastrous day could potentially leave him fighting for his playoff life next weekend in Kansas. Can Busch finally roll his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing ride back into Victory Lane here on Sunday after ten long years? Tune in this weekend and find out!
[In other Busch news this week, wife Samantha posted about the first doctor's appointment in their new IVF journey as they will attempt to give Brexton a little sister. She wrote a solid blog post about it - the link is in her tweet below - and I encourage anyone who might be struggling with infertility issues themselves (or know folks who are) to follow along. She definitely keeps it real and has quite a bit of good information to share.]
Qualifying: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
October 12, 2018
Venue: Talladega Superspeedway
The Race: 1000Bulbs.com 500
The Date: Sunday, October 14, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race in the Round of 12. Kyle Busch is coming off of a hard fought 8th place finish in Dover last weekend and is running second in the points, just 5 points behind leader Kevin Harvick. Chase Elliott won the battle with Miles in Dover last weekend and is currently the only driver locked into the coming Round of 8.
The leader of Rowdy Nation has had mixed results at Talladega in his fourteen Cup seasons, often faring better in the spring races here than in the fall events. The goal on Sunday, first and foremost, is survival. A win would certainly be the best scenario but, as the saying goes, "to finish first, you must first finish." No truer words can be spoken about the races held at this long Alabama oval.
Let's run down some stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
- Highest Talladega start: Fifth, Spring 2008
- Highest Talladega finish: Winner, once, Spring 2008
- Average overall Talladega start: 20.2
- Average overall Talladega finish: 20.5
- Average Talladega II start: 22.92
- Average Talladega II finish: 21.84
As the stats show, this is not one of Busch's strongest tracks. He has finished as high as third in the fall event here, however. If Rowdy wants to continue his run for the Cup, a strong finish here could go a long way. On the other hand, a disastrous day could potentially leave him fighting for his playoff life next weekend in Kansas. Can Busch finally roll his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing ride back into Victory Lane here on Sunday after ten long years? Tune in this weekend and find out!
[In other Busch news this week, wife Samantha posted about the first doctor's appointment in their new IVF journey as they will attempt to give Brexton a little sister. She wrote a solid blog post about it - the link is in her tweet below - and I encourage anyone who might be struggling with infertility issues themselves (or know folks who are) to follow along. She definitely keeps it real and has quite a bit of good information to share.]
Qualifying: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Federated Auto Parts 400
September 22, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway
The Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
Stage Ends: 100/200/400
Pole: Kevin Harvick
18 Team Start: 11th (officially as qualified, started from rear - 39th - due to repairs made after making contact with the wall in qualifying)
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams headed back to Richmond Raceway for the second time this season. This time, Richmond played host to the second race of the NASCAR Playoffs. After a very eventful Vegas race and the uncertainty of the Charlotte Roval race next weekend, most expected more mayhem this weekend as all the contenders looked to lock themselves into the second round before they approached the Roval.
The Richmond race was an impound race, meaning that teams could not work on their cars between the end of qualifying Friday night and the start of the race on Saturday without facing the loss of their starting position. Kyle Busch, however, made contact in qualifying on Friday evening that damaged the right front quarter panel of his car. The damage was significant enough that the #18 team broke impound to make repairs, meaning that Busch would have to start from the rear of the field Saturday night despite his 11th place qualifying effort in Friday's session.
As the green flag flew through the air Saturday night to get the Federated Auto Parts 400 underway, pole sitter Kevin Harvick led the way. Busch quickly began his climb from the 39th spot and was up to 28th in just five laps. By lap 10, his progress had slowed a bit but he was still able to get himself inside the top 25, running in the 24th position as he continued working his way up through traffic. He started lap 15 in the 21st spot but finished the lap in 20th, grabbing that position midway through the lap. Ten laps later, Busch was running strong in 19th and again grabbed another position mid-lap to put his Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Camry in the 18th position. There had been no change up front, with Harvick continuing to lead the way and the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. giving chase in second.
By lap 30, Busch could be found in the 16th position and he was knocking on the door of the top 15. As the laps ticked by, crew chief Adam Stevens gave his driver good information about his lap times, saying "Maintaining with the leader. Take care of it for me." around lap 32. On lap 35, Busch radioed to his team to give detailed information about the handling of his #18 machine. He started off with "little loose into 3..." and continued on, giving specific handling characteristics he was experiencing in each of Richmond's four turns.
On lap 37, he grabbed the 15th position from the #21 of Paul Menard. Lap 41 brought the night's first lead change, as Truex finally hunted down Harvick to take the top spot away. Six laps later, Busch caught the #12 of Team Penske's Ryan Blaney to grab 14th. On lap 53, Busch's teammate Denny Hamlin went for a half-spin after contact with another car but saved it and was able to continue so no caution was thrown. Hamlin brought his #11 machine to pit road two laps later, putting Busch in the 13th position. Fast forward 15 laps and Busch had found his way into the 12th spot.
Another 20 laps afforded Busch no opportunity to advance further through the field, as he continued to run in the 12th spot with just ten laps to go in the opening stage. On lap 93, those listening to Busch's in-car audio got a clearer picture of why the #18 had been unable to further advance his position. Busch radioed to his team "I gotta park it in the center of the corner. I'm running out of money here." Clearly, he was fighting the handling on his M&Ms Camry and was looking forward to the night's first round of pit stops to get some help. On lap 95, Hamlin passed Busch, putting him back in the 13th position. That is where Busch would finish the stage five laps later.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #9 of Chase Elliott, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #20 of Erik Jones, the #88 of Alex Bowman, Hamlin, and the #22 of Joey Logano.
Busch pitted under the stage break caution, bringing his M&Ms machine to the attention of his crew for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments to help with the handling issues he had identified earlier in the race. After a 15.148 second stop and penalties on a couple of other teams, Busch lined up 11th for the lap 109 restart. Almost immediately after the green flag flew to start Stage 2, Busch got into a battle with the #42 of Kyle Larson for the tenth position. Larson had it and Busch wanted it. Badly. The battle continued for several laps until finally both Larson and Busch cleared Menard on lap 116, putting Busch in the tenth position.
Busch held onto that tenth spot for about ten laps until he lost it to hard charging Austin Dillon. Out front, Truex led the way and looked to be the class of the field. On lap 139, Busch passed teammate Hamlin to once again claim the tenth position on the track. It took 13 laps for Busch to catch and pass Logano for ninth. He held ninth for about 20 laps until the #48 of Jimmie Johnson got by on fresher tires around lap 175. Seven laps later, Busch reclaimed the ninth position by passing older brother Kurt on lap 182. On lap 191, Larson, who had fallen back earlier, got back by Busch to take ninth away. With just two laps to go in Stage 2, Logano got back by Busch to take tenth away. Busch would finish the stage in the eleventh position when the green checkered flag flew on lap 200.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Truex, Harvick, Almirola, Elliott, Keselowski, Bowman, Dillon, Johnson, Larson, and Logano.
Once again, Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road. Busch brought his car in cleanly and the crew went to work, giving him four more fresh Goodyears, fuel and adjustments, sending him back out on the race track after a 14.147 second stop to line up in the seventh position for the restart, his highest position of the night up to that point.
The start of Stage 3 racing action came on lap 209 and Busch immediately lost seventh to the #42 of Larson. On lap 214, there was a changing of the guard up front, as Keselowski took the lead away from Truex after restarting in the fourth position. Busch was still running eighth at this point. Busch cleared Bowman for seventh three laps later and appeared to have found something, passing Larson for sixth just three laps after that.
Lap 225 brought a reminder from Busch's eyes in the sky, Tony Hirschman, "P6, smooth and steady, nothin' coming". Busch rode on, clicking off laps and closing in on fifth place Dillon, passing him for that position on lap 234. Ten laps later, there was another changing of the guard up front, as Elliott got by Keselowski to take the lead. Busch was still fifth here as he reported to his team "Not bad - just needs grip." Seven laps later, Busch had successfully tracked down Almirola and passed him for the fourth position. Busch could smell the lead as he drew closer to the front of the field. Busch was still holding down fourth as he looked to his next scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 268, relinquishing that position to bring his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew one more time. The crew laid down their quickest stop of the night, giving Busch four fresh tires and fuel in just 13.51 seconds.
Once the pit cycle was completed on lap 272, Busch found himself in second, behind only leader Keselowski. Busch could now see the leader and worked to close the gap between his #18 machine and Keselowski. By lap 287, Busch was there, battling with Keselowski for the lead, finally clearing him coming out of turn 4 to put the #18 out front for the first time all night. Busch began to widen the gap between his M&Ms machine and the rest of the field. By lap 305, the lead was more than 2.6 seconds. On lap 310, Stevens told his driver "We don't have time to mess around down here, so keep the hammer down!" as they began planning for the final scheduled pit stop of the evening.
By lap 318, Stevens was back on the radio, telling his driver "Keep the hammer down here! They're about five seconds behind. We'll take all we can get!" Again, this was in reference to their plans for the final green flag stop of the night. Lap 325 brought out the night's first and only incident-related caution for the #96 of Jeffrey Earnhardt finding the outside wall in turn 2. Busch was the leader and this pit stop would be critical. With no major adjustments planned, the pit crew finished their work quickly, keeping their driver in the lead. Once Busch was back up on the track, Stevens told him they were "all done pitting here unless we start getting some cautions." The restart came on lap 333 and Busch cleared the field but Keselowski stayed with him. The word from Hirschman up high came on lap 336 "he's wagging the tail already", telling Busch that Keselowski was already struggling to keep up with him.
On lap 341, Keselowski had caught Busch once again and took the lead away. Would the Team Penske driver going for four straight wins be able to keep a very rowdy Busch behind him for the last 59 laps? Busch stayed close, never letting Keselowski get very far ahead. The battle continued for the next 20 plus laps until Busch finally cleared the #2 car on lap 363 as Harvick loomed close behind. By lap 370, Busch had widened the lead to over 1.4 seconds. On lap 371, Harvick took second away from Keselowski and worked to catch up to Busch. By lap 375, Busch's lead was hovering around 1.5 seconds. That gap held strong until around lap 390 when Busch caught up with lapped traffic. He watched Harvick's car get larger and larger in his rearview mirror as the gap closed to about 1 second with just 10 laps remaining. As the final ten laps ticked by, Harvick was only able to close the gap another quarter of a second.
White flag in the air! Short of absolute disaster, no one was going to catch the Rowdy one. Busch got through turns 1 and 2 cleanly and set his sights on the final two corners. The #18 M&Ms machine sailed into turn 3 as if it was on rails. As Busch cruised out of turn 4, the celebrations began. Busch flashed under the checkered flag for the first time in a Richmond fall event and for the 50th time in his Cup Series career. Celebration erupted in the #18 pit stall as the crew leapt off the wall, high-fiving each other and even spraying the top of the pit box with a bottle of water. (Looking at you, jackman T.J. Ford!)
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Kyle Busch
P2 - Kevin Harvick
P3 - Martin Truex Jr.
P4 - Chase Elliott
P5 - Aric Almirola
P6 - Austin Dillon
P7 - Kyle Larson
P8 - Jimmie Johnson
P9 - Brad Keselowski
P10 - Clint Bowyer
Next up: The Charlotte Roval. This is a bigger wild card to most of the Playoff drivers than even Talladega, especially since it is a cutoff race. Kyle Busch is safe, having already secured his spot in round 2 with the win here at Richmond. Will he take his foot off the proverbial gas pedal in Charlotte? You'll just have to tune in and find out.
Also, be on the lookout for live updates from the track as Crystal Titus and I will be on site down in the garages.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
September 22, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway
The Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
Stage Ends: 100/200/400
Pole: Kevin Harvick
18 Team Start: 11th (officially as qualified, started from rear - 39th - due to repairs made after making contact with the wall in qualifying)
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams headed back to Richmond Raceway for the second time this season. This time, Richmond played host to the second race of the NASCAR Playoffs. After a very eventful Vegas race and the uncertainty of the Charlotte Roval race next weekend, most expected more mayhem this weekend as all the contenders looked to lock themselves into the second round before they approached the Roval.
The Richmond race was an impound race, meaning that teams could not work on their cars between the end of qualifying Friday night and the start of the race on Saturday without facing the loss of their starting position. Kyle Busch, however, made contact in qualifying on Friday evening that damaged the right front quarter panel of his car. The damage was significant enough that the #18 team broke impound to make repairs, meaning that Busch would have to start from the rear of the field Saturday night despite his 11th place qualifying effort in Friday's session.
As the green flag flew through the air Saturday night to get the Federated Auto Parts 400 underway, pole sitter Kevin Harvick led the way. Busch quickly began his climb from the 39th spot and was up to 28th in just five laps. By lap 10, his progress had slowed a bit but he was still able to get himself inside the top 25, running in the 24th position as he continued working his way up through traffic. He started lap 15 in the 21st spot but finished the lap in 20th, grabbing that position midway through the lap. Ten laps later, Busch was running strong in 19th and again grabbed another position mid-lap to put his Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Camry in the 18th position. There had been no change up front, with Harvick continuing to lead the way and the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. giving chase in second.
By lap 30, Busch could be found in the 16th position and he was knocking on the door of the top 15. As the laps ticked by, crew chief Adam Stevens gave his driver good information about his lap times, saying "Maintaining with the leader. Take care of it for me." around lap 32. On lap 35, Busch radioed to his team to give detailed information about the handling of his #18 machine. He started off with "little loose into 3..." and continued on, giving specific handling characteristics he was experiencing in each of Richmond's four turns.
On lap 37, he grabbed the 15th position from the #21 of Paul Menard. Lap 41 brought the night's first lead change, as Truex finally hunted down Harvick to take the top spot away. Six laps later, Busch caught the #12 of Team Penske's Ryan Blaney to grab 14th. On lap 53, Busch's teammate Denny Hamlin went for a half-spin after contact with another car but saved it and was able to continue so no caution was thrown. Hamlin brought his #11 machine to pit road two laps later, putting Busch in the 13th position. Fast forward 15 laps and Busch had found his way into the 12th spot.
Another 20 laps afforded Busch no opportunity to advance further through the field, as he continued to run in the 12th spot with just ten laps to go in the opening stage. On lap 93, those listening to Busch's in-car audio got a clearer picture of why the #18 had been unable to further advance his position. Busch radioed to his team "I gotta park it in the center of the corner. I'm running out of money here." Clearly, he was fighting the handling on his M&Ms Camry and was looking forward to the night's first round of pit stops to get some help. On lap 95, Hamlin passed Busch, putting him back in the 13th position. That is where Busch would finish the stage five laps later.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #9 of Chase Elliott, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #20 of Erik Jones, the #88 of Alex Bowman, Hamlin, and the #22 of Joey Logano.
Busch pitted under the stage break caution, bringing his M&Ms machine to the attention of his crew for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments to help with the handling issues he had identified earlier in the race. After a 15.148 second stop and penalties on a couple of other teams, Busch lined up 11th for the lap 109 restart. Almost immediately after the green flag flew to start Stage 2, Busch got into a battle with the #42 of Kyle Larson for the tenth position. Larson had it and Busch wanted it. Badly. The battle continued for several laps until finally both Larson and Busch cleared Menard on lap 116, putting Busch in the tenth position.
Busch held onto that tenth spot for about ten laps until he lost it to hard charging Austin Dillon. Out front, Truex led the way and looked to be the class of the field. On lap 139, Busch passed teammate Hamlin to once again claim the tenth position on the track. It took 13 laps for Busch to catch and pass Logano for ninth. He held ninth for about 20 laps until the #48 of Jimmie Johnson got by on fresher tires around lap 175. Seven laps later, Busch reclaimed the ninth position by passing older brother Kurt on lap 182. On lap 191, Larson, who had fallen back earlier, got back by Busch to take ninth away. With just two laps to go in Stage 2, Logano got back by Busch to take tenth away. Busch would finish the stage in the eleventh position when the green checkered flag flew on lap 200.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Truex, Harvick, Almirola, Elliott, Keselowski, Bowman, Dillon, Johnson, Larson, and Logano.
Once again, Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road. Busch brought his car in cleanly and the crew went to work, giving him four more fresh Goodyears, fuel and adjustments, sending him back out on the race track after a 14.147 second stop to line up in the seventh position for the restart, his highest position of the night up to that point.
The start of Stage 3 racing action came on lap 209 and Busch immediately lost seventh to the #42 of Larson. On lap 214, there was a changing of the guard up front, as Keselowski took the lead away from Truex after restarting in the fourth position. Busch was still running eighth at this point. Busch cleared Bowman for seventh three laps later and appeared to have found something, passing Larson for sixth just three laps after that.
Lap 225 brought a reminder from Busch's eyes in the sky, Tony Hirschman, "P6, smooth and steady, nothin' coming". Busch rode on, clicking off laps and closing in on fifth place Dillon, passing him for that position on lap 234. Ten laps later, there was another changing of the guard up front, as Elliott got by Keselowski to take the lead. Busch was still fifth here as he reported to his team "Not bad - just needs grip." Seven laps later, Busch had successfully tracked down Almirola and passed him for the fourth position. Busch could smell the lead as he drew closer to the front of the field. Busch was still holding down fourth as he looked to his next scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 268, relinquishing that position to bring his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew one more time. The crew laid down their quickest stop of the night, giving Busch four fresh tires and fuel in just 13.51 seconds.
Once the pit cycle was completed on lap 272, Busch found himself in second, behind only leader Keselowski. Busch could now see the leader and worked to close the gap between his #18 machine and Keselowski. By lap 287, Busch was there, battling with Keselowski for the lead, finally clearing him coming out of turn 4 to put the #18 out front for the first time all night. Busch began to widen the gap between his M&Ms machine and the rest of the field. By lap 305, the lead was more than 2.6 seconds. On lap 310, Stevens told his driver "We don't have time to mess around down here, so keep the hammer down!" as they began planning for the final scheduled pit stop of the evening.
By lap 318, Stevens was back on the radio, telling his driver "Keep the hammer down here! They're about five seconds behind. We'll take all we can get!" Again, this was in reference to their plans for the final green flag stop of the night. Lap 325 brought out the night's first and only incident-related caution for the #96 of Jeffrey Earnhardt finding the outside wall in turn 2. Busch was the leader and this pit stop would be critical. With no major adjustments planned, the pit crew finished their work quickly, keeping their driver in the lead. Once Busch was back up on the track, Stevens told him they were "all done pitting here unless we start getting some cautions." The restart came on lap 333 and Busch cleared the field but Keselowski stayed with him. The word from Hirschman up high came on lap 336 "he's wagging the tail already", telling Busch that Keselowski was already struggling to keep up with him.
On lap 341, Keselowski had caught Busch once again and took the lead away. Would the Team Penske driver going for four straight wins be able to keep a very rowdy Busch behind him for the last 59 laps? Busch stayed close, never letting Keselowski get very far ahead. The battle continued for the next 20 plus laps until Busch finally cleared the #2 car on lap 363 as Harvick loomed close behind. By lap 370, Busch had widened the lead to over 1.4 seconds. On lap 371, Harvick took second away from Keselowski and worked to catch up to Busch. By lap 375, Busch's lead was hovering around 1.5 seconds. That gap held strong until around lap 390 when Busch caught up with lapped traffic. He watched Harvick's car get larger and larger in his rearview mirror as the gap closed to about 1 second with just 10 laps remaining. As the final ten laps ticked by, Harvick was only able to close the gap another quarter of a second.
White flag in the air! Short of absolute disaster, no one was going to catch the Rowdy one. Busch got through turns 1 and 2 cleanly and set his sights on the final two corners. The #18 M&Ms machine sailed into turn 3 as if it was on rails. As Busch cruised out of turn 4, the celebrations began. Busch flashed under the checkered flag for the first time in a Richmond fall event and for the 50th time in his Cup Series career. Celebration erupted in the #18 pit stall as the crew leapt off the wall, high-fiving each other and even spraying the top of the pit box with a bottle of water. (Looking at you, jackman T.J. Ford!)
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Kyle Busch
P2 - Kevin Harvick
P3 - Martin Truex Jr.
P4 - Chase Elliott
P5 - Aric Almirola
P6 - Austin Dillon
P7 - Kyle Larson
P8 - Jimmie Johnson
P9 - Brad Keselowski
P10 - Clint Bowyer
Next up: The Charlotte Roval. This is a bigger wild card to most of the Playoff drivers than even Talladega, especially since it is a cutoff race. Kyle Busch is safe, having already secured his spot in round 2 with the win here at Richmond. Will he take his foot off the proverbial gas pedal in Charlotte? You'll just have to tune in and find out.
Also, be on the lookout for live updates from the track as Crystal Titus and I will be on site down in the garages.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Federated Auto Parts 400 Advance
September 20, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway (Richmond, VA)
The Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
The Date: September 22, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east for the second race of the Playoffs at Richmond Raceway. Fresh off a hard-fought top-ten finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch is looking for momentum at a track he's already won at this season. Busch won the spring event here, leading a total of 32 laps on his way to Victory Lane. His most recent triumph marked his fifth victory on this short three-quarter mile long track. He has never won a fall race here, however, so Saturday night could be a first if he can pull off the win.
Some additional stats heading into Saturday night's event:
The series will run under the lights here Saturday night and that is sure to bring some excitement. With Hurricane Florence well on her way out of the area, race prep at the track is in full swing in preparation for the weekend's festivities. Calamity struck several Playoff contenders as they gambled on the track at Vegas last weekend.
Who will prevail this weekend? Who will tumble farther from their goal? Will Rowdy rise to the top once again to grab a sixth victory at Richmond and guarantee himself a place in the next round? Tune in and find out!
While we wait for Saturday night's action, check out the short video below featuring some of the MENCS spotters, including Busch's own "eyes in the sky", spotter Tony Hirschman! (click on the tweet to watch video)
Qualifying: Friday, 6:05 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
September 20, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway (Richmond, VA)
The Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
The Date: September 22, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east for the second race of the Playoffs at Richmond Raceway. Fresh off a hard-fought top-ten finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch is looking for momentum at a track he's already won at this season. Busch won the spring event here, leading a total of 32 laps on his way to Victory Lane. His most recent triumph marked his fifth victory on this short three-quarter mile long track. He has never won a fall race here, however, so Saturday night could be a first if he can pull off the win.
Some additional stats heading into Saturday night's event:
- Highest Richmond start: Pole, twice, fall 2008 and spring 2010
- Highest Richmond finish: Winner, five times, all spring races: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018
- Average overall Richmond start: 12.7
- Average overall Richmond finish: 7.2
- Average Richmond II start: 11.07
- Average Richmond II finish: 9.46
The series will run under the lights here Saturday night and that is sure to bring some excitement. With Hurricane Florence well on her way out of the area, race prep at the track is in full swing in preparation for the weekend's festivities. Calamity struck several Playoff contenders as they gambled on the track at Vegas last weekend.
Who will prevail this weekend? Who will tumble farther from their goal? Will Rowdy rise to the top once again to grab a sixth victory at Richmond and guarantee himself a place in the next round? Tune in and find out!
While we wait for Saturday night's action, check out the short video below featuring some of the MENCS spotters, including Busch's own "eyes in the sky", spotter Tony Hirschman! (click on the tweet to watch video)
Qualifying: Friday, 6:05 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
During the #NASCARPlayoffs, communication is more important than ever.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2018
Find out how teams make sure they have the coverage they need to compete with @Xfinity presents: Technology that defines #NASCAR.
South Point 400
September 16, 2018
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Race: South Point 400
Stage Ends: 80/160/267
Pole: Erik Jones
18 Team Start: 8th
18 Team Finish: 7th
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headed west to the neon oasis in the desert, Las Vegas, Nevada. For the first time, the Playoffs (formerly known as the Chase) would start out west, in none other than Kyle Busch's hometown. Would this change in the schedule prove lucky for the #18 team or would they go all in and wind up busted?
The weekend was a hot one in the desert, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees throughout the event. This would prove challenging for both teams and drivers, as hydration, particularly in desert conditions, is key. Saturday's qualifying session saw Busch's young Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones grab the pole while Busch settled for an eighth place starting position. Not bad, but the #18 M&Ms crew would have some work to do to put Busch up front in contention for just his second win in 15 starts at his home track.
Sunday dawned hot and clear and the teams prepared for 400 miles of racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the green flag took to the air just after noon local time, Busch got right to work. He may have started eighth but he didn't stay there long. As Jones led the way up front, Busch rocketed all the way to third by the end of the first lap. As the #22 of Joey Logano snatched the lead away from Jones on lap 2, Busch also got by, putting his #18 M&Ms Joe Gibbs Racing Camry in second. Lap 5 found Busch still chasing Logano, with the gap between first and second at roughly three quarters of a second. The laps ticked by and Busch maintained the second spot as Logano continued to lead the way.
On lap 38, Busch reported "It's just like Atlanta" when crew chief Adam Stevens asked how the #18 machine was handling. Busch brought his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew for his first pit stop of the day on that lap, with the crew giving him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments. Busch returned to the track after the 14.1 second stop and waited for the pit stop cycle to complete. Once it did, he found himself in the fifth position. He battled the #42 of Kyle Larson for a few laps around lap 60, ultimately losing the spot to Larson on lap 61. However, Busch passed a fading Logano on that lap to maintain the fifth position in the running order. Up front, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. swiped the lead away from the #4 of Kevin Harvick on lap 59 and took off.
Lap 70 saw Larson's #42 get a flat right front tire with just ten laps remaining in the opening stage. No caution flew, as Larson made it safely to pit road. Busch had been running seventh but moved up to sixth after Larson's issue. As the laps wound down in Stage 1, Busch worked to improve his position. However, when the green checkered flag flew, he remained in the sixth spot.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, the #88 of Alex Bowman, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Logano, Jones, the #10 of Aric Almirola, and the #31 of Ryan Newman.
Busch pitted under the stage break. As he prepared to bring his #18 machine to the attention of his crew, Stevens reminded him that "you'll have an opening out here", as the car that was assigned to the stall in front of him had gone a lap down and would not be pitting at the same time as the leaders. The field made their way around the track under the stage break caution and, while on the backstretch, Busch asked "does nobody see the 3 foot long brake hose down the back stretch these last 20 laps?" Spotter Tony Hirschman told Busch that yes, NASCAR was aware and would take care of it. After that exchange, pit road opened and the leaders all came down. Busch stopped squarely in his stall and the crew worked quickly, giving him four more fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. He left pit road to line up for the lap 87 restart in the eighth position.
As the green flag flew for the start of full throttle racing in Stage 2, Busch went back to work. Truex took off up front to continue leading the way. Green flag racing lasted all of two laps before the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall in turns 3 and 4, bringing out the caution flag for the first non-stage break related issue. Busch was running ninth when the caution came out. The leaders all stayed out under this caution.
The restart came on lap 93 and Busch began falling back. By lap 95, he was twelfth and reported "this is bad" over the radio to his crew. Five laps later, he had recovered to take the eleventh position but he was still struggling with the handling on his race car. He rejoined the top ten on lap 104 as he passed a fading Jimmie Johnson. The two battled it out over the next few laps, with Busch finally clearing Johnson for good on lap 110. Just one lap later, the #13 of Ty Dillon brought out the second incident-related caution of the day when he found the outside wall down the front stretch. Busch pitted under the caution for another fresh set of tires and fuel. No sooner had he pulled away from his pit stall, however, the front tire changer Camron Waugh, signaled that there had been an issue with the lug nuts on the left front and Busch would need to come back. Busch made his return trip to pit road on the next lap and lined up for the restart in the 24th position.
The restart came on lap 115 and there was a new leader out front, Brad Keselowski. As he showed the way, Busch was making quick work of the traffic he suddenly found himself in as a result of the problem on pit road. By lap 121, Busch was running 20th. On lap 124, Truex took the lead away from Keselowski as Busch climbed into the 19th position. The team told him that he was running top five lap times and to be patient as he worked the traffic. Ten laps later, he passed Almirola for 18th. Another 6 laps passed and Busch had moved up to 17th. Around lap 142, Busch and Stevens talked about the handling on the car as they worked out the strategy for their next scheduled pit stop.
Lap 146 saw the day's third incident-related caution flag fly, this time for an incident involving Harvick and pole-sitter Jones in turn 2. Busch was still running 17th at this point. He brought his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew for another four tire stop and some needed adjustments. The crew did good work, gaining him four positions on pit road as Keselowski led the field once again. Busch lined up in the 13th position for the lap 156 restart with just four laps remaining in Stage 2. With so few laps remaining in the stage, Busch was unable to work his way any further forward and crossed the line in 14th when the green checkered flag flew on lap 160.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Truex, Johnson, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Logano, Elliott, the #12 of Ryan Blaney, Bowman, and Larson.
The #18 team opted to stay out under this stage break caution since there were only four green flag laps on the latest set of tires. This allowed Busch to line up in the third position for the lap 167 start of green flag racing in the final stage. McMurray led the field on the restart. On lap 171, Keselowski got by Busch, putting Busch back to the fourth spot. By lap 175, Busch was losing more positions to those who had taken tires under the stage break caution. Keselowski took the lead from Larson on lap 177 while Busch fought to hold onto eighth place.
The fourth incident-related caution flew on lap 182 for the #24 of William Byron hitting the wall in turns 3 and 4. Busch was eighth and made a trip down pit road under this caution. The team took some extra time making some adjustments to his #18 machine, sending him off pit road in 13th. Busch asked about the long stop and Stevens told him he didn't know what happened there. Busch lined up eleventh for the lap 187 restart after a couple of teams that had initially stayed out opted to come down pit road.
As Keselowski once again led the way out front, Busch fell back to 14th, working the top groove to try to find some momentum. Five laps later, he had fallen two more places, as the top line was not working as well as he had hoped. A few laps later, Busch sounded frustrated as he told his team "I am a (expletive) TEN tight." Stevens informed him that it was due to some front fender damage that could be repaired but would need to be done under caution.
By lap 200, the battle up front was heating up as Truex closed in on Keselowski. Busch was mired back in the 15th position, seemingly unable to go anywhere. Truex grabbed the lead on lap 203 as Busch moved up to 14th. With 60 to go on lap 207, Busch seemd to have found something as he moved into the 13th position. The caution flew once again on lap 211 as McMurray hit the outside wall and Elliott, with nowhere to go, ran right into McMurray. Busch came to pit road under the caution for the crew to fix the front fender damage they had been discussing. The repairs took time but the crew kept Busch on the lead lap, sending him out to line up for the lap 222 restart in the 25th position. Busch quickly went back to work, climbing all the way to 19th by lap 225 as Logano led the way out front.
Calamity struck the #18 team on lap 232 as Busch found himself spinning in turn 4 and skidding across the infield grass down the front stretch. Spotter Hirschman tells the team Busch's right front tire is coming apart. Busch gingerly steered his car around the track, losing a lap but making it safely to the attention of his crew. The crew changed four tires and checked for damage, sending him out for the lap 237 restart in 26th position, down one lap. Keselowski led the way but quickly lost the lead to Larson. On lap 240, Keselowski fought Larson to take the lead back, only to lose it again the following lap. Busch, meanwhile, worked to keep himself in the lucky dog position so that he could get back on the lead lap if another caution flew.
September 16, 2018
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Race: South Point 400
Stage Ends: 80/160/267
Pole: Erik Jones
18 Team Start: 8th
18 Team Finish: 7th
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headed west to the neon oasis in the desert, Las Vegas, Nevada. For the first time, the Playoffs (formerly known as the Chase) would start out west, in none other than Kyle Busch's hometown. Would this change in the schedule prove lucky for the #18 team or would they go all in and wind up busted?
The weekend was a hot one in the desert, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees throughout the event. This would prove challenging for both teams and drivers, as hydration, particularly in desert conditions, is key. Saturday's qualifying session saw Busch's young Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones grab the pole while Busch settled for an eighth place starting position. Not bad, but the #18 M&Ms crew would have some work to do to put Busch up front in contention for just his second win in 15 starts at his home track.
Sunday dawned hot and clear and the teams prepared for 400 miles of racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the green flag took to the air just after noon local time, Busch got right to work. He may have started eighth but he didn't stay there long. As Jones led the way up front, Busch rocketed all the way to third by the end of the first lap. As the #22 of Joey Logano snatched the lead away from Jones on lap 2, Busch also got by, putting his #18 M&Ms Joe Gibbs Racing Camry in second. Lap 5 found Busch still chasing Logano, with the gap between first and second at roughly three quarters of a second. The laps ticked by and Busch maintained the second spot as Logano continued to lead the way.
On lap 38, Busch reported "It's just like Atlanta" when crew chief Adam Stevens asked how the #18 machine was handling. Busch brought his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew for his first pit stop of the day on that lap, with the crew giving him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments. Busch returned to the track after the 14.1 second stop and waited for the pit stop cycle to complete. Once it did, he found himself in the fifth position. He battled the #42 of Kyle Larson for a few laps around lap 60, ultimately losing the spot to Larson on lap 61. However, Busch passed a fading Logano on that lap to maintain the fifth position in the running order. Up front, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. swiped the lead away from the #4 of Kevin Harvick on lap 59 and took off.
Lap 70 saw Larson's #42 get a flat right front tire with just ten laps remaining in the opening stage. No caution flew, as Larson made it safely to pit road. Busch had been running seventh but moved up to sixth after Larson's issue. As the laps wound down in Stage 1, Busch worked to improve his position. However, when the green checkered flag flew, he remained in the sixth spot.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, the #88 of Alex Bowman, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Logano, Jones, the #10 of Aric Almirola, and the #31 of Ryan Newman.
Busch pitted under the stage break. As he prepared to bring his #18 machine to the attention of his crew, Stevens reminded him that "you'll have an opening out here", as the car that was assigned to the stall in front of him had gone a lap down and would not be pitting at the same time as the leaders. The field made their way around the track under the stage break caution and, while on the backstretch, Busch asked "does nobody see the 3 foot long brake hose down the back stretch these last 20 laps?" Spotter Tony Hirschman told Busch that yes, NASCAR was aware and would take care of it. After that exchange, pit road opened and the leaders all came down. Busch stopped squarely in his stall and the crew worked quickly, giving him four more fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. He left pit road to line up for the lap 87 restart in the eighth position.
As the green flag flew for the start of full throttle racing in Stage 2, Busch went back to work. Truex took off up front to continue leading the way. Green flag racing lasted all of two laps before the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall in turns 3 and 4, bringing out the caution flag for the first non-stage break related issue. Busch was running ninth when the caution came out. The leaders all stayed out under this caution.
The restart came on lap 93 and Busch began falling back. By lap 95, he was twelfth and reported "this is bad" over the radio to his crew. Five laps later, he had recovered to take the eleventh position but he was still struggling with the handling on his race car. He rejoined the top ten on lap 104 as he passed a fading Jimmie Johnson. The two battled it out over the next few laps, with Busch finally clearing Johnson for good on lap 110. Just one lap later, the #13 of Ty Dillon brought out the second incident-related caution of the day when he found the outside wall down the front stretch. Busch pitted under the caution for another fresh set of tires and fuel. No sooner had he pulled away from his pit stall, however, the front tire changer Camron Waugh, signaled that there had been an issue with the lug nuts on the left front and Busch would need to come back. Busch made his return trip to pit road on the next lap and lined up for the restart in the 24th position.
The restart came on lap 115 and there was a new leader out front, Brad Keselowski. As he showed the way, Busch was making quick work of the traffic he suddenly found himself in as a result of the problem on pit road. By lap 121, Busch was running 20th. On lap 124, Truex took the lead away from Keselowski as Busch climbed into the 19th position. The team told him that he was running top five lap times and to be patient as he worked the traffic. Ten laps later, he passed Almirola for 18th. Another 6 laps passed and Busch had moved up to 17th. Around lap 142, Busch and Stevens talked about the handling on the car as they worked out the strategy for their next scheduled pit stop.
Lap 146 saw the day's third incident-related caution flag fly, this time for an incident involving Harvick and pole-sitter Jones in turn 2. Busch was still running 17th at this point. He brought his M&Ms Camry to the attention of his crew for another four tire stop and some needed adjustments. The crew did good work, gaining him four positions on pit road as Keselowski led the field once again. Busch lined up in the 13th position for the lap 156 restart with just four laps remaining in Stage 2. With so few laps remaining in the stage, Busch was unable to work his way any further forward and crossed the line in 14th when the green checkered flag flew on lap 160.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Truex, Johnson, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Logano, Elliott, the #12 of Ryan Blaney, Bowman, and Larson.
The #18 team opted to stay out under this stage break caution since there were only four green flag laps on the latest set of tires. This allowed Busch to line up in the third position for the lap 167 start of green flag racing in the final stage. McMurray led the field on the restart. On lap 171, Keselowski got by Busch, putting Busch back to the fourth spot. By lap 175, Busch was losing more positions to those who had taken tires under the stage break caution. Keselowski took the lead from Larson on lap 177 while Busch fought to hold onto eighth place.
The fourth incident-related caution flew on lap 182 for the #24 of William Byron hitting the wall in turns 3 and 4. Busch was eighth and made a trip down pit road under this caution. The team took some extra time making some adjustments to his #18 machine, sending him off pit road in 13th. Busch asked about the long stop and Stevens told him he didn't know what happened there. Busch lined up eleventh for the lap 187 restart after a couple of teams that had initially stayed out opted to come down pit road.
As Keselowski once again led the way out front, Busch fell back to 14th, working the top groove to try to find some momentum. Five laps later, he had fallen two more places, as the top line was not working as well as he had hoped. A few laps later, Busch sounded frustrated as he told his team "I am a (expletive) TEN tight." Stevens informed him that it was due to some front fender damage that could be repaired but would need to be done under caution.
By lap 200, the battle up front was heating up as Truex closed in on Keselowski. Busch was mired back in the 15th position, seemingly unable to go anywhere. Truex grabbed the lead on lap 203 as Busch moved up to 14th. With 60 to go on lap 207, Busch seemd to have found something as he moved into the 13th position. The caution flew once again on lap 211 as McMurray hit the outside wall and Elliott, with nowhere to go, ran right into McMurray. Busch came to pit road under the caution for the crew to fix the front fender damage they had been discussing. The repairs took time but the crew kept Busch on the lead lap, sending him out to line up for the lap 222 restart in the 25th position. Busch quickly went back to work, climbing all the way to 19th by lap 225 as Logano led the way out front.
Calamity struck the #18 team on lap 232 as Busch found himself spinning in turn 4 and skidding across the infield grass down the front stretch. Spotter Hirschman tells the team Busch's right front tire is coming apart. Busch gingerly steered his car around the track, losing a lap but making it safely to the attention of his crew. The crew changed four tires and checked for damage, sending him out for the lap 237 restart in 26th position, down one lap. Keselowski led the way but quickly lost the lead to Larson. On lap 240, Keselowski fought Larson to take the lead back, only to lose it again the following lap. Busch, meanwhile, worked to keep himself in the lucky dog position so that he could get back on the lead lap if another caution flew.
A crazy day gets even crazier.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 16, 2018
This time, @KyleBusch goes around! #18N18 pic.twitter.com/F65FtY604y
On lap 246, Busch got his free pass as a result of teammate Denny Hamlin wrecking in turn 4 to bring out the day's seventh incident-related caution. It was a "quickie yellow" and the field got back underway on lap 250, with Busch lined up in the 25th position. Just as quickly as the green flag flew, the yellow was back out on lap 251 as Stenhouse wrecked down the back stretch. With varying pit strategies playing out, Busch lined up 20th for the lap 256 restart. Keselowski was back out front and checked out from the rest of the field on the restart. Meanwhile, Busch gained eight positions in one lap to put himself in 12th.
Lap 261 brought another yellow flag with it, this time for debris in turn 3. Busch was scored in eleventh when the caution flew and commented to the team "this thing keeps getting tighter". The restart came on lap 265 with just two laps remaining in the advertised distance of the race. Busch grabbed tenth as Team Penske led the way up front, Keselowski in first, Logano in second. Mayhem ensued shortly after the green flag flew. A multi-car wreck involving the #32 of Matt DiBenedetto, the #15 of Ross Chastain, and the #47 of AJ Allmendinger led to the red flag being displayed at 6:42 p.m. Eastern time. Ten minutes and 37 seconds later, NASCAR was able to lift the red flag and return to caution laps. The overtime restart came on lap 270 with Busch lined up in ninth. Once again, Keselowski led the way and checked out on the rest of the field. Busch was still running ninth when he took the white flag but managed to grab two positions on the final lap to take the checkers in seventh as Keselowski claimed his third straight win. Busch thanked his team for the help all day, as they recovered from all the issues to bring home a top ten finish.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Brad Keselowski
P2 - Kyle Larson
P3 - Martin Truex Jr.
P4 - Joey Logano
P5 - Ryan Blaney
P6 - Aric Almirola
P7 - Kyle Busch
P8 - Daniel Suarez
P9 - Ryan Newman
P10 - Paul Menard
Next up: Richmond Raceway, a short track sure to be full of hot action and tempers alike. Can Rowdy regroup from the craziness of the Vegas race and get back to his winning ways at Richmond? Tune in and find out!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
September 10, 2018
Venue: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
Stage Ends: 50/100/160
Pole: Kyle Busch (Qualifying rained out, field set by points)
18 Team Finish: 8th
This weekend, the remnants of tropical storm Gordon wreaked havoc on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, not only raining out all practice sessions and qualifying but also forcing the event to be postponed to the next day for the first time in the 25 year history of the event. This meant that the race actually took place on Monday afternoon, instead of the originally scheduled Sunday afternoon timing. It also meant that Kyle Busch, by virtue of his lead in the point standings, started on the pole for the delayed event.
Because of all the rain, NASCAR scheduled two competition cautions for the first stage of the race to allow the teams to get a better idea of how the tires were going to wear. This was an unusual move but not entirely unexpected, since the drivers did not get any laps on the track either via practice or qualifying, prior to the start of the pace laps Monday afternoon. The competition cautions were scheduled for lap 10 and lap 30, breaking the first stage into three "mini stages", if you will.
As the green flag finally waved Monday afternoon, allowing the field to go full throttle around Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5 mile oval, Busch took off, attempting to make the most of his pole position starting spot. As the field completed lap 1, Busch was out to a 10 car-length lead over 2nd place driver Kevin Harvick and his #4 machine. On lap 5, Busch came over the radio and told his team he was dealing with a tight-loose condition, saying "tight is early, loose is on throttle." Crew chief Adam Stevens acknowledged and began planning for the first competition yellow. That caution came right on schedule on lap 10 and the field of 40 made their way down pit road to the attention of their respective crews when pit road opened for service on lap 11. The #18 team did a two-tire change on Busch's M&Ms Caramel Toyota Camry and sent him on his way. Busch lost the lead on pit road and lined up in the fourth position for the lap 14 restart. Teammate Denny Hamlin had the point position and held it easily when the green flag dropped.
By lap 23, Busch was back up to the second spot and chasing down Hamlin. Five laps later, still chasing the #11 machine, Busch reported to his crew that the "left side's a little tall". The second scheduled competition caution fell on lap 30, slowing the field for the second time. Busch relayed additional detailed handling information to Stevens and the crew as they prepared for Busch's second pit stop of the afternoon. He brought his #18 machine down pit road, landing it squarely in the box and the crew went to work. The call this time was four tires, fuel, and some adjustments to help with the handling concerns Busch mentioned. Busch left pit road and lined up in the seventh position for the lap 34 restart. Older brother Kurt Busch won the race off pit road and had the point on this restart. By lap 38, the younger Busch was back to the fifth position, having passed Hamlin on the previous lap to get there.
Mayhem struck for the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. on lap 40, as the Furniture Row Racing machine blew a tire going into turn 1, causing Truex to spin and spreading debris across the track all the way through turn 2. Busch avoided the strewn debris and stayed out under this caution with just 6 green flag laps on his tires. The field took the green once again on lap 46 and Busch worked to improve his fifth place positioning as the final laps of Stage 1 ticked by. He was unable to do so, however, and took the green checkered flag on lap 50 in that fifth spot.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #41 of Kurt Busch, Hamlin, the #42 of Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #21 of Paul Menard, the #9 of Chase Elliott, and the #20 of Erik Jones.
September 10, 2018
Venue: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
Stage Ends: 50/100/160
Pole: Kyle Busch (Qualifying rained out, field set by points)
18 Team Finish: 8th
This weekend, the remnants of tropical storm Gordon wreaked havoc on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, not only raining out all practice sessions and qualifying but also forcing the event to be postponed to the next day for the first time in the 25 year history of the event. This meant that the race actually took place on Monday afternoon, instead of the originally scheduled Sunday afternoon timing. It also meant that Kyle Busch, by virtue of his lead in the point standings, started on the pole for the delayed event.
Because of all the rain, NASCAR scheduled two competition cautions for the first stage of the race to allow the teams to get a better idea of how the tires were going to wear. This was an unusual move but not entirely unexpected, since the drivers did not get any laps on the track either via practice or qualifying, prior to the start of the pace laps Monday afternoon. The competition cautions were scheduled for lap 10 and lap 30, breaking the first stage into three "mini stages", if you will.
As the green flag finally waved Monday afternoon, allowing the field to go full throttle around Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5 mile oval, Busch took off, attempting to make the most of his pole position starting spot. As the field completed lap 1, Busch was out to a 10 car-length lead over 2nd place driver Kevin Harvick and his #4 machine. On lap 5, Busch came over the radio and told his team he was dealing with a tight-loose condition, saying "tight is early, loose is on throttle." Crew chief Adam Stevens acknowledged and began planning for the first competition yellow. That caution came right on schedule on lap 10 and the field of 40 made their way down pit road to the attention of their respective crews when pit road opened for service on lap 11. The #18 team did a two-tire change on Busch's M&Ms Caramel Toyota Camry and sent him on his way. Busch lost the lead on pit road and lined up in the fourth position for the lap 14 restart. Teammate Denny Hamlin had the point position and held it easily when the green flag dropped.
By lap 23, Busch was back up to the second spot and chasing down Hamlin. Five laps later, still chasing the #11 machine, Busch reported to his crew that the "left side's a little tall". The second scheduled competition caution fell on lap 30, slowing the field for the second time. Busch relayed additional detailed handling information to Stevens and the crew as they prepared for Busch's second pit stop of the afternoon. He brought his #18 machine down pit road, landing it squarely in the box and the crew went to work. The call this time was four tires, fuel, and some adjustments to help with the handling concerns Busch mentioned. Busch left pit road and lined up in the seventh position for the lap 34 restart. Older brother Kurt Busch won the race off pit road and had the point on this restart. By lap 38, the younger Busch was back to the fifth position, having passed Hamlin on the previous lap to get there.
Mayhem struck for the #78 of Martin Truex Jr. on lap 40, as the Furniture Row Racing machine blew a tire going into turn 1, causing Truex to spin and spreading debris across the track all the way through turn 2. Busch avoided the strewn debris and stayed out under this caution with just 6 green flag laps on his tires. The field took the green once again on lap 46 and Busch worked to improve his fifth place positioning as the final laps of Stage 1 ticked by. He was unable to do so, however, and took the green checkered flag on lap 50 in that fifth spot.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #41 of Kurt Busch, Hamlin, the #42 of Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #21 of Paul Menard, the #9 of Chase Elliott, and the #20 of Erik Jones.
Let’s hear it for our pit crew! Who thinks they’ve got quick enough moves?! #Brickyard400 #18n18 @NASCAR pic.twitter.com/q3SDflTTBS
— M&M'S® Brand (@mmschocolate) September 10, 2018
Busch stayed out under the stage break caution and, as a result, took the green flag with the lead on lap 55 to start Stage 2. Green flag conditions did not last long, however, with the caution flag flying on lap 57 for a brake issue on the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. The sudden loss of brakes on the #43 machine led to a vicious hit for Wallace in turn 3. The #51 of David Starr could not avoid Wallace, while the #52 of BJ McLeod spun trying to avoid them both. Busch still held the lead and would not pit under this caution period.
The green flag returned to the air once again on lap 65 but, once again, would not stay out long. The day's third incident-related caution flew on lap 66 for a wreck involving the #47 of AJ Allmendinger and the #88 of Alex Bowman. This time, crew chief Stevens did call Busch down pit road from the lead for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. Busch restarted the race in the 28th position on lap 70 and began to claw his way back through the field toward the front. He had already picked off seven positions and was moving through traffic well by lap 71. "Patience, timing" was the guidance coming from spotter Tony Hirschman, perched high above IMS in the famous pagoda.
By lap 74, Busch was up to 19th and making good progress. Hirschman continued helping him work through traffic, saying "slow and steady, little by little". Lap 76 brought out the fourth incident-related caution of the day for the #23 of J.J. Yeley hitting the inside wall in turn 2. Under caution, Busch inquired about the team's tire situation. Stevens told him the team had plenty of sets left and that they will stay out here.
The restart came on lap 79 and Busch found himself in the 18th position with 21 laps to go in the second stage. By lap 83, Busch was up to 14th and chasing older brother Kurt for 13th while Harvick led the way out front. Busch got 13th from his brother on lap 87. Adam Stevens informed his driver that some ahead of him would need to pit before the end of the stage. Busch attempted to do the same right before pit road closed on lap 98 but missed the cutoff, as pit road closed just before Busch crossed the commitment line. As a result, Busch was penalized and would have to start at the tail end of the longest line for the start of the final stage.
The green checkered flag waved on lap 100 and Busch was scored in the 23rd position at the end of the stage. One positive note for Busch, however, was that he locked up the regular season championship with his performance through the first two stages.
RT to congratulate @KyleBusch on clinching the regular season championship! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/wRI9jFD5Lg
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) September 10, 2018
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: the #6 of Matt Kenseth, Elliott, Jones, the #22 of Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, the #19 of Daniel Suarez, Keselowski, the #24 of William Byron, the #31 of Ryan Newman, and the #48 of Jimmie Johnson.
Since Busch would have to start at the tail end anyway, he came back down pit road under the stage break caution for more adjustments. He lined up for the lap 105 restart in the 27th position. As the green flag took to the air once again, Busch started to claw his way back toward the front of the field, taking 26th just past the start finish line and finding his way to 23rd by the end of that lap. Busch got back into the top 20 on lap 108 and kept digging for more. Just 5 laps later, he was in 16th and knocking on the door of the top 15. Bad news came on lap 118, though, as Busch reported he felt like he had a right rear tire going down and was coming to pit road. This left the #18 team scrambling to make the stop, knowing they were just short of their fuel window to make it to the end.
During the stop, Busch fell one lap down, reentering the race track in 29th position. As Busch got back to work on the track, Adam Stevens confirmed that the "right rear tire was flat. Good call there." By lap 123, Busch was up to 26th, just one spot away from the "Lucky Dog" position that could put him back on the lead lap if a caution flew. As the scheduled green flag stops began on lap 126, Busch was in 24th and looking to get back on the lead lap as a result of the pit cycle. By lap 129, he was officially back on the lead lap and running in the 17th position. Just five laps later, he was up to 12th and looking for more. By lap 138, Busch was scored in the eleventh position and was knocking on the door of the top 10.
As the day's fifth incident-related caution flew on lap 143 for debris on the front stretch, Busch was running ninth. Busch reported that the "car feels pretty good here" and he came down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. He left pit road in the 13th position but wound up lining up in 12th for the lap 148 restart after his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Suarez got hit with an uncontrolled tire penalty.
Green flag back in the air with just 12 laps remaining! Busch got right to work and shot through to the eighth position by the end of the restart lap as Hamlin led the way up front. The #3 of Austin Dillon dragged the wall in the short chute on lap 151 but no caution was thrown. Caution would be thrown on lap 152, however, as the #00 of Landon Cassill and the #96 of Jeffrey Earnhardt got together between turns 3 and 4. Two laps into the caution, Stevens told his driver "Gonna be a long clean up." With the laps quickly winding down, both the driver and the #18 team were hoping to see the red flag. There would be no red flag and Busch did not pit under this caution.
The restart came on lap 157 with just three laps remaining in the race. Busch restarted eighth but fell to ninth as Keselowski chased Hamlin for the lead out front. Keselowski took the lead from Hamlin coming out of turn 4 and never looked back. Meanwhile, Kyle got himself back in the eighth position on the white flag lap but could advance no further, finishing there when the checkers flew on lap 160.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Brad Keselowski
P2 - Erik Jones
P3 - Denny Hamlin
P4 - Kevin Harvick
P5 - Clint Bowyer
P6 - Kurt Busch
P7 - Jamie McMurray
P8 - Kyle Busch
P9 - Paul Menard
P10 - Ryan Newman
Your Top 16 (Playoffs - in order of seeding):
1 - Kyle Busch (Reg. Season Champion)
2 - Kevin Harvick
3 - Martin Truex Jr.
4 - Brad Keselowski
5 - Clint Bowyer
6 - Joey Logano
7 - Kurt Busch
8 - Chase Elliott
9 - Ryan Blaney
10 - Erik Jones
11 - Austin Dillon
12 - Kyle Larson
13 - Denny Hamlin
14 - Aric Almirola
15 - Jimmie Johnson
16 - Alex Bowman
Next up: The series heads west to visit Las Vegas for the first round of the Playoffs and the inaugural SouthPoint 400. Can Rowdy roll the dice and grab a win in his hometown for the first time since 2009? Tune in and find out!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Brickyard 400 Advance
September 7, 2018
Venue: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
The Date: September 9, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to yet another historical venue this weekend as the annual trip to famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is upon us. New this year is the fact that this race, now the last race of the "regular season", will set the field for the Championship Playoffs. In past years, the series visited this vaunted yard of bricks in July at the height of summer, when both temperatures and tempers alike would run hot.
Kyle Busch has had a relatively solid history at IMS, finishing outside of the top 15 just twice in 13 starts here. He recorded back-to-back wins here in 2015 and 2016, with his streak broken last year by a late race crash. He has recorded 5 top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes.
Some additional stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
The weather may be cooler in September but the drivers' tempers and their passion for winning at a track with so much history will be running just as hot. This will be particularly true with a chance at the Championship on the line for those currently on the outside looking in and needing this win to change their fate.
Look for those racing for their championship hopes to "leave it all on the track" in an effort to get to Victory Lane. Meanwhile, look for Busch to fight his way through the field on a quest for a third Brickyard victory to build momentum and gather even more playoff points to carry with him into the final ten race shootout. Can he kiss the bricks a third time? Tune in and find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 6:15 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
September 7, 2018
Venue: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
The Date: September 9, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to yet another historical venue this weekend as the annual trip to famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is upon us. New this year is the fact that this race, now the last race of the "regular season", will set the field for the Championship Playoffs. In past years, the series visited this vaunted yard of bricks in July at the height of summer, when both temperatures and tempers alike would run hot.
Kyle Busch has had a relatively solid history at IMS, finishing outside of the top 15 just twice in 13 starts here. He recorded back-to-back wins here in 2015 and 2016, with his streak broken last year by a late race crash. He has recorded 5 top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes.
Some additional stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
- Highest Indianapolis start: Pole, twice, 2016 and 2017
- Highest Indianapolis finish: Winner, twice, 2015 and 2016
- Average Indianapolis start: 16.2
- Average Indianapolis finish: 10.9
The weather may be cooler in September but the drivers' tempers and their passion for winning at a track with so much history will be running just as hot. This will be particularly true with a chance at the Championship on the line for those currently on the outside looking in and needing this win to change their fate.
Look for those racing for their championship hopes to "leave it all on the track" in an effort to get to Victory Lane. Meanwhile, look for Busch to fight his way through the field on a quest for a third Brickyard victory to build momentum and gather even more playoff points to carry with him into the final ten race shootout. Can he kiss the bricks a third time? Tune in and find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 6:15 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
Chasing number three.@KyleBusch | @IMS pic.twitter.com/6Trc8GSWgT
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 7, 2018
Bojangles' Southern 500
September 2, 2018
Venue: Darlington Raceway
The Race: Bojangles' Southern 500
Stage Ends: 100/200/367
Pole: Denny Hamlin
18 Team Start: 5th
18 Team Finish: 7th
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series went all in with the annual Southern 500 throwback weekend tradition at Darlington Raceway. Kyle Busch found himself piloting an Ernie Irvan throwback Skittles scheme on his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine. The car looked fast and was fast, as Busch posted the fifth fastest time in Saturday's qualifying session while his teammate, Denny Hamlin, grabbed the pole. His quick time allowed for a solid pit stall selection, putting the #18 crew in a strong position for the start of the race Sunday night.
Mother Nature interfered with the scheduled 6:20 p.m. green flag Saturday night, bringing some rain and a light show to Darlington and forcing NASCAR officials to call for a mandatory 30-minute lightning hold for everyone's safety. Once she took her wrath elsewhere, the drivers were called to their cars for the start of the race.
Four drivers forfeited their starting positions and fell to the rear for the start of the race. Two, Jamie McMurray and Joey Gase, were due to engine change and two, Jimmie Johnson and Jeffrey Earnhardt, were due to unapproved adjustments. None of these affected Busch's starting position, as all qualified behind him in the running order. As part of the throwback festivities, a line of classic muscle cars paced the field, bringing smiles to many faces in the pits and grandstands alike.
September 2, 2018
Venue: Darlington Raceway
The Race: Bojangles' Southern 500
Stage Ends: 100/200/367
Pole: Denny Hamlin
18 Team Start: 5th
18 Team Finish: 7th
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series went all in with the annual Southern 500 throwback weekend tradition at Darlington Raceway. Kyle Busch found himself piloting an Ernie Irvan throwback Skittles scheme on his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine. The car looked fast and was fast, as Busch posted the fifth fastest time in Saturday's qualifying session while his teammate, Denny Hamlin, grabbed the pole. His quick time allowed for a solid pit stall selection, putting the #18 crew in a strong position for the start of the race Sunday night.
Mother Nature interfered with the scheduled 6:20 p.m. green flag Saturday night, bringing some rain and a light show to Darlington and forcing NASCAR officials to call for a mandatory 30-minute lightning hold for everyone's safety. Once she took her wrath elsewhere, the drivers were called to their cars for the start of the race.
Four drivers forfeited their starting positions and fell to the rear for the start of the race. Two, Jamie McMurray and Joey Gase, were due to engine change and two, Jimmie Johnson and Jeffrey Earnhardt, were due to unapproved adjustments. None of these affected Busch's starting position, as all qualified behind him in the running order. As part of the throwback festivities, a line of classic muscle cars paced the field, bringing smiles to many faces in the pits and grandstands alike.
□□□
— Darlington Raceway (@TooToughToTame) September 2, 2018
This line of beauties is ready to pace the field.#BojanglesSo500 #NASCARThrowback pic.twitter.com/HLfMexy2jr
As one who appreciates the classics, this OR truly enjoyed seeing these beautiful machines running at the front of the field, even if only on a pace lap or two. Those driving them had some fun with their job as well, attempting passes on one another and relishing the opportunity. Among those behind the wheel were none other than former Cup Series driver Jeff Burton and current Cup Series team owner Rick Hendrick.
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As the pre-race pace laps drew to a close and the green flag was about to set the field loose on 500 miles of short-track throwback racing, Busch's spotter Tony Hirschman gave his usual pep talk and reminders to his driver. Hirschman wrapped up by reminding Busch to "have fun!" With that, the final countdown to the green was on, as Hirschman got into full spotter mode, watching the flag stand and giving his driver the command to go full throttle as the green flag waved through the air. The Bojangles' Southern 500 was officially underway.
Busch went to work in his #18 Skittles throwback machine but fell back to eighth early in the running as teammate Hamlin led the way through the first 11 laps. The #42 machine of Kyle Larson was fast and overtook Hamlin on lap 11, giving the race its first lead change. Green flag pit stops began around lap 45, with Busch bringing his car to the attention of his crew around lap 47. The team went to work, giving Busch four fresh Goodyear tires and some adjustments to help the handling on his Skittles machine. He returned to the track and waited for green flag stops to finish, returning to the eighth position once everyone had made their first trip down pit road.
Busch began fighting with the #4 of Kevin Harvick for seventh around lap 60 but was unable to complete the pass. Around lap 75, Busch reported to crew chief Adam Stevens that his #18 Skittles Camry "gets looser as the run goes on". Older brother Kurt Busch got by for eighth on lap 88. The first stage remained clean and green until the green checkered flag waved on lap 100, signaling the end of Stage 1. Busch finished the stage in the ninth position.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Larson, the #20 of Erik Jones, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., the #22 of Joey Logano, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, Harvick, Hamlin, the #41 of Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and the #9 of Chase Elliott.
Busch pitted under the stage break caution for another fresh set of Goodyear tires and additional adjustments. His crew did solid work and Busch lined up in the eighth spot for the lap 108 restart at the beginning of Stage 2. As the green flag waved over the field once again, Larson continued to lead the way and Busch went to work in an attempt to get to the front. The first non-stage related caution flew on lap 128 and Busch was involved. It appeared that Busch simply ran out of racetrack and caught the left rear corner of the #23 of Joey Gase, turning him hard into the inside wall. The extensive damage to the #23 machine ended Gase's night early but the driver himself was free from injury. Busch sustained damage to the right front of his machine as a result of the contact. Busch came to pit road for four more fresh tires, fuel, and repairs on his Skittles Camry. He lined up for the lap 134 restart in the fifteenth position.
Ten laps later, Busch had only improved to the thirteenth position, as the damage from the contact with Gase was clearly affecting the handling of his #18 machine. Busch confirmed this over the radio on lap 147 as he told Stevens his car was "way, way, way too tight". As the laps continued to tick by, Busch remained mired in thirteenth, unable to advance his position due to the handling issues he was fighting in his race car. He brought his car to the attention of his crew on lap 167 for a scheduled green-flag pit stop and some welcome adjustments to go along with the fresh tires and fuel.
Stop under green for @KyleBusch. #NASCARThrowback pic.twitter.com/ohxlpqkaJ0
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) September 3, 2018
As the green flag pit stops continued to cycle through, Busch worked his way closer to the front. The pit cycle completed with less than 25 laps to go in the stage. By the time the green checkered flag flew on lap 200, Busch had worked his way back up to the eighth position in spite of the continued effects the damage was having on the handling of his race car.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Larson, Keselowski, Logano, Elliott, Jones, Kurt Busch, the #31 of Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, McMurray, and Hamlin.
Busch once again pitted under the stage break caution for fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. The crew laid down a solid stop and Busch returned to the track for the lap 208 restart in the ninth position, with Larson again leading the way out front. On lap 223, Busch's teammate, Daniel Suarez, suffered a flat right front tire that sent him into the wall. Suarez made it to pit road without incident, however, so no caution was thrown. By lap 249, green flag pit stops were once again underway. Busch did not pit until lap 258, getting another set of four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments. On lap 267 with just 100 laps to go, Busch was scored in the ninth position. As Busch continued to ride inside the top 10, Stevens relayed information about his lap times. Busch responded with "I need something to eat, something in a shake form. Hunger." Stevens acknowledged and told him they'd take care of him on the next stop. The exchange prompted this comical tweet on the Joe Gibbs Racing account:
Does he need a @SNICKERS □□ https://t.co/nK5d82idPj
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) September 3, 2018
With 85 laps left to go, Busch had worked his way up into the eighth position once again. Pit strategies began to come into play, moving Busch all the way up into the fourth position. Busch came in for his scheduled pit stop on lap 310, pitting out of the fourth position. The crew gave him another fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and more adjustments. Busch had commented just prior to his pit stop that he had developed a vibration, so this stop came at a good time. Unfortunately, the pit cycle had not completed when the caution flew on lap 312 for a wreck involving the #14 of Clint Bowyer, Newman, and the #96 of Jeffrey Earnhardt.
There were only three cars on the lead lap, forcing Busch (and others) to take the wave around to return to the lead lap. Busch lined up in seventh for the lap 323 restart. Green flag conditions did not last long, however, with the caution flag coming back out for debris in turn 2 on lap 329. Busch was still in the seventh position for the lap 334 restart and worked to move forward once the green flag went back in the air. He grabbed the sixth position from Elliott on lap 339. Again the green flag conditions were short lived, though, as the #96 machine went for a spin in turn 2 on lap 344. Busch came to pit road for one last round of tires, fuel and adjustments.
The restart came with just 19 laps remaining in the event. New leader Keselowski led the way as Busch fell quickly to eleventh. Busch battled back hard and was back inside the top 10 with just ten laps remaining. He continued to push toward the front as Keselowski stretched the lead out in front of the field. As the checkers flew on lap 367, Busch crossed the finish line in the seventh position, a hard-fought top ten finish at the famed "Lady in Black".
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Brad Keselowski
P2 - Joey Logano
P3 - Kyle Larson
P4 - Kevin Harvick
P5 - Chase Elliott
P6 - Kurt Busch
P7 - Kyle Busch
P8 - Erik Jones
P9 - Jamie McMurray
P10 - Denny Hamlin
Next up: The series heads to the famed Brickyard, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the final race before the Chase. Rowdy is already locked in, but he would certainly love to add one more win to his resume as we look to the final ten races of the season that will determine the champion. Will he get win #7? Tune in and find out!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Bojangles' Southern 500 Advance
August 31, 2018
Venue: Darlington Raceway
The Race: Bojangles' Southern 500
The Date: September 2, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is throwing it back this weekend as the series makes its annual trip to Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles' Southern 500. Throwback paint schemes abound this weekend and Kyle Busch's ride is no exception. The Joe Gibbs Racing #18 machine is sporting a Skittles scheme from back in the days when Ernie Irvan ran this colorful paint job. Busch announced the scheme back on July 25th with this creative video:
August 31, 2018
Venue: Darlington Raceway
The Race: Bojangles' Southern 500
The Date: September 2, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is throwing it back this weekend as the series makes its annual trip to Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles' Southern 500. Throwback paint schemes abound this weekend and Kyle Busch's ride is no exception. The Joe Gibbs Racing #18 machine is sporting a Skittles scheme from back in the days when Ernie Irvan ran this colorful paint job. Busch announced the scheme back on July 25th with this creative video:
This is how you do a @Skittles Darlington #NASCARThrowback scheme! #partner pic.twitter.com/e3k7CGLyXi
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) July 25, 2018
Busch has won just once at this historic "Lady in Black" back in 2008, also running a unique paint scheme that had an Indiana Jones theme to it. The Victory Lane pictures from that weekend were the stuff stories are made of, with Rowdy and crew sporting hats and whips in true Indiana Jones style. While Ladies of Speed didn't exist back then, several other members of the media captured those Victory Lane looks quite well. Here's one picture that Motorsport.com got of Busch with the trophy, wearing his Indy hat and carrying the whip. Do a quick internet search and you can find plenty more. That was quite the race.
Some stats for Busch as we throw it back this weekend:
- Highest Darlington start: Third, twice, 2013 and 2017
- Highest Darlington finish: Winner, once, 2008
- Average Darlington start: 13.8
- Average Darlington finish: 12.0
And, just for fun, some throwback stats on Ernie Irvan at Darlington:
- Highest Darlington start: Second, once, spring 1992
- Highest Darlington finish: Second, twice, fall 1990 and fall 1991
- Average Darlington start: 15.3
- Average Darlington finish: 18.9
The entire garage (and even the broadcast booth) really gets into the action with all of the throwback schemes, even down to old-school looking crew and driver uniforms. This weekend gives longtime fans of the sport an opportunity to reminisce while giving fans who are newer to the sport a fun opportunity to learn more about NASCAR's history. Wherever you land on the fandom spectrum, take some time out this weekend to take everything in that this Darlington throwback weekend has to offer. There is plenty for all to enjoy.
Qualifying: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 6:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Go Bowling at the Glen Advance
August 2, 2018
Venue: Watkins Glen International
The Race: Go Bowling at the Glen
The Date: August 5, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads up to the beautiful Finger Lakes region in the state of New York this weekend to tackle Watkins Glen International, the season's second road course event. Kyle Busch comes into this race riding momentum from his Pocono Raceway win last weekend, as well as a pretty solid history of great finishes at this challenging circuit. In fact, Busch has only finished outside of the top 10 twice in 13 total starts, completing 1153 of 1174 total laps, or 98.2%. Given how much attrition can be a part of road course racing, this is impressive.
Some other stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
It's been five years since Busch visited Victory Lane here on this picturesque course. Can Busch ride his momentum from his sixth win of the season to grab lucky seven with his third win at the Glen? Tune in with me Sunday afternoon to find out. (And check out the awesome paint scheme he'll be running!)
Qualifying: Saturday, 6:35 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBC (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
August 2, 2018
Venue: Watkins Glen International
The Race: Go Bowling at the Glen
The Date: August 5, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads up to the beautiful Finger Lakes region in the state of New York this weekend to tackle Watkins Glen International, the season's second road course event. Kyle Busch comes into this race riding momentum from his Pocono Raceway win last weekend, as well as a pretty solid history of great finishes at this challenging circuit. In fact, Busch has only finished outside of the top 10 twice in 13 total starts, completing 1153 of 1174 total laps, or 98.2%. Given how much attrition can be a part of road course racing, this is impressive.
Some other stats heading into Sunday afternoon's event:
- Highest Watkins Glen start: Pole, three times, 2008, 2011 and 2017
- Highest Watkins Glen finish: Winner, twice, 2008 and 2013
- Average Watkins Glen start: 7.5
- Average Watkins Glen finish: 9.8
It's been five years since Busch visited Victory Lane here on this picturesque course. Can Busch ride his momentum from his sixth win of the season to grab lucky seven with his third win at the Glen? Tune in with me Sunday afternoon to find out. (And check out the awesome paint scheme he'll be running!)
Qualifying: Saturday, 6:35 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBC (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Gander Outdoors 400
July 29, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway
The Race: Gander Outdoors 400
Stage Ends: 50/100/160
Pole: Daniel Suarez
18 Team Start: 28th (failed post-qualifying inspection, time disallowed)
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned to Pocono Raceway for the Gander Outdoors 400, the second and final Cup event of the season at the "Tricky Triangle". Kyle Busch came into the weekend as the defending winner of this event, having finally cracked the code and breaking through for his first Pocono Cup win in July, 2017. Was last summer's win a fluke or would Rowdy Nation get to celebrate a sixth win in the 2018 season when the checkered flag flew Sunday afternoon? Only time and 160 laps of hard racing would tell.
The weekend started off well for the double-duty Busch, with Busch notching his 51st Truck Series win at the track to tie Ron Hornaday Jr for most Truck Series victories. Lofty company, for certain. Cup qualifying also appeared to go extremely well for the pilot of the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 M&Ms Caramel Camry, with Busch notching a time that qualified him in the second position for Sunday's event. However, Busch, along with TWELVE other Cup series drivers saw their qualifying times disallowed when their cars failed to pass post-qualifying inspection. Original pole sitter Kevin Harvick also was a victim of the post-qualifying inspection, leaving Daniel Suarez, who originally qualified third, as the first driver in the lineup to pass the post-qualifying test and, in doing so, earn his first ever Cup series Pole Award. Busch, Harvick, and the other eleven drivers that were not so fortunate would be lining up at the rear of the field come Sunday afternoon.
As the sun shone down on Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon, the green flag waved in the air, getting the Gander Outdoors 400 underway. Busch wasted no time moving forward from his 28th starting position and, just four laps into the event, he was halfway to the front, having gotten all the way up to the 14th position. Busch continued his steady climb until he hit pit road for his first scheduled green flag pit stop of the day on lap 23. He gave up the fourth position by doing so. The crew made quick work of the stop, giving the M&Ms Caramel driver a fresh set of four Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments to correct handling issues Busch had been dealing with in the early running. Once Busch had run a few laps on the track, he radioed to the team that the #18 machine was "much better".
The green flag pit cycle finally came to completion on lap 34, leaving Busch running in the seventh position. At this point, Busch had about a dozen laps on his car since the pit stop and provided crew chief Adam Stevens with more detailed information about adjustments he felt would be needed to make the car even better. As they discussed Busch's ideas, teammate Denny Hamlin was busy taking the lead from the elder Busch brother, Kurt. Just six laps later, Hamlin would relinquish the lead to Chase Elliott as Busch continued to run in the seventh spot.
On lap 47, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr and the #20 of Erik Jones both hit pit road, just three laps before the end of the stage. This moved Busch up to fourth, which is where he would be when the green checkers flew on lap 50, marking the end of the day's first segment.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Elliott, Harvick, Hamlin, Busch, Suarez, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #88 of Alex Bowman, and the #12 of Ryan Blaney.
Busch pitted under the stage break caution, getting another fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and more adjustments. He left pit road in the seventh position but lined up for the lap 57 restart in ninth, since Truex and Jones stayed out. As the green flag waved to mark the start of green flag racing in Stage 2, Busch went right to work. Before the end of the first green flag lap, he was up to seventh once again. On lap 59, Busch passed older brother Kurt for the sixth position. A few laps later, Busch could be heard telling his team "it's got really good drive off" while noting he could use some more speed to help him drive forward. By lap 71, Busch had moved into the top 5 once again. Busch grabbed third on lap 75 as green flag pit stops began once again. Pit road was a busy place and Busch made his scheduled visit on lap 76 for another fresh set of tires, fuel, and adjustments. The crew got their work done quickly and sent Busch back out on the track to continue his march to the front.
The first incident-related caution flag flew at lap 82 when the #72 of Corey LaJoie got into the wall in turn 3. Since Busch had just been on pit road less than ten laps before the caution, Stevens told his driver to stay out. This put Busch in the fourth position for the lap 87 restart. With the green flag back in the air, Busch shot forward on the restart, grabbing second as he exited turn 1 and chasing leader Harvick. Harvick, however, managed to pull away a bit and Busch was forced to ride in second for the next several laps until he came down pit road on lap 96 for his next scheduled pit stop.
By pitting so late in Stage 2, Busch gave up stage points in order to stay out during the stage break caution and gain valuable track position instead. When the green checkers flew on lap 100, Busch was running 25th.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Elliott, Bowyer, Bowman, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, Keselowski, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Blaney, and the #22 of Joey Logano.
Sticking to the plan, Busch stayed out under the stage break caution and lined up second for the lap 106 start of green flag racing in Stage 3. Rookie William Byron grabbed the lead on the restart with Jones following, leaving Busch in third briefly. Busch got back by teammate Jones on the very next lap, reclaiming the second spot. Just three laps later on lap 110, Busch took the lead for the first time all day. Busch's brother, Kurt, dragged the wall the following lap but did not bring out the caution flag, as he made it safely to pit road.
By lap 118, Busch had built up a 2.5 second advantage over the rest of the field. Just as the lead reached 3 seconds on lap 120, Keselowski found the wall the hard way in turn 2, bringing out the day's second incident-related caution. Crew chief Adam Stevens called his driver down pit road for his final scheduled pit stop of the day. The crew did their job, laying down their fastest time on the stop that would prove to be the most important, as they kept their driver in the lead.
The restart came on lap 126 but green flag racing lasted only a few seconds, as the caution flew once again for the #00 of Landon Cassill losing an engine. A few laps and some speedy dry application later, the field got back underway on lap 132. Busch took off, holding off his teammate, Suarez, for the lead as the field worked through turn 1. Once Busch cleared Suarez, he worked to once again build his advantage over the rest of the field.
The #22 of Logano suffered a flat tire on lap 138 but he, like Kurt Busch earlier in the race, made it safely to pit road without the need for the caution to be displayed. By lap 145, Busch's advantage on the field was up to 1.5 seconds. With the laps quickly ticking down, Busch kept driving away. Without another caution, the chances of anyone else catching him were growing very slim.
Mayhem ensued on lap 154, however, as the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr lost his brakes and went flying through the infield grass before slamming into the wall hard in turn 1. Needless to say, the fans were relieved when, after what seemed like an eternity, Wallace dropped his window net to let the safety team (and the fans) know that he was okay. He was able to get out of the destroyed race car under his own power, much to the relief of all watching. NASCAR displayed the red flag at 5:40 pm to make repairs to the wall.
The red flag period lasted about 10 minutes, with the yellow flag returning to the air at 5:50 and getting the field rolling once again. The restart came on lap 157 with just three laps remaining in the scheduled distance. Busch took off and got away clean, building an almost 1 second advantage in one lap before the caution would fly once again on lap 158, this time for an incident involving the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the #10 of Aric Almirola. This caution would result in the race being extended past its advertised distance into NASCAR overtime. Fuel was becoming a growing concern for several teams, as most only had enough to survive one brief overtime run, Busch included.
Lap 162 brought the restart and Rowdy once again checked out quickly, making a clean getaway from the rest of the field. The battle for second intensified behind him and his advantage grew. By the time Busch took the white flag, he had built a sizeable gap between his car and those attempting to chase him down. Busch hit his marks as he ran one more smooth lap around the triangle full of tricks. As Busch stormed out of turn 3, his sights firmly set on the checkered flag that lay ahead, his lead was large enough that he could run out of fuel and still cross the line first. He had more than enough in the tank, however, yelling, "yeah boys! Who'd have thunk it?" as he took the checkered flag, marking his sixth win of the 2018 season. Rowdy Nation has yet another sweep to celebrate.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Kyle Busch
P2 - Daniel Suarez
P3 - Alex Bowman
P4 - Kevin Harvick
P5 - Erik Jones
P6 - William Byron
P7 - Ryan Newman
P8 - Chase Elliott
P9 - Kurt Busch
P10 - Denny Hamlin
Next up: The series tackles its second road course of the season, beautiful Watkins Glen International. Rowdy's won here before. Can he do it again as he goes for back-to-back wins?
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
July 29, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway
The Race: Gander Outdoors 400
Stage Ends: 50/100/160
Pole: Daniel Suarez
18 Team Start: 28th (failed post-qualifying inspection, time disallowed)
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned to Pocono Raceway for the Gander Outdoors 400, the second and final Cup event of the season at the "Tricky Triangle". Kyle Busch came into the weekend as the defending winner of this event, having finally cracked the code and breaking through for his first Pocono Cup win in July, 2017. Was last summer's win a fluke or would Rowdy Nation get to celebrate a sixth win in the 2018 season when the checkered flag flew Sunday afternoon? Only time and 160 laps of hard racing would tell.
The weekend started off well for the double-duty Busch, with Busch notching his 51st Truck Series win at the track to tie Ron Hornaday Jr for most Truck Series victories. Lofty company, for certain. Cup qualifying also appeared to go extremely well for the pilot of the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 M&Ms Caramel Camry, with Busch notching a time that qualified him in the second position for Sunday's event. However, Busch, along with TWELVE other Cup series drivers saw their qualifying times disallowed when their cars failed to pass post-qualifying inspection. Original pole sitter Kevin Harvick also was a victim of the post-qualifying inspection, leaving Daniel Suarez, who originally qualified third, as the first driver in the lineup to pass the post-qualifying test and, in doing so, earn his first ever Cup series Pole Award. Busch, Harvick, and the other eleven drivers that were not so fortunate would be lining up at the rear of the field come Sunday afternoon.
As the sun shone down on Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon, the green flag waved in the air, getting the Gander Outdoors 400 underway. Busch wasted no time moving forward from his 28th starting position and, just four laps into the event, he was halfway to the front, having gotten all the way up to the 14th position. Busch continued his steady climb until he hit pit road for his first scheduled green flag pit stop of the day on lap 23. He gave up the fourth position by doing so. The crew made quick work of the stop, giving the M&Ms Caramel driver a fresh set of four Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments to correct handling issues Busch had been dealing with in the early running. Once Busch had run a few laps on the track, he radioed to the team that the #18 machine was "much better".
The green flag pit cycle finally came to completion on lap 34, leaving Busch running in the seventh position. At this point, Busch had about a dozen laps on his car since the pit stop and provided crew chief Adam Stevens with more detailed information about adjustments he felt would be needed to make the car even better. As they discussed Busch's ideas, teammate Denny Hamlin was busy taking the lead from the elder Busch brother, Kurt. Just six laps later, Hamlin would relinquish the lead to Chase Elliott as Busch continued to run in the seventh spot.
On lap 47, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr and the #20 of Erik Jones both hit pit road, just three laps before the end of the stage. This moved Busch up to fourth, which is where he would be when the green checkers flew on lap 50, marking the end of the day's first segment.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Elliott, Harvick, Hamlin, Busch, Suarez, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #88 of Alex Bowman, and the #12 of Ryan Blaney.
Busch pitted under the stage break caution, getting another fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and more adjustments. He left pit road in the seventh position but lined up for the lap 57 restart in ninth, since Truex and Jones stayed out. As the green flag waved to mark the start of green flag racing in Stage 2, Busch went right to work. Before the end of the first green flag lap, he was up to seventh once again. On lap 59, Busch passed older brother Kurt for the sixth position. A few laps later, Busch could be heard telling his team "it's got really good drive off" while noting he could use some more speed to help him drive forward. By lap 71, Busch had moved into the top 5 once again. Busch grabbed third on lap 75 as green flag pit stops began once again. Pit road was a busy place and Busch made his scheduled visit on lap 76 for another fresh set of tires, fuel, and adjustments. The crew got their work done quickly and sent Busch back out on the track to continue his march to the front.
The first incident-related caution flag flew at lap 82 when the #72 of Corey LaJoie got into the wall in turn 3. Since Busch had just been on pit road less than ten laps before the caution, Stevens told his driver to stay out. This put Busch in the fourth position for the lap 87 restart. With the green flag back in the air, Busch shot forward on the restart, grabbing second as he exited turn 1 and chasing leader Harvick. Harvick, however, managed to pull away a bit and Busch was forced to ride in second for the next several laps until he came down pit road on lap 96 for his next scheduled pit stop.
By pitting so late in Stage 2, Busch gave up stage points in order to stay out during the stage break caution and gain valuable track position instead. When the green checkers flew on lap 100, Busch was running 25th.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Elliott, Bowyer, Bowman, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, Keselowski, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Blaney, and the #22 of Joey Logano.
Sticking to the plan, Busch stayed out under the stage break caution and lined up second for the lap 106 start of green flag racing in Stage 3. Rookie William Byron grabbed the lead on the restart with Jones following, leaving Busch in third briefly. Busch got back by teammate Jones on the very next lap, reclaiming the second spot. Just three laps later on lap 110, Busch took the lead for the first time all day. Busch's brother, Kurt, dragged the wall the following lap but did not bring out the caution flag, as he made it safely to pit road.
By lap 118, Busch had built up a 2.5 second advantage over the rest of the field. Just as the lead reached 3 seconds on lap 120, Keselowski found the wall the hard way in turn 2, bringing out the day's second incident-related caution. Crew chief Adam Stevens called his driver down pit road for his final scheduled pit stop of the day. The crew did their job, laying down their fastest time on the stop that would prove to be the most important, as they kept their driver in the lead.
The restart came on lap 126 but green flag racing lasted only a few seconds, as the caution flew once again for the #00 of Landon Cassill losing an engine. A few laps and some speedy dry application later, the field got back underway on lap 132. Busch took off, holding off his teammate, Suarez, for the lead as the field worked through turn 1. Once Busch cleared Suarez, he worked to once again build his advantage over the rest of the field.
The #22 of Logano suffered a flat tire on lap 138 but he, like Kurt Busch earlier in the race, made it safely to pit road without the need for the caution to be displayed. By lap 145, Busch's advantage on the field was up to 1.5 seconds. With the laps quickly ticking down, Busch kept driving away. Without another caution, the chances of anyone else catching him were growing very slim.
Mayhem ensued on lap 154, however, as the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr lost his brakes and went flying through the infield grass before slamming into the wall hard in turn 1. Needless to say, the fans were relieved when, after what seemed like an eternity, Wallace dropped his window net to let the safety team (and the fans) know that he was okay. He was able to get out of the destroyed race car under his own power, much to the relief of all watching. NASCAR displayed the red flag at 5:40 pm to make repairs to the wall.
The red flag period lasted about 10 minutes, with the yellow flag returning to the air at 5:50 and getting the field rolling once again. The restart came on lap 157 with just three laps remaining in the scheduled distance. Busch took off and got away clean, building an almost 1 second advantage in one lap before the caution would fly once again on lap 158, this time for an incident involving the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the #10 of Aric Almirola. This caution would result in the race being extended past its advertised distance into NASCAR overtime. Fuel was becoming a growing concern for several teams, as most only had enough to survive one brief overtime run, Busch included.
Lap 162 brought the restart and Rowdy once again checked out quickly, making a clean getaway from the rest of the field. The battle for second intensified behind him and his advantage grew. By the time Busch took the white flag, he had built a sizeable gap between his car and those attempting to chase him down. Busch hit his marks as he ran one more smooth lap around the triangle full of tricks. As Busch stormed out of turn 3, his sights firmly set on the checkered flag that lay ahead, his lead was large enough that he could run out of fuel and still cross the line first. He had more than enough in the tank, however, yelling, "yeah boys! Who'd have thunk it?" as he took the checkered flag, marking his sixth win of the 2018 season. Rowdy Nation has yet another sweep to celebrate.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Kyle Busch
P2 - Daniel Suarez
P3 - Alex Bowman
P4 - Kevin Harvick
P5 - Erik Jones
P6 - William Byron
P7 - Ryan Newman
P8 - Chase Elliott
P9 - Kurt Busch
P10 - Denny Hamlin
Next up: The series tackles its second road course of the season, beautiful Watkins Glen International. Rowdy's won here before. Can he do it again as he goes for back-to-back wins?
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Quaker State 400 Advance
July 12, 2018
Venue: Kentucky Speedway
The Race: Quaker State 400
The Date: July 14, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the bluegrass state for some hot racing under the lights Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway. While Kentucky is often associated with a different kind of horsepower (ahem, Kentucky Derby, anyone?), once a year, the hills resound with the sound of racing engines roaring to life.
All three of NASCAR's top series race here this weekend, starting with the Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night, featuring three entries from the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable. While Busch himself will only be doing double duty, he will still be on hand during the truck race, cheering on his drivers and hoping to start his weekend in Victory Lane as a winning team owner.
Busch has 7 starts at Kentucky Speedway, finishing outside the top 10 just once. He finished inside the top 5 an impressive five of those seven starts.
Some other stats heading into Saturday night's event:
Can Busch continue his impressive run of strong Kentucky starts and finishes this weekend? Can he add another Quaker State 400 win trophy to his collection, giving him an impressive sixth win in the 2018 season? Tune in and find out, Rowdy Nation!
Qualifying: Friday, 6:40 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
July 12, 2018
Venue: Kentucky Speedway
The Race: Quaker State 400
The Date: July 14, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the bluegrass state for some hot racing under the lights Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway. While Kentucky is often associated with a different kind of horsepower (ahem, Kentucky Derby, anyone?), once a year, the hills resound with the sound of racing engines roaring to life.
All three of NASCAR's top series race here this weekend, starting with the Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night, featuring three entries from the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable. While Busch himself will only be doing double duty, he will still be on hand during the truck race, cheering on his drivers and hoping to start his weekend in Victory Lane as a winning team owner.
Busch has 7 starts at Kentucky Speedway, finishing outside the top 10 just once. He finished inside the top 5 an impressive five of those seven starts.
Some other stats heading into Saturday night's event:
- Highest Kentucky start: Pole, twice, 2011 and 2017
- Highest Kentucky finish: Winner, twice, 2011 (inaugural event) and 2015
- Average Kentucky start: 5.9
- Average Kentucky finish: 5.1
Can Busch continue his impressive run of strong Kentucky starts and finishes this weekend? Can he add another Quaker State 400 win trophy to his collection, giving him an impressive sixth win in the 2018 season? Tune in and find out, Rowdy Nation!
Qualifying: Friday, 6:40 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
Pole winner for @NASCAR_Trucks @KySpeedway is @NoahGragson @ToddGilliland_ will start 4th and @BrandonJonesRac 6th pic.twitter.com/pnYw9AKWGU
— Kyle Busch Motorsports (@KBMteam) July 12, 2018
Coke Zero Sugar 400
July 7, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
The Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
Stage Ends: 40/80/160
Pole: Chase Elliott
18 Team Start: 15th
18 Team Finish: 33rd (DNF, crash)
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series kicked off the second half of the season on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Kyle Busch came in fresh off his hard-fought victory at Chicagoland looking for just his second Cup win on Daytona's historic oval. Would he grab a second Daytona summer race win? Only time would tell.
The weekend started out with Busch qualifying his #18 Interstate Batteries Camry in the 15th position. This was right in line with his average Daytona starting position over the course of his career thus far. Not great, not terrible. The upside for Busch was that where you start is rarely indicative of where you finish at a restrictor plate track.
Prior to the start of the race Saturday night, someone apparently stole the #18 team's hand-held pit sign. This is the one the team waves in front of Busch as he comes into his pit area to tell him where, exactly, to stop in the box for his crew. Crew chief Adam Stevens informed his driver of the theft during the warm up laps and told Busch they had mocked up a #18 door panel to use in place of the missing equipment. Stevens asked Busch to take a good look at it and make sure he could see it. After his first pass, Busch asked Stevens if they could outline the numbers in fluorescent duct tape to help with visibility as the sun went down. Stevens relayed Busch's request to the crew and the change was made. Busch was told once again to take a good look and he told Stevens that the change helped.
The green flag flew and the field quickly got up to speed. Busch went to work, moving through the pack of cars and getting himself up to 10th by lap 20, halfway through the first stage. As the race continued under green flag conditions, Busch kept working his way forward. Meanwhile, up at the front of the pack, the #9 of pole sitter Chase Elliott and the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. swapped the lead a few times, with Stenhouse pulling ahead for good on lap 13. He kept the lead for the rest of the stage, in spite of others behind him trying to make a run at him. Busch was the final driver to make a run at Stenhouse, making it all the way to second in the closing laps of Stage 1 but unable to get to Stenhouse to make the pass.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Stenhouse, Busch, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #24 of William Byron, Elliott, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #31 of Ryan Newman, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #3 of Austin Dillon, and the #88 of Alex Bowman.
Busch made his first pit stop under the stage break for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and adjustments. Less than 16.5 seconds later, he was headed back on to the track in the seventh position for the start of the second stage. Keselowski came out with the lead after taking only two fresh tires on his stop.
The start of green flag racing for the second stage happened on lap 46. Just two laps later, the night's first incident-related caution flew as the #21 of Paul Menard went for a wild spin. The #48 of Jimmie Johnson and the #38 of David Ragan were also involved in this early incident. Luckily for Busch, this one happened behind him, leaving him safely in the seventh position for the lap 52 restart. As the green flag flew over the field once again, young William Byron saw his chance and took the lead away from Keselowski. Busch, meanwhile, fell back slightly on the restart. The green flag conditions were short-lived once again, as the first of the night's "big ones" happened on lap 53. As the mayhem ensued around Busch, spotter Tony Hirschman was emphatic with his direction over the radio. "Get lower, lower, LOWER!" came the command from Busch's trusted eyes-in-the-sky. Busch followed Hirschman's directions and somehow avoided the mess that collected 26 - yes, you read that right - twenty six cars in turn 3. Most were able to continue but several were not.
The list of those involved in the night's first "big one": the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Keselowski (done), Austin Dillon, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, the #7 of Jeffrey Earnhardt, Elliott (done), the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #11 of Denny Hamlin (done), the #12 of Ryan Blaney (done), the #13 of Ty Dillon, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, Stenhouse, the #19 of Daniel Suarez (done), Menard, the #22 of Joey Logano (done), Ragan, Kurt Busch (done), Larson, the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., Johnson, the #62 of Brendan Gaughan, the #72 of Corey LaJoie, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., Bowman, and the #95 of Kasey Kahne.
Team Penske saw all three of its cars go to the garage for the night, while two of Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also went to the garage for the night. All four of the Stewart-Haas cars also took damage, though only Kurt Busch was too damaged to continue out of that stable. This was a painful wreck for many teams, to be sure, when drafting partners are much needed but hard to come by in these plate races. Meanwhile, Busch had avoided the melee and came through cleanly in the fourth position for the lap 62 restart.
Unfortunately, Busch would not be so lucky two laps later. A hard-charging Stenhouse dove beneath him on lap 64 to try to side draft past him but ended up clipping Busch instead, sending Busch hard into the outside wall in turn 4 and collecting five more cars in the process. The others collected in the wreck were McMurray (done), the #6 of Trevor Bayne, the #20 of Erik Jones, Byron (done), and LaJoie (done). Thankfully, all the drivers were OK but the wreck ended Busch's night far earlier than he had hoped. Busch did not mince words over his radio regarding what he thought of Stenhouse's actions. Suffice it to say, Busch was upset and, based on the replays, had every right to be. Busch ended the night scored in the 33rd position.
The race continued to conclusion, 8 laps past the scheduled distance as a result of another "big one" late. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones managed to keep his car in one piece and beat everyone to the checkered flag on lap 168, scoring his very first Cup series win. Former Busch crewman Chris Gayle was the winning crew chief, marking his first Cup win in that capacity.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Erik Jones
P2 - Martin Truex Jr.
P3 - AJ Allmendinger
P4 - Kasey Kahne
P5 - Chris Buescher
P6 - Ty Dillon
P7 - Matt DiBenedetto
P8 - Ryan Newman
P9 - Austin Dillon
P10 - Alex Bowman
Next up: The series heads to Kentucky Speedway to bring a different kind of horsepower to the bluegrass state best known for the Kentucky Derby.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
July 7, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
The Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
Stage Ends: 40/80/160
Pole: Chase Elliott
18 Team Start: 15th
18 Team Finish: 33rd (DNF, crash)
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series kicked off the second half of the season on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Kyle Busch came in fresh off his hard-fought victory at Chicagoland looking for just his second Cup win on Daytona's historic oval. Would he grab a second Daytona summer race win? Only time would tell.
The weekend started out with Busch qualifying his #18 Interstate Batteries Camry in the 15th position. This was right in line with his average Daytona starting position over the course of his career thus far. Not great, not terrible. The upside for Busch was that where you start is rarely indicative of where you finish at a restrictor plate track.
Prior to the start of the race Saturday night, someone apparently stole the #18 team's hand-held pit sign. This is the one the team waves in front of Busch as he comes into his pit area to tell him where, exactly, to stop in the box for his crew. Crew chief Adam Stevens informed his driver of the theft during the warm up laps and told Busch they had mocked up a #18 door panel to use in place of the missing equipment. Stevens asked Busch to take a good look at it and make sure he could see it. After his first pass, Busch asked Stevens if they could outline the numbers in fluorescent duct tape to help with visibility as the sun went down. Stevens relayed Busch's request to the crew and the change was made. Busch was told once again to take a good look and he told Stevens that the change helped.
The green flag flew and the field quickly got up to speed. Busch went to work, moving through the pack of cars and getting himself up to 10th by lap 20, halfway through the first stage. As the race continued under green flag conditions, Busch kept working his way forward. Meanwhile, up at the front of the pack, the #9 of pole sitter Chase Elliott and the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. swapped the lead a few times, with Stenhouse pulling ahead for good on lap 13. He kept the lead for the rest of the stage, in spite of others behind him trying to make a run at him. Busch was the final driver to make a run at Stenhouse, making it all the way to second in the closing laps of Stage 1 but unable to get to Stenhouse to make the pass.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Stenhouse, Busch, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #24 of William Byron, Elliott, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #31 of Ryan Newman, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #3 of Austin Dillon, and the #88 of Alex Bowman.
Busch made his first pit stop under the stage break for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and adjustments. Less than 16.5 seconds later, he was headed back on to the track in the seventh position for the start of the second stage. Keselowski came out with the lead after taking only two fresh tires on his stop.
The start of green flag racing for the second stage happened on lap 46. Just two laps later, the night's first incident-related caution flew as the #21 of Paul Menard went for a wild spin. The #48 of Jimmie Johnson and the #38 of David Ragan were also involved in this early incident. Luckily for Busch, this one happened behind him, leaving him safely in the seventh position for the lap 52 restart. As the green flag flew over the field once again, young William Byron saw his chance and took the lead away from Keselowski. Busch, meanwhile, fell back slightly on the restart. The green flag conditions were short-lived once again, as the first of the night's "big ones" happened on lap 53. As the mayhem ensued around Busch, spotter Tony Hirschman was emphatic with his direction over the radio. "Get lower, lower, LOWER!" came the command from Busch's trusted eyes-in-the-sky. Busch followed Hirschman's directions and somehow avoided the mess that collected 26 - yes, you read that right - twenty six cars in turn 3. Most were able to continue but several were not.
The list of those involved in the night's first "big one": the #1 of Jamie McMurray, Keselowski (done), Austin Dillon, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, the #7 of Jeffrey Earnhardt, Elliott (done), the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #11 of Denny Hamlin (done), the #12 of Ryan Blaney (done), the #13 of Ty Dillon, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, Stenhouse, the #19 of Daniel Suarez (done), Menard, the #22 of Joey Logano (done), Ragan, Kurt Busch (done), Larson, the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., Johnson, the #62 of Brendan Gaughan, the #72 of Corey LaJoie, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., Bowman, and the #95 of Kasey Kahne.
Team Penske saw all three of its cars go to the garage for the night, while two of Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also went to the garage for the night. All four of the Stewart-Haas cars also took damage, though only Kurt Busch was too damaged to continue out of that stable. This was a painful wreck for many teams, to be sure, when drafting partners are much needed but hard to come by in these plate races. Meanwhile, Busch had avoided the melee and came through cleanly in the fourth position for the lap 62 restart.
Unfortunately, Busch would not be so lucky two laps later. A hard-charging Stenhouse dove beneath him on lap 64 to try to side draft past him but ended up clipping Busch instead, sending Busch hard into the outside wall in turn 4 and collecting five more cars in the process. The others collected in the wreck were McMurray (done), the #6 of Trevor Bayne, the #20 of Erik Jones, Byron (done), and LaJoie (done). Thankfully, all the drivers were OK but the wreck ended Busch's night far earlier than he had hoped. Busch did not mince words over his radio regarding what he thought of Stenhouse's actions. Suffice it to say, Busch was upset and, based on the replays, had every right to be. Busch ended the night scored in the 33rd position.
The race continued to conclusion, 8 laps past the scheduled distance as a result of another "big one" late. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones managed to keep his car in one piece and beat everyone to the checkered flag on lap 168, scoring his very first Cup series win. Former Busch crewman Chris Gayle was the winning crew chief, marking his first Cup win in that capacity.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W - Erik Jones
P2 - Martin Truex Jr.
P3 - AJ Allmendinger
P4 - Kasey Kahne
P5 - Chris Buescher
P6 - Ty Dillon
P7 - Matt DiBenedetto
P8 - Ryan Newman
P9 - Austin Dillon
P10 - Alex Bowman
Next up: The series heads to Kentucky Speedway to bring a different kind of horsepower to the bluegrass state best known for the Kentucky Derby.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Coke Zero Sugar 400 Advance
July 5, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
The Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
The Date: Saturday, July 7, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series makes its second trip of the season to Daytona International Speedway. Just as the Daytona 500 in February marks the start of the season as a whole, the return in July marks the traditional beginning of the second half of the season. Daytona is a track steeped in tradition, dating back to the earliest days of NASCAR when the "track" was not a track at all and the race was run on the beach nearby. (If you'd like some quick history with some amazing pictures from these early beach races, check out this piece over on timeline.com.)
Kyle Busch comes into this weekend riding the momentum of a hard-earned victory at Chicagoland Speedway last Sunday. That said, he has made only one trip to Victory Lane in 26 total starts in the Cup series at Daytona. That victory came in the July race of 2008 during his inaugural season as the driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
Here are some quick stats as we head into Saturday night's race:
While Daytona has not always been kind to the driver of the #18, Busch will be looking to keep his momentum rolling this weekend with a second win at one of NASCAR's most storied tracks. Busch will have Joe Gibbs Racing's first sponsor, Interstate Batteries, on his #18 Camry this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for that "green zebra" on the track as Busch tries to grab his sixth win of the season under the lights Saturday night.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:10 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBC (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
July 5, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
The Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
The Date: Saturday, July 7, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series makes its second trip of the season to Daytona International Speedway. Just as the Daytona 500 in February marks the start of the season as a whole, the return in July marks the traditional beginning of the second half of the season. Daytona is a track steeped in tradition, dating back to the earliest days of NASCAR when the "track" was not a track at all and the race was run on the beach nearby. (If you'd like some quick history with some amazing pictures from these early beach races, check out this piece over on timeline.com.)
Kyle Busch comes into this weekend riding the momentum of a hard-earned victory at Chicagoland Speedway last Sunday. That said, he has made only one trip to Victory Lane in 26 total starts in the Cup series at Daytona. That victory came in the July race of 2008 during his inaugural season as the driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
Here are some quick stats as we head into Saturday night's race:
- Highest Daytona start: Pole, once, July 2013
- Highest Daytona finish: Winner, July 2008
- Average Daytona start: 14.5
- Average Daytona finish: 18.7
- Average Daytona II start: 16.1
- Average Daytona II finish: 15.2
While Daytona has not always been kind to the driver of the #18, Busch will be looking to keep his momentum rolling this weekend with a second win at one of NASCAR's most storied tracks. Busch will have Joe Gibbs Racing's first sponsor, Interstate Batteries, on his #18 Camry this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for that "green zebra" on the track as Busch tries to grab his sixth win of the season under the lights Saturday night.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:10 p.m. (ET), TV: NBCSN (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. (ET), TV: NBC (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Overton's 400
July 1, 2018
Venue: Chicagoland Speedway,
The Race: Overton's 400 (267 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 80/160/267 laps
Pole: Paul Menard
18 Team Start: 16th
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned from the California wine country and headed north to Chicago, a.k.a. the Windy City, to run some hot laps on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway. Coming into Sunday's event, Kyle Busch had just one win here but had only finished outside the top 20 twice in 13 starts. Given that history, Busch was considered one to watch, particularly in light of the strength his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team has shown so far this season.
The Chicagoland race is an impound event, with two practices held on Saturday prior to the qualifying session. The impound severely limits what teams can work on between qualifying and the start of the race. This led to a variety of strategies being played out in practice. Some teams opted to run in both qualifying and race trim, others chose one or the other. Track position and pit stall selection can be very important here, which is part of what led to the varying practice strategies.
Qualifying was tough for the #18 bunch, as Busch managed to muscle his Skittles Camry through to round 2 of 3 but could advance no further. This left Busch in the 16th position for the start of Sunday's event.
Sunday dawned hot and just got hotter as the day progressed. Local authorities even issued an "excessive heat warning" for the area as air temperatures soared into the 90's and heat indices climbed into the triple digits. Drivers and crews alike faced a daunting task to perform at the highest levels while making sure they stayed properly hydrated to handle the extreme heat.
Green flag in the air! Busch immediately went to work to improve his position as Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney took the lead from pole sitter Paul Menard on lap 1. Six laps in, Busch was up to 13th and climbing. As Clint Bowyer took the lead from Blaney on lap 19, Busch found himself still sitting in the 13th position. By lap 25, Bowyer was still out front but Busch was making some progress, having grabbed the 12th position.
He was slowly closing the gap to Menard in 11th as green flag pit stops began around lap 35. By lap 38, with pit stops still cycling through, Busch was in 8th. Crew chief Adam Stevens asked about the car's handling as the team prepared for their first stop of the day. That stop came on lap 42, just past the halfway point in the first stage, and brought four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel for the #18 Skittles Camry, along with some refreshment for Busch inside the car to help with the heat.
On lap 47, leader Brad Keselowski finally made his first stop of the day while several others still needed to make their first stops. Busch was running in 18th at this point as he waited for the green flag pit cycle to complete. Meanwhile, previous leader Bowyer had a disastrous first stop, as he was caught too fast exiting, then tagged for speeding again as he served the pass-through penalty for the first speeding ticket, resulting in yet a third trip down pit road for a stop-and-go penalty. Definitely bad news for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver, as he went from being on the lead lap to being 3 laps down.
On lap 57, two cars still had not yet pitted, the #3 of Austin Dillon and the #31 of Ryan Newman. Busch was running in 14th at this point. Three laps later, both of those remaining drivers hit pit road, putting Busch in the 12th position with just 20 laps to go in the first stage. He was making progress on his own without the help of the pit cycle as well, as he took the 11th position on lap 63. Busch was still fighting some handling issues, however, and struggled to go any further forward. As the laps wound down to the end of Stage 1, Busch fell back to 12th once again, finishing the stage there and, as a result, not getting any of the available stage points.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, Keselowski, Blaney, the #22 of Joey Logano, the #9 of Chase Elliott, and the #20 of Erik Jones.
Under the stage break caution, Stevens called his driver to pit road for another set of fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and "big changes". This led to a longer pit stop but the team still maintained Busch's track position, sending him back on the track in the same 12th position he'd finished the stage with. Stevens made a comment about their effort, finishing off his compliment by saying "Good work, guys."
The field got back to green flag racing for Stage 2 on lap 86. Busch went to work, armed with the changes the team had made on the pit stop, and was able to grab 11th by lap 90 as he worked to close the gap between himself and a top 10 position. By lap 95, however, this was the message we heard from the driver as he lost a couple of positions:
July 1, 2018
Venue: Chicagoland Speedway,
The Race: Overton's 400 (267 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 80/160/267 laps
Pole: Paul Menard
18 Team Start: 16th
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned from the California wine country and headed north to Chicago, a.k.a. the Windy City, to run some hot laps on the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway. Coming into Sunday's event, Kyle Busch had just one win here but had only finished outside the top 20 twice in 13 starts. Given that history, Busch was considered one to watch, particularly in light of the strength his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team has shown so far this season.
The Chicagoland race is an impound event, with two practices held on Saturday prior to the qualifying session. The impound severely limits what teams can work on between qualifying and the start of the race. This led to a variety of strategies being played out in practice. Some teams opted to run in both qualifying and race trim, others chose one or the other. Track position and pit stall selection can be very important here, which is part of what led to the varying practice strategies.
Qualifying was tough for the #18 bunch, as Busch managed to muscle his Skittles Camry through to round 2 of 3 but could advance no further. This left Busch in the 16th position for the start of Sunday's event.
Sunday dawned hot and just got hotter as the day progressed. Local authorities even issued an "excessive heat warning" for the area as air temperatures soared into the 90's and heat indices climbed into the triple digits. Drivers and crews alike faced a daunting task to perform at the highest levels while making sure they stayed properly hydrated to handle the extreme heat.
Green flag in the air! Busch immediately went to work to improve his position as Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney took the lead from pole sitter Paul Menard on lap 1. Six laps in, Busch was up to 13th and climbing. As Clint Bowyer took the lead from Blaney on lap 19, Busch found himself still sitting in the 13th position. By lap 25, Bowyer was still out front but Busch was making some progress, having grabbed the 12th position.
He was slowly closing the gap to Menard in 11th as green flag pit stops began around lap 35. By lap 38, with pit stops still cycling through, Busch was in 8th. Crew chief Adam Stevens asked about the car's handling as the team prepared for their first stop of the day. That stop came on lap 42, just past the halfway point in the first stage, and brought four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel for the #18 Skittles Camry, along with some refreshment for Busch inside the car to help with the heat.
On lap 47, leader Brad Keselowski finally made his first stop of the day while several others still needed to make their first stops. Busch was running in 18th at this point as he waited for the green flag pit cycle to complete. Meanwhile, previous leader Bowyer had a disastrous first stop, as he was caught too fast exiting, then tagged for speeding again as he served the pass-through penalty for the first speeding ticket, resulting in yet a third trip down pit road for a stop-and-go penalty. Definitely bad news for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver, as he went from being on the lead lap to being 3 laps down.
On lap 57, two cars still had not yet pitted, the #3 of Austin Dillon and the #31 of Ryan Newman. Busch was running in 14th at this point. Three laps later, both of those remaining drivers hit pit road, putting Busch in the 12th position with just 20 laps to go in the first stage. He was making progress on his own without the help of the pit cycle as well, as he took the 11th position on lap 63. Busch was still fighting some handling issues, however, and struggled to go any further forward. As the laps wound down to the end of Stage 1, Busch fell back to 12th once again, finishing the stage there and, as a result, not getting any of the available stage points.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, Keselowski, Blaney, the #22 of Joey Logano, the #9 of Chase Elliott, and the #20 of Erik Jones.
Under the stage break caution, Stevens called his driver to pit road for another set of fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and "big changes". This led to a longer pit stop but the team still maintained Busch's track position, sending him back on the track in the same 12th position he'd finished the stage with. Stevens made a comment about their effort, finishing off his compliment by saying "Good work, guys."
The field got back to green flag racing for Stage 2 on lap 86. Busch went to work, armed with the changes the team had made on the pit stop, and was able to grab 11th by lap 90 as he worked to close the gap between himself and a top 10 position. By lap 95, however, this was the message we heard from the driver as he lost a couple of positions:
Lap 95 - “Plowing, plowing, plowing” - @KyleBusch
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) July 1, 2018
Running p13 @Skittles #NACSAR pic.twitter.com/oBD8eI9vWo
Clearly, the changes the team made were not what that #18 Skittles Camry needed in order to make a run to the front. Stevens acknowledged his driver's comments and told him they would keep working on it. In spite of the handling issues, Busch held the 13th position until his next green flag pit stop on lap 119. It was another 4 tire stop for the #18 crew but a much faster one this time, with the official NASCAR app showing a stop time of 15.248 seconds.
Lap 128 brought the day's first non-stage related caution of the day for debris in turn 2. Since Busch was still struggling with the handling on his Joe Gibbs Racing Camry, Adam Stevens called his driver back down pit road for four more tires, fuel, and more adjustments. The crew worked quickly and maintained Busch's track position for the restart on lap 133. By lap 135, Busch was up to 11th and looking for more. He stabilized there, however, and actually finished the stage on lap 160 in that 11th position, once again missing out on stage points.
Your top 10 at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Kurt Busch, Larson, Truex, Blaney, Keselowski, Elliott, Bowyer (nice recovery), the #11 of Denny Hamlin, and Logano.
As the team discussed strategy for the pit stop during this final stage break, Adam Stevens asked his driver "Are we making a dent in it, man?" Busch's response: "It's just tight." Busch arrived in his pit stall and the crew went to work. Four tires, fuel, and a few more adjustments later, the team sent Busch back on the race track in 10th, up one position for the lap 168 return to green flag conditions.
It wasn't long before Busch was back on the radio. "Waaaaay too tight center" was his report on lap 173. The crew would get another chance to work on the #18 machine soon after, as the caution flew on lap 177 for Hamlin spinning as he exited turn 2. The spin appeared to be the result of the seams in the track getting Hamlin's car loose. Busch came down pit road to the attention of his crew, getting yet another fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and more adjustments. The crew's quick work gained Busch four positions on the track and he lined up in sixth for the lap 181 restart.
As the field prepared to take the green flag on lap 181, Adam Stevens told spotter Tony Hirschman that showers had started popping up in the area and asked him to keep an eye out. Busch was on the move as soon as the green flag was back in the air, taking fifth before the end of that first lap of green flag racing as Keselowski led the way. On lap 186, Harvick took the lead away from Keselowski as Busch was making moves behind the lead battle and closing the gap to 4th place Elliott. Three laps later, Busch went to the high line, first taking 4th from Elliott, and then quickly taking third from Keselowski. On lap 190, he took second from Logano. Busch was on a mission and looking for leader Harvick.
Lap 200, 67 laps to go, Busch faced a 3.4 second gap between himself and the #4 of leader Harvick with a fast #42 machine of Larson running behind him in third. Busch was in the middle of a sandwich he wanted no part of. Lap 208 brought the day's third incident-related caution as the #72 of Corey LaJoie dragged the outside wall down the backstretch. Busch came down pit road one more time, happier with his car's handling this time, for another fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and more slight adjustments. The crew did their job, laying down a 13.647 second stop and getting Busch off pit road with the lead for the first time all day.
Lap 212 brought the restart and Busch took off, clearing the field and working to build a gap between himself and the battle going down behind him. As the field began to spread out a bit, the gap between Busch and Harvick in second was about a half a second. Over the next 20 laps, Harvick briefly caught up to Busch but then lost substantial ground and was unable to take the lead away. The gap, in fact, increased to 1.25 seconds as Busch continued to drive away.
On lap 247, a hard-charging Larson took second away from Harvick and had his sights set on Busch. On lap 250, the gap was shrinking but still almost a full second. Busch was giving everything he had to keep the gap between himself and Larson as spotter Hirschman fed him information about the line Larson was running. By lap 257 with just 10 laps to go, Busch's lead was down to only half a second and Larson was still closing in. Rowdy Nation watched and waited with baited breath. Would Larson get to him? If Larson did get there, would he be able to pass the #18 machine?
On lap 259, Larson got close but dragged the wall and lost ground. Would it be enough to keep Busch out front till the checkers flew? Only time would tell. Lap 260, lap 261, lap 262 - the gap remained. On lap 263, Newman made it extremely difficult to pass him and slowed Busch down, leaving him stuck in the midst of several lapped cars. With just two laps to go on lap 265, the gap was shrinking once again.
As Busch and Larson took the white flag, Larson closed the gap and got alongside of Busch just past the start/finish line, taking the lead away and putting Busch into the wall going in between turns 1 and 2. Busch got back to him and put the bumper to the 42 in turn 3, sending Larson into the outside wall in a spin as Busch himself made contact with the wall again. Spotter Hirschman came over the radio, frantically saying "get around him! Get around him! Get to the line!" Busch listened to his spotter, got his damaged race car flying once again and crossed the finish line with a completely flat right front tire, taking the checkered flag for his 48th Cup Series victory.
"That's why you never give up, guys! Never give up! Great job, KB! Great job, pit crew!" was Adam Stevens jubilant cry over the radio.
"Great job! Nice work!" was Busch's celebratory compliment.
During the post-race interview at the start/finish line, Rutledge Wood asked Busch "How did that shake down there for you two?" Busch replied "I don't know, just... I got really boxed in behind lap cars and got really slow and then was just trying to get all I could there the last couple laps and Larson tried to pull a slider. Didn't quite complete it. Slid up into me, used me, and then I kinda used him as a little bit of a brake getting into 3 and was able to come back for the victory, you know. So, great thing for this Skittles Camry, all these guys. I mean, we were horrible today. Absolutely horrendous and we just never gave up. We just always kept working on it, kept making the most of it and got to where we needed it right there at the end and was able to lead all those laps. If it wasn't for lapped traffic, it wouldn't even have been a race."
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Larson
P3 – Harvick
P4 – Truex
P5 – Bowyer
P6 – Jones
P7 – Hamlin
P8 – Logano
P9 – Keselowski
P10 – Alex Bowman
Next up: The Series heads back to Daytona International Speedway for some hot July racing under the lights on Saturday night.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Toyota/Save Mart 350 Advance
June 22, 2018
Venue: Sonoma Raceway
The Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
The Date: Sunday, June 24, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Sonoma Raceway in the heart of California's wine country for the first of two road course races of the season. This race follows an off weekend for the Cup drivers, which allowed many of them to take a much needed vacation. Kyle Busch and family headed to Idaho to visit their friends, Brian and Whitney Scott. (If those names sound familiar to you, they should, as Brian was Kyle's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series a few years back.) Much fun was had by all, as you can see from these tweets:
June 22, 2018
Venue: Sonoma Raceway
The Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
The Date: Sunday, June 24, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Sonoma Raceway in the heart of California's wine country for the first of two road course races of the season. This race follows an off weekend for the Cup drivers, which allowed many of them to take a much needed vacation. Kyle Busch and family headed to Idaho to visit their friends, Brian and Whitney Scott. (If those names sound familiar to you, they should, as Brian was Kyle's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series a few years back.) Much fun was had by all, as you can see from these tweets:
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You can also check out more of the fun on Kyle and Samantha's Instagram pages.
As NASCAR heads west once again, let's look at some of Busch's stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Sonoma start: Second, once, 2009
- Highest Sonoma finish: Winner, twice, 2008 and 2015
- Average Sonoma start: 14.8
- Average Sonoma finish: 17.1
While Busch has yet to land on the pole here, he has recorded two wins, including one during his championship run in 2015. With the two wins, he has 3 top 5s and 5 top 10s out of just 13 starts at this challenging track.
Busch has already notched four wins this season. Will he strike again at Sonoma to grab his fifth? Busch has some momentum on his side, coming off a strong fourth place finish two weeks ago at MIS. If the team unloads a fast car off the truck, as they so often do, Busch will be a contender on Sunday. A strong qualifying effort tomorrow will give him an advantage, as pit stall selection can be just as critical as track position here, though Busch has come from the back and won here before.
Tune in to see if Rowdy can complete a handful of wins Sunday afternoon!
Qualifying: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
FireKeepers Casino 400
June 10, 2018
Venue: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
The Race: FireKeepers Casino 400 (200 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 60/120/200 laps
Pole: Kurt Busch
18 Team Start: 3rd
18 Team Finish: 4th (rain-shortened event)
Ah, Mother Nature. Always so unpredictable this time of year, especially in the Irish Hills of Michigan. She wreaked her havoc on the Xfinity Series event at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon and roared back in on Sunday to cause more mayhem with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event. Not exactly the way MIS wanted their 50th anniversary celebration to start for sure.
The field was originally supposed to take the green flag shortly after 2 p.m. but, thanks to showers moving through the area, the start was delayed by just over two hours. Country music star Trace Adkins stayed through the delay to give the drivers a rousing command to start their engines at 4:30 p.m. The grandstands were filled with resounding cheers as the engines of 40 Cup cars roared to life. Cheers could also be heard from the pit patio area located right behind pit road, where this OR can be found watching all of the MIS races. (For those interested in watching the pit crews "behind the scenes", this is a great vantage point, accessible with a pre-race pit pass. There are TVs located there also, to help you keep up with all of the on-track action.)
Kyle Busch started the weekend with a strong third place qualifying effort on Friday. Due to a splitter issue discovered in pre-race inspections, however, NASCAR made him start at the rear of the field, along with teammates Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones. Once the green flag waved, Busch wasted no time working his way forward. Before the end of lap 1, he had climbed to the 27th spot. By lap 5, he had gained 4 more positions as older brother Kurt Busch continued to pace the field. The younger Busch got his #18 M&Ms Red White & Blue Camry back inside the top 20 on lap 11 and was determined to keep climbing. On lap 20, spotter Tony Hirschman told Busch he had "fastest lap on the track right there" as Busch hunted down teammate Daniel Suarez, looking for the 17th position. Three laps later, he got it. He held that position until the scheduled competition caution came out on lap 25.
With the first pit stops of the day coming under this caution flag, crew chief Adam Stevens reminded his driver that the pit box was still a bit wet and warned him to be careful making his entry into the box because of it. Busch landed in his box cleanly and the crew went to work. 14.7 seconds later, Busch was on his way with four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. The quick work of his crew gained him three positions, allowing him to line up in the 14th position for the lap 29 restart.
After some initial shuffling when the green flag came back out, Busch continued his march to the front. When the caution flew for the second time on lap 35 for an incident involving the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. and the #38 of David Ragan, ending Ragan's day, Busch was up to 12th. Stevens told him they would be staying out under this caution since there were less than 10 green flag laps on this set of tires. The rest of the leaders did likewise, keeping Busch in the 12th spot for the lap 40 restart.
With the green flag in the air once again, Busch cleared worked his way into the top 10 before the field reached turn 1. He advanced two more positions before he crossed the start/finish line. Busch was clearly on a mission. On lap 47 with just 13 laps to go in the first stage, the #12 of Ryan Blaney took the lead from the elder Busch brother, the first time the lead changed hands. Meanwhile, the younger Busch was still running in the eighth position, trying to run down Hamlin for seventh. By lap 51, Busch was getting frustrated, having run Hamlin down several times but being unable to pass him, and let his feelings be known on his radio. "That's the fourth time! The fourth (expletive) time I've run him down!" Busch vented. On lap 55, Busch finally completed the pass on Hamlin for seventh. Busch got it done just in time, as the caution flew for the third time on lap 56 for a spin by the #6 of Matt Kenseth. Busch and Stevens talked pit stop strategy and decided to pit if pit road opened, questionable due to how few laps were left before the end of Stage 1. NASCAR opted not to open pit road and instead give the field the green with just one lap to go before the end of the stage. The restart was mayhem-inducing with such a short run to the end of the stage. Busch got shuffled from seventh all the way back to 12th in that one lap and voiced his annoyance to his crew as he took the green checkered flag to end Stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, Hamlin, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #24 of William Byron, the #22 of Joey Logano, and the #10 of Aric Almirola.
The field made their pit stops during the stage break and Busch returned to the track with four frsh tires and fuel in the 15th position as Stage 2 got underway on lap 65. Caution would fly for the fifth time before even one lap was complete, this time for a wreck involving Busch's teammate Suarez and the #21 of Paul Menard. Busch was up to 10th when the yellow came out and restarted there on lap 70. By lap 80, Busch was up to seventh and climbing as Harvick led the field up front.
The sixth caution of the day flew for Kyle Larson spinning as he came out of turn 4, a spin that would continue down the front stretch into the grass. Crew chief Adam Stevens came over the radio, saying "We're in a window. What do you need here?" Busch responded with information about how the car was handling. Busch came down pit road for a two-tire stop, right sides only, and fuel. He lined up for the restart on lap 90 in the fifth position, his crew once again gaining him ground with their quick work. As Harvick quickly retook the lead from Menard, who had opted to stay out, Busch worked to continue his trek toward the front of the pack. Busch maintained his position over the next 24 laps, finally taking fourth from the fading Menard on lap 114 with just 6 laps remaining in the second stage. Busch would still be in that fourth spot as the green checkers flew on lap 120, marking the end of Stage 2.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Menard, Blaney, Keselowski, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, the #20 of Erik Jones, and Byron.
As weather closed in, pit strategy during the stage break was crucial. Stevens called his driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Many of the leaders did the same, keeping Busch in the fourth position for the restart on lap 125. As the field got back to green flag conditions, Busch quickly took third from older brother Kurt and, just as quickly, Kurt took third back on the following lap. Up front, Bowyer took the lead away from teammate Harvick. Spotter Hirschman reported "mist is picking up here" on lap 127. The #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the day's eighth caution on lap 128 as he wrecked in turn 2. Adam Stevens told his driver to stay on the race track and preserve his track position. On lap 131, with the rain picking up, NASCAR told the teams they would be bringing the field down pit road the next time by. The pace car, however, stayed on the track and spotter Hirschman, seeing this, yelled "Stay out! stay out! Trust me stay out!" over the scanner. Busch followed his spotter's direction, realizing there might be an opportunity to grab a win out from under everyone this way. He was actually even scored as the leader briefly when lap 133 began but NASCAR brought him and the rest who'd stayed out with him down pit road before the next lap could be scored. They then informed the teams and the fans that the lineup would revert to that scored on lap 132.
As Busch's luck would have it, the rain started coming down harder and the track was quickly lost to Mother Nature. With no break in the weather in sight nor lights at MIS, NASCAR was forced to call the race at 6:47 p.m. Clint Bowyer was declared the winner and Busch finished in the fourth position.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Bowyer
P2 – Harvick
P3 – Kurt Busch
P4 – Kyle Busch
P5 – Menard
P6 – Keselowski
P7 – Logano
P8 – Blaney
P9 – Chase Elliott
P10 – McMurray
Next up: The series heads to wine country for some road course racing at Sonoma Raceway.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
June 10, 2018
Venue: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI
The Race: FireKeepers Casino 400 (200 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 60/120/200 laps
Pole: Kurt Busch
18 Team Start: 3rd
18 Team Finish: 4th (rain-shortened event)
Ah, Mother Nature. Always so unpredictable this time of year, especially in the Irish Hills of Michigan. She wreaked her havoc on the Xfinity Series event at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon and roared back in on Sunday to cause more mayhem with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event. Not exactly the way MIS wanted their 50th anniversary celebration to start for sure.
The field was originally supposed to take the green flag shortly after 2 p.m. but, thanks to showers moving through the area, the start was delayed by just over two hours. Country music star Trace Adkins stayed through the delay to give the drivers a rousing command to start their engines at 4:30 p.m. The grandstands were filled with resounding cheers as the engines of 40 Cup cars roared to life. Cheers could also be heard from the pit patio area located right behind pit road, where this OR can be found watching all of the MIS races. (For those interested in watching the pit crews "behind the scenes", this is a great vantage point, accessible with a pre-race pit pass. There are TVs located there also, to help you keep up with all of the on-track action.)
Kyle Busch started the weekend with a strong third place qualifying effort on Friday. Due to a splitter issue discovered in pre-race inspections, however, NASCAR made him start at the rear of the field, along with teammates Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones. Once the green flag waved, Busch wasted no time working his way forward. Before the end of lap 1, he had climbed to the 27th spot. By lap 5, he had gained 4 more positions as older brother Kurt Busch continued to pace the field. The younger Busch got his #18 M&Ms Red White & Blue Camry back inside the top 20 on lap 11 and was determined to keep climbing. On lap 20, spotter Tony Hirschman told Busch he had "fastest lap on the track right there" as Busch hunted down teammate Daniel Suarez, looking for the 17th position. Three laps later, he got it. He held that position until the scheduled competition caution came out on lap 25.
With the first pit stops of the day coming under this caution flag, crew chief Adam Stevens reminded his driver that the pit box was still a bit wet and warned him to be careful making his entry into the box because of it. Busch landed in his box cleanly and the crew went to work. 14.7 seconds later, Busch was on his way with four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. The quick work of his crew gained him three positions, allowing him to line up in the 14th position for the lap 29 restart.
After some initial shuffling when the green flag came back out, Busch continued his march to the front. When the caution flew for the second time on lap 35 for an incident involving the #43 of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. and the #38 of David Ragan, ending Ragan's day, Busch was up to 12th. Stevens told him they would be staying out under this caution since there were less than 10 green flag laps on this set of tires. The rest of the leaders did likewise, keeping Busch in the 12th spot for the lap 40 restart.
With the green flag in the air once again, Busch cleared worked his way into the top 10 before the field reached turn 1. He advanced two more positions before he crossed the start/finish line. Busch was clearly on a mission. On lap 47 with just 13 laps to go in the first stage, the #12 of Ryan Blaney took the lead from the elder Busch brother, the first time the lead changed hands. Meanwhile, the younger Busch was still running in the eighth position, trying to run down Hamlin for seventh. By lap 51, Busch was getting frustrated, having run Hamlin down several times but being unable to pass him, and let his feelings be known on his radio. "That's the fourth time! The fourth (expletive) time I've run him down!" Busch vented. On lap 55, Busch finally completed the pass on Hamlin for seventh. Busch got it done just in time, as the caution flew for the third time on lap 56 for a spin by the #6 of Matt Kenseth. Busch and Stevens talked pit stop strategy and decided to pit if pit road opened, questionable due to how few laps were left before the end of Stage 1. NASCAR opted not to open pit road and instead give the field the green with just one lap to go before the end of the stage. The restart was mayhem-inducing with such a short run to the end of the stage. Busch got shuffled from seventh all the way back to 12th in that one lap and voiced his annoyance to his crew as he took the green checkered flag to end Stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #4 of Kevin Harvick, Hamlin, the #2 of Brad Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, the #24 of William Byron, the #22 of Joey Logano, and the #10 of Aric Almirola.
The field made their pit stops during the stage break and Busch returned to the track with four frsh tires and fuel in the 15th position as Stage 2 got underway on lap 65. Caution would fly for the fifth time before even one lap was complete, this time for a wreck involving Busch's teammate Suarez and the #21 of Paul Menard. Busch was up to 10th when the yellow came out and restarted there on lap 70. By lap 80, Busch was up to seventh and climbing as Harvick led the field up front.
The sixth caution of the day flew for Kyle Larson spinning as he came out of turn 4, a spin that would continue down the front stretch into the grass. Crew chief Adam Stevens came over the radio, saying "We're in a window. What do you need here?" Busch responded with information about how the car was handling. Busch came down pit road for a two-tire stop, right sides only, and fuel. He lined up for the restart on lap 90 in the fifth position, his crew once again gaining him ground with their quick work. As Harvick quickly retook the lead from Menard, who had opted to stay out, Busch worked to continue his trek toward the front of the pack. Busch maintained his position over the next 24 laps, finally taking fourth from the fading Menard on lap 114 with just 6 laps remaining in the second stage. Busch would still be in that fourth spot as the green checkers flew on lap 120, marking the end of Stage 2.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Menard, Blaney, Keselowski, the #1 of Jamie McMurray, the #20 of Erik Jones, and Byron.
As weather closed in, pit strategy during the stage break was crucial. Stevens called his driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Many of the leaders did the same, keeping Busch in the fourth position for the restart on lap 125. As the field got back to green flag conditions, Busch quickly took third from older brother Kurt and, just as quickly, Kurt took third back on the following lap. Up front, Bowyer took the lead away from teammate Harvick. Spotter Hirschman reported "mist is picking up here" on lap 127. The #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the day's eighth caution on lap 128 as he wrecked in turn 2. Adam Stevens told his driver to stay on the race track and preserve his track position. On lap 131, with the rain picking up, NASCAR told the teams they would be bringing the field down pit road the next time by. The pace car, however, stayed on the track and spotter Hirschman, seeing this, yelled "Stay out! stay out! Trust me stay out!" over the scanner. Busch followed his spotter's direction, realizing there might be an opportunity to grab a win out from under everyone this way. He was actually even scored as the leader briefly when lap 133 began but NASCAR brought him and the rest who'd stayed out with him down pit road before the next lap could be scored. They then informed the teams and the fans that the lineup would revert to that scored on lap 132.
As Busch's luck would have it, the rain started coming down harder and the track was quickly lost to Mother Nature. With no break in the weather in sight nor lights at MIS, NASCAR was forced to call the race at 6:47 p.m. Clint Bowyer was declared the winner and Busch finished in the fourth position.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Bowyer
P2 – Harvick
P3 – Kurt Busch
P4 – Kyle Busch
P5 – Menard
P6 – Keselowski
P7 – Logano
P8 – Blaney
P9 – Chase Elliott
P10 – McMurray
Next up: The series heads to wine country for some road course racing at Sonoma Raceway.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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FireKeepers Casino 400 Advance
June 7, 2018
Venue: Michigan International Speedway
The Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Date: Sunday, June 10, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is coming to my home track, Michigan International Speedway, for the FireKeepers Casino 400. MIS, as it is more commonly known, is a quick 40 minute drive down US-12 from home into the beautiful Irish Hills area for this OR. I have been coming to MIS for the last 13 years for NASCAR racing, a good chunk of time for a track that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season.
It would be nice to be able to say that my home track has been kind to Kyle Busch over the years but, sadly, this would not be true. Busch has finished outside the top 20 in 8 of his 26 total starts at MIS. He has only recorded one win here, back in August of 2011.
To say this OR was a happy cookie girl that day would be an extreme understatement. I was fortunate enough to have one of my "cookie monsters", as I call them, hand me a Victory Lane hat on their way out that day. A special memento to go along with all of the amazing memories from that win.
As MIS begins its 50th anniversary celebration, let's look at some of Busch's historical stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Not very impressive, to be sure. However, Busch has proven to have strong cars just about everywhere this team has unloaded this season. Crew chief Adam Stevens and the rest of that #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team are making a strong run toward a second title this year, so expect nothing less than their best effort this weekend.
Will Busch finally grab a second win at this OR's home track? Tune in and find out! That said, if you will be joining the fun at MIS this weekend, send me a tweet. There are actually a few of us from Ladies of Speed who will be track side this weekend and we'd love to meet you. I, personally, will be at the track with our Harvick/Bowyer OR, Crystal Titus, as she is with me for a well earned vacation full of fast cars and track time.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:10 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FOX (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
June 7, 2018
Venue: Michigan International Speedway
The Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Date: Sunday, June 10, 2018
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is coming to my home track, Michigan International Speedway, for the FireKeepers Casino 400. MIS, as it is more commonly known, is a quick 40 minute drive down US-12 from home into the beautiful Irish Hills area for this OR. I have been coming to MIS for the last 13 years for NASCAR racing, a good chunk of time for a track that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season.
It would be nice to be able to say that my home track has been kind to Kyle Busch over the years but, sadly, this would not be true. Busch has finished outside the top 20 in 8 of his 26 total starts at MIS. He has only recorded one win here, back in August of 2011.
To say this OR was a happy cookie girl that day would be an extreme understatement. I was fortunate enough to have one of my "cookie monsters", as I call them, hand me a Victory Lane hat on their way out that day. A special memento to go along with all of the amazing memories from that win.
As MIS begins its 50th anniversary celebration, let's look at some of Busch's historical stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Michigan start: Pole, once, June 2008
- Highest Michigan finish: Winner, once, August 2011
- Average Michigan start: 13.4
- Average Michigan finish: 19.5
- Average Michigan I start: 12.1
- Average Michigan I finish: 18.8
Not very impressive, to be sure. However, Busch has proven to have strong cars just about everywhere this team has unloaded this season. Crew chief Adam Stevens and the rest of that #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team are making a strong run toward a second title this year, so expect nothing less than their best effort this weekend.
Will Busch finally grab a second win at this OR's home track? Tune in and find out! That said, if you will be joining the fun at MIS this weekend, send me a tweet. There are actually a few of us from Ladies of Speed who will be track side this weekend and we'd love to meet you. I, personally, will be at the track with our Harvick/Bowyer OR, Crystal Titus, as she is with me for a well earned vacation full of fast cars and track time.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:10 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FOX (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Pocono 400
June 3, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
The Race: Pocono 400 (160 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 50/100/160 laps
Pole: Ryan Blaney
18 Team Start: 5th
18 Team Finish: 3rd
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series went for a ride around Pocono Raceway, a.k.a. the "Tricky Triangle". Coming off one of the biggest wins of his career in the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend, Kyle Busch headed into the mountains of Long Pond, PA with serious momentum. He recorded his first win at Pocono last summer and was looking to add a second.
Busch started the weekend with a strong fifth place qualifying effort during Friday's session. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney won the pole position. Track position can be an important factor on the Tricky Triangle, so qualifying well gave Busch a good chance to make a return trip to Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday brought some typical mountain weather with it, dawning a bit damp. The weather cleared, however, and the green flag waved over the field right on schedule just after 2 p.m. Eastern. Busch immediately went to work, moving his #18 Red, White, and Blue M&Ms Camry into the third position by lap 2 as Blaney continued to lead the field. Two laps later, Busch passed the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing machine of Kevin Harvick for second place. Busch could not catch Blaney, however, and found himself back in Harvick's clutches on lap 8. Both Harvick and the #78 Furniture Row Racing machine of Martin Truex Jr. got by Busch on that lap, dropping him to fourth. Busch came on the radio to tell his crew that he was having problems passing other cars at that point.
On lap 12, Harvick took the lead from Blaney as Busch continued to hold the fourth position. As the green flag run continued, Busch gave his Joe Gibbs Racing crew more information on how his car was handling. "Tight through the bumps in 2 and off of 2," Busch commented around lap 15, along with some additional specifics for his team to consider as they approached the first pit stop of the day.
The first round of green flag pit stops began on lap 16 but Busch stayed on the race track for several more laps, finally making his stop on lap 23. His #18 crew worked quickly to give him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments. He reentered the track in 16th position and waited for the pit stop cycle to complete. By lap 30, the only car left to pit was the #2 of Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski and Busch was riding directly behind him in the second position. Two laps later, Harvick caught up to Busch and passed him for what would become the race lead once Keselowski came to pit road. "I don't know what we did to it but we killed it... It's junk," Busch lamented around lap 33 as he once again found himself in the fourth position.
Keselowski finally pitted on lap 34, putting Harvick in the lead and Truex in second, with Busch running behind them in third. As the remaining laps in the first stage wound down, Busch held the third position while the battle up front heated up. Truex took the lead from Harvick on lap 44 with just six laps remaining in the stage. Harvick tried to chase him back down but ran out of time as the green checkered flag waved on lap 50 to mark the end of Stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, Busch, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #11 of Denny Hamlin, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, and Keselowski.
Busch, along with all the other leaders, pitted during the stage break. His crew worked fast, giving him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments that would give him back the strength he'd had early in the first stage before his first trip down pit road. The crew's quick work preserved Busch's track position and, as the second stage went green on lap 57, he restarted in fourth. Busch again went to work and quickly grabbed third before the first green flag lap was complete.
On lap 62, Busch caught and passed Keselowski for second and worked to start closing the gap to leader Harvick. He was still in the second position when he pitted for his second green flag stop of the day on lap 78. The crew gave him another fresh set of tires and fuel and sent him on his way, putting him back on the track in 12th as the green flag pit stop cycle continued. The cycle completed on lap 85 and Busch found himself back in the second position behind Harvick. Crew chief Adam Stevens asked his driver how the car was handling. "It's a little bit better... It's good" was Busch's reply. A lap or two later brought more comments from the driver. "Car's definitely better. I don't know what to do now," Busch said. This was in reference to trying to catch the #4 machine out front.
With less than 10 laps to go in Stage 2, Busch had closed the gap to Harvick somewhat as the drivers navigated lapped traffic around lap 92. Busch tried but could not catch Harvick in the few remaining laps and finished the second stage in second. Harvick took the stage win as the green checkered flag flew over the field on lap 100.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Busch, Bowyer, Truex, Elliott, Larson, Keselowski, Blaney, Johnson, and the #88 of Alex Bowman.
Again, all the leaders pitted during the stage break. Busch's crew completed the stop in just over 14 seconds and sent him back out for the restart in the third position. Harvick and the #3 of Austin Dillon came out ahead of him. The field got back to green flag racing on lap 107 and Busch easily passed Dillon for second. On lap 108, something broke in the #43 machine of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., leaving him with no power. Wallace made it safely to pit road, however, resulting in no need for the caution flag to be displayed.
Things got a bit hot on the track on lap 117 as the #32 machine of Matt DiBenedetto developed a fire under the right front fender. It appeared to be a brake fire. He limped his wounded GoFas Racing machine to the garage safely, again resulting in no caution flag. Busch continued to run in the second position behind Harvick as all of this was going on.
The first incident-related caution flag came out on lap 124 as Larson got into the #99 machine of Derrike Cope, sending Cope spinning. Busch wryly commented, "Well that just ruined all the drama in this race." The caution flag came at a good time for Busch to make another pit stop, so he did. His crew laid down a blistering 13.647 second stop and, by doing so, handed their driver the lead for the first time all afternoon. The restart came on lap 129 and Busch took full advantage of the solid work his crew had done, getting away from the rest of the field cleanly.
As Busch worked to enlarge the gap between his car and the rest of the field, the caution flag came out once again on lap 138, this time for a large piece of debris on the track. Being the leader, Busch was in a difficult position regarding pit stops. Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road but the second and third place cars, Harvick and Truex, opted to stay out. Both Busch and Stevens believed the advantage fresh tires offered over the long run was worth the loss of track position in the short run. Busch's crew laid down another solid four tire stop and sent their driver out for the restart on lap 143 in the eighth position, the first car with four fresh tires. Would it be enough with less than 20 laps remaining?
Green flag back in the air! Busch shot straight to fourth as the #78 of Truex grabbed the lead. The green flag run was short lived, however. An incident involving Hamlin and Bowman brought the caution back out on lap 146. Hamlin got loose and slid up into Bowman, sending Bowman into the outside wall and Hamlin into the inside wall, leaving Bowman with significant rear end damage and ending Hamlin's day. Busch stayed out under this caution, having just been on pit road less than 10 laps ago.
The restart came with just 10 laps to go on lap 150. Busch restarted fourth and was trying to move forward as the #22 of Joey Logano and the #20 of Erik Jones got together behind him and brought the caution right back out before the entirety of the field had even reached the Start/Finish line. NASCAR re-racked the field for the lap 153 restart in the same order, minus the damaged cars, as they had been for the lap 150 restart. With just seven laps to go, Busch knew he had to work fast. He grabbed third coming out of turn 3 , chasing Larson for second as Truex led the way. Five laps to go, Busch was still trying to hunt down Larson for the second spot. Time was quickly running out. As Truex continued to build his lead out front in clean air, Busch knew he just had to take what the car was giving him in the final few laps. The checkers waved on lap 160 for Truex and Busch brought home a clean race car in third. Not the win he was hoping for but still a solid finish.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Truex
P2 – Larson
P3 – Busch
P4 – Harvick
P5 – Keselowski
P6 – Blaney
P7 – Aric Almirola
P8 – Johnson
P9 – Logano
P10 – Elliott
Next up: The series heads to the high banks of Michigan International Speedway to dance a high-speed jig in the Irish Hills.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
June 3, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
The Race: Pocono 400 (160 laps, 400 miles)
Stage Ends: 50/100/160 laps
Pole: Ryan Blaney
18 Team Start: 5th
18 Team Finish: 3rd
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series went for a ride around Pocono Raceway, a.k.a. the "Tricky Triangle". Coming off one of the biggest wins of his career in the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend, Kyle Busch headed into the mountains of Long Pond, PA with serious momentum. He recorded his first win at Pocono last summer and was looking to add a second.
Busch started the weekend with a strong fifth place qualifying effort during Friday's session. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney won the pole position. Track position can be an important factor on the Tricky Triangle, so qualifying well gave Busch a good chance to make a return trip to Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday brought some typical mountain weather with it, dawning a bit damp. The weather cleared, however, and the green flag waved over the field right on schedule just after 2 p.m. Eastern. Busch immediately went to work, moving his #18 Red, White, and Blue M&Ms Camry into the third position by lap 2 as Blaney continued to lead the field. Two laps later, Busch passed the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing machine of Kevin Harvick for second place. Busch could not catch Blaney, however, and found himself back in Harvick's clutches on lap 8. Both Harvick and the #78 Furniture Row Racing machine of Martin Truex Jr. got by Busch on that lap, dropping him to fourth. Busch came on the radio to tell his crew that he was having problems passing other cars at that point.
On lap 12, Harvick took the lead from Blaney as Busch continued to hold the fourth position. As the green flag run continued, Busch gave his Joe Gibbs Racing crew more information on how his car was handling. "Tight through the bumps in 2 and off of 2," Busch commented around lap 15, along with some additional specifics for his team to consider as they approached the first pit stop of the day.
The first round of green flag pit stops began on lap 16 but Busch stayed on the race track for several more laps, finally making his stop on lap 23. His #18 crew worked quickly to give him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments. He reentered the track in 16th position and waited for the pit stop cycle to complete. By lap 30, the only car left to pit was the #2 of Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski and Busch was riding directly behind him in the second position. Two laps later, Harvick caught up to Busch and passed him for what would become the race lead once Keselowski came to pit road. "I don't know what we did to it but we killed it... It's junk," Busch lamented around lap 33 as he once again found himself in the fourth position.
Keselowski finally pitted on lap 34, putting Harvick in the lead and Truex in second, with Busch running behind them in third. As the remaining laps in the first stage wound down, Busch held the third position while the battle up front heated up. Truex took the lead from Harvick on lap 44 with just six laps remaining in the stage. Harvick tried to chase him back down but ran out of time as the green checkered flag waved on lap 50 to mark the end of Stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Truex, Harvick, Busch, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, the #11 of Denny Hamlin, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, and Keselowski.
Busch, along with all the other leaders, pitted during the stage break. His crew worked fast, giving him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments that would give him back the strength he'd had early in the first stage before his first trip down pit road. The crew's quick work preserved Busch's track position and, as the second stage went green on lap 57, he restarted in fourth. Busch again went to work and quickly grabbed third before the first green flag lap was complete.
On lap 62, Busch caught and passed Keselowski for second and worked to start closing the gap to leader Harvick. He was still in the second position when he pitted for his second green flag stop of the day on lap 78. The crew gave him another fresh set of tires and fuel and sent him on his way, putting him back on the track in 12th as the green flag pit stop cycle continued. The cycle completed on lap 85 and Busch found himself back in the second position behind Harvick. Crew chief Adam Stevens asked his driver how the car was handling. "It's a little bit better... It's good" was Busch's reply. A lap or two later brought more comments from the driver. "Car's definitely better. I don't know what to do now," Busch said. This was in reference to trying to catch the #4 machine out front.
With less than 10 laps to go in Stage 2, Busch had closed the gap to Harvick somewhat as the drivers navigated lapped traffic around lap 92. Busch tried but could not catch Harvick in the few remaining laps and finished the second stage in second. Harvick took the stage win as the green checkered flag flew over the field on lap 100.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Harvick, Busch, Bowyer, Truex, Elliott, Larson, Keselowski, Blaney, Johnson, and the #88 of Alex Bowman.
Again, all the leaders pitted during the stage break. Busch's crew completed the stop in just over 14 seconds and sent him back out for the restart in the third position. Harvick and the #3 of Austin Dillon came out ahead of him. The field got back to green flag racing on lap 107 and Busch easily passed Dillon for second. On lap 108, something broke in the #43 machine of Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., leaving him with no power. Wallace made it safely to pit road, however, resulting in no need for the caution flag to be displayed.
Things got a bit hot on the track on lap 117 as the #32 machine of Matt DiBenedetto developed a fire under the right front fender. It appeared to be a brake fire. He limped his wounded GoFas Racing machine to the garage safely, again resulting in no caution flag. Busch continued to run in the second position behind Harvick as all of this was going on.
The first incident-related caution flag came out on lap 124 as Larson got into the #99 machine of Derrike Cope, sending Cope spinning. Busch wryly commented, "Well that just ruined all the drama in this race." The caution flag came at a good time for Busch to make another pit stop, so he did. His crew laid down a blistering 13.647 second stop and, by doing so, handed their driver the lead for the first time all afternoon. The restart came on lap 129 and Busch took full advantage of the solid work his crew had done, getting away from the rest of the field cleanly.
As Busch worked to enlarge the gap between his car and the rest of the field, the caution flag came out once again on lap 138, this time for a large piece of debris on the track. Being the leader, Busch was in a difficult position regarding pit stops. Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road but the second and third place cars, Harvick and Truex, opted to stay out. Both Busch and Stevens believed the advantage fresh tires offered over the long run was worth the loss of track position in the short run. Busch's crew laid down another solid four tire stop and sent their driver out for the restart on lap 143 in the eighth position, the first car with four fresh tires. Would it be enough with less than 20 laps remaining?
Green flag back in the air! Busch shot straight to fourth as the #78 of Truex grabbed the lead. The green flag run was short lived, however. An incident involving Hamlin and Bowman brought the caution back out on lap 146. Hamlin got loose and slid up into Bowman, sending Bowman into the outside wall and Hamlin into the inside wall, leaving Bowman with significant rear end damage and ending Hamlin's day. Busch stayed out under this caution, having just been on pit road less than 10 laps ago.
The restart came with just 10 laps to go on lap 150. Busch restarted fourth and was trying to move forward as the #22 of Joey Logano and the #20 of Erik Jones got together behind him and brought the caution right back out before the entirety of the field had even reached the Start/Finish line. NASCAR re-racked the field for the lap 153 restart in the same order, minus the damaged cars, as they had been for the lap 150 restart. With just seven laps to go, Busch knew he had to work fast. He grabbed third coming out of turn 3 , chasing Larson for second as Truex led the way. Five laps to go, Busch was still trying to hunt down Larson for the second spot. Time was quickly running out. As Truex continued to build his lead out front in clean air, Busch knew he just had to take what the car was giving him in the final few laps. The checkers waved on lap 160 for Truex and Busch brought home a clean race car in third. Not the win he was hoping for but still a solid finish.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Truex
P2 – Larson
P3 – Busch
P4 – Harvick
P5 – Keselowski
P6 – Blaney
P7 – Aric Almirola
P8 – Johnson
P9 – Logano
P10 – Elliott
Next up: The series heads to the high banks of Michigan International Speedway to dance a high-speed jig in the Irish Hills.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Pocono 400 Advance
May 31, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway
The Race: Pocono 400
The Date: Sunday, June 3, 2018
This weekend, the series is off to the Tricky Triangle, Pocono Raceway, for the Pocono 400. Pocono is a track with its own set of challenges, as it features only three turns instead of the four typically seen on other tracks. Drivers and teams often struggle to get their cars handling well in all three of the unique turns, each having been designed to mimic turns from other famous race tracks.
Trivia: Which tracks are the turns based on? Look it up and find out! Most teams end up sacrificing some handling in one turn, as long as they get a good handle on the other two. Which turn is sacrificed varies by team.
Kyle Busch finally broke through for his very first win here late last summer in the July race. He has yet to notch a victory in the June event. Coming off a dominant victory in last weekend's Coca-Cola 600, this team has the momentum to change that record this Sunday.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Out of 13 spring race starts, Busch only has two DNFs here, one in 2008 resulting from a crash and one in 2012 as a result of a blown engine. However, he has also notched 7 top-10 finishes. While Pocono is not his strongest track, it is far from his worst. Look for crew chief Adam Stevens and the rest of that 18 bunch to be fired up as they look to get Busch his second win in as many weeks, as well as his second win in a row at this track.
Will Busch go on another winning streak like he has already done earlier this season? Tune in and find out.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS2 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
May 31, 2018
Venue: Pocono Raceway
The Race: Pocono 400
The Date: Sunday, June 3, 2018
This weekend, the series is off to the Tricky Triangle, Pocono Raceway, for the Pocono 400. Pocono is a track with its own set of challenges, as it features only three turns instead of the four typically seen on other tracks. Drivers and teams often struggle to get their cars handling well in all three of the unique turns, each having been designed to mimic turns from other famous race tracks.
Trivia: Which tracks are the turns based on? Look it up and find out! Most teams end up sacrificing some handling in one turn, as long as they get a good handle on the other two. Which turn is sacrificed varies by team.
Kyle Busch finally broke through for his very first win here late last summer in the July race. He has yet to notch a victory in the June event. Coming off a dominant victory in last weekend's Coca-Cola 600, this team has the momentum to change that record this Sunday.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Pocono start: Pole, four times, swept both 2017 poles
- Highest Pocono finish: Winner, once, July 2017
- Average Pocono start: 11.6
- Average Pocono finish: 17.5
- Average Pocono I start: 11.0
- Average Pocono I finish: 15.5
Out of 13 spring race starts, Busch only has two DNFs here, one in 2008 resulting from a crash and one in 2012 as a result of a blown engine. However, he has also notched 7 top-10 finishes. While Pocono is not his strongest track, it is far from his worst. Look for crew chief Adam Stevens and the rest of that 18 bunch to be fired up as they look to get Busch his second win in as many weeks, as well as his second win in a row at this track.
Will Busch go on another winning streak like he has already done earlier this season? Tune in and find out.
Qualifying: Friday, 4:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS2 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
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Coca-Cola 600 Recap
May 27th, 2018
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
The Race: Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles)
Stage Ends: 100/200/300/400 laps
The Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
18 Team Start: POLE!
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wrapped up two weeks at home in Charlotte with the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. After only managing a ninth place finish in last weekend’s “bragging rights only” All-Star event, Kyle Busch was hungry for a better result in this marathon event. In 28 previous Cup Series points-event starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch had yet to score a win. He has won at every other track currently being raced on in the Cup Series and Charlotte was the lone “0-fer” still waiting to be checked off his list.
Busch started out the weekend by grabbing the pole in Thursday night’s qualifying session. This marked his first pole run since the Bristol race in mid-April and his first pole run at Charlotte since the fall of 2014. By qualifying on the pole, Busch secured the rights to select the #1 pit stall on pit road. This gave him a slight advantage over his competition when he visited pit road throughout the race, as he could not be boxed into his stall and was always assured of a clear exit. A strong start for his 29th attempt at a points race victory at NASCAR’s home track.
Sunday brought good weather with it, in spite of a less-than-stellar forecast earlier in the week. A beautiful, albeit hot, afternoon transitioned into an equally beautiful evening as Busch led the field to the green flag just after 6 p.m. local time. The #22 of Joey Logano started in second place alongside Busch and managed to take the lead away in turns 1 and 2 of the first lap under green. Busch stayed close, however, and took the lead back coming out of turn 4 on lap 4 as he and Logano approached the start/finish line. By lap 10, Busch had built a sizable lead over the rest of the field, including second-place Erik Jones. His lead continued to build over the next several laps, with Busch providing insights into the Red White & Blue M&Ms Camry’s handling to crew chief Adam Stevens throughout the run.
Lap 36 brought the night’s first caution, as the #3 of Austin Dillon had a right rear tire go flat. Busch and Stevens discussed what needed to be done on the pit stop and Busch led the field down pit road for the first pit stops of the race. The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing over-the-wall crew did their job quickly and preserved Busch’s lead as they sent him off pit road ready for the lap 43 restart. Busch restarted alongside the #11 FedEx Camry of teammate Denny Hamlin. Hamlin was able to stay close initially but Busch quickly began to pull away and once again put distance between his #18 machine and the rest of the field. As this OR watched the race from the stands, the strength of Busch’s car was clear. Comments in the group were made that this was the best his car had looked at Charlotte since the freak cable-cam incident damaged his car while he was leading the 600 in 2013, ultimately resulting in a blown engine and a disappointing DNF for the #18 team in that race.
Lap 83 brought the night’s second yellow flag for the #4 of Kevin Harvick. Harvick’s right front tire blew and he made heavy contact with the outside wall in turn 3, ending his night very early. Busch was still your leader as the field came down pit road once again with less than 20 laps to go in the first of the night’s four stages. The M&Ms crew once again delivered a stellar performance and got Busch back off pit road first. The leader for the restart, however, was the #2 of Brad Keselowski, as he missed his pit box on pit road and opted to just stay out rather than try to pit again with so few laps left in the stage. The restart came on lap 88 and, predictably, Keselowski dropped through the field like a rock on his older tires. Busch grabbed the lead easily by the time the field entered turn 1 and took off, once again distancing himself from the field. The green checkered flag flew on lap 100 to mark the end of this 600-mile marathon’s first stage. Busch easily led the field to that flag.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Busch, the #12 of Ryan Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, Hamlin, the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Jones.
Busch pitted during the stage break and the crew laid down another solid 4-tire stop, once again preserving his lead for the start of green flag racing in stage 2 on lap 107. Blaney lined up in second next to the #18 and, like others before him, he stayed close initially but quickly lost ground to Busch as the #18 machine settled into a smooth rhythm and pulled away. Green flag racing would be short-lived, however, as the caution flew for the third time for the #24 of William Byron finding the wall the hard way in turns 1 and 2. With so few laps on his tires, Busch and Stevens agreed the best call was to stay out under this caution and save fresh tires for later. As the field once again took the green flag on lap 119, Busch got back to work, only to see that yellow flag back in the air for the #48 machine of Johnson going for a spin in turns 3 and 4, causing Logano to check up and Jones to get into Logano as they tried to avoid the spinning Lowe’s machine.
After a “quickie” yellow, the field returned to green flag racing on lap 123. Busch had Larson beside him this time, but the result was the same, as Larson stayed close briefly before falling back to hold the second spot. On lap 130, the #78 of Truex got past Larson for the second spot as Busch continued to lead the field. By lap 133, Busch held a 2.2 second lead over Truex. On lap 141, Byron found the wall again but made it to pit road safely, so NASCAR did not throw the caution flag. By lap 156, green flag pit stops had begun. Two laps later, Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for his green flag stop.
Busch pitted from the lead for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel and returned to the track in the thirteenth position as he waited for the green flag cycle to complete. By lap 173, Busch had caught and passed the 22 of Logano to regain the lead. Busch had built up a 2.7 second lead over the rest of the field by lap 180, with just 20 laps left to go in stage 2. As he began to navigate heavy lapped traffic, his lead continued to hold steady over the second-place Truex machine. When the green checkered flag flew on lap 200 to mark the end of stage 2 and the halfway point in the race, Busch continued to lead the way. For those keeping score at home, Busch led 179 of the event’s first 200 laps.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Busch, Truex, Larson, Hamlin, Bowyer, Almirola, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Johnson, the #31 of Ryan Newman, and Jones.
As with the last stage break, Busch again came to pit road during this stage break. His crew delivered another solid 4-tire stop and he once again won the race off of pit road to lead the field for the start of stage 3 green flag racing conditions on lap 207. After a brief battle with Hamlin for the lead, Busch cleared him and again began putting distance between himself and the rest of the field. As those in the industry say, Busch’s car appeared to be “on rails”. Just three laps into this green flag run, his lead was already up to 1.5 seconds and growing. By the time the caution flew on lap 225 for the #23 of Gray Gaulding going for a spin in turn 4, Busch was well out in front. Adam Stevens once again called his driver to pit road for service on that stellar #18 machine. On this stop, Busch asked that his crew give him some water and ice, along with the four fresh tires and fuel they were planning on. The crew laid down yet another solid stop, once again preserving Busch’s position at the front of the field for the lap 230 restart.
Busch quickly cleared the second-place car of teammate Hamlin going into turn 2 but had the #42 of Larson hot on his heels. Larson stayed close longer than most but still found himself falling behind the #18 by lap 232. By lap 235, Busch’s lead was almost 1 second over the second place Larson. Crew chief Adam Stevens fed his driver lap times as Busch searched for the best possible line around the track to protect his lead. By lap 240, Busch found himself in lapped traffic but was able to navigate it well with help from his spotter Tony Hirschman. Halfway through the stage, green flag pit stops began once again. Stevens reminded Busch that everyone would need to pit before the end of the stage and told his driver, “We’re gonna go hard here. We’ll keep you posted.”
As luck would have it, Busch had not yet pitted when the caution flew on lap 258 for a spin in turn 4 by the #37 of Chris Buescher. He pitted along with the other leaders once pit road opened, telling Stevens his car was “pretty even for as far as what side you want to do” in reference to slight adjustments they planned on making. Busch’s crew continued to earn their money, performing yet another solid 4-tire stop and once again protecting their driver’s track position. The restart came on lap 264 and Busch once again cleared the field as Hamlin was left to battle with the #1 of Jamie McMurray for the second spot. Caution again flew on lap 272 as Larson lost it in turn 2 and went for a spin.
With only 7 green flag laps on the tires, Stevens told his driver they would stay out under this caution. Some leaders chose to pit, however, adding some drama to the restart on lap 277. Keselowski was the first car with four fresh tires and restarted the race in 14th but began moving forward quickly. Meanwhile, Busch quickly cleared the field at the front of the pack and began distancing himself from the rest of the field once again. Just one lap later, the #12 machine of Ryan Blaney burst into flames going down the front stretch. This was a scary sight to see for those of us seated in the area, as flames appeared to engulf the car entirely. Blaney brought the car to a safe stop in turns 1 and 2 and quickly jumped out. He was fine. All in attendance breathed a sigh of relief as a round of applause erupted in the stands when he was shown on the big screen walking to the ambulance under his own power for the mandatory ride to the infield care center.
The restart came on lap 285 with just 15 laps remaining in the third stage. Busch led the way and got away from the rest of the field cleanly as the #20 of Erik Jones grabbed the second spot. Busch’s lead grew as the laps ticked down. No one could keep up with that M&Ms machine. The green checkered flag flew for Busch once again on lap 300, bringing the night’s third stage to a close.
The top ten at the end of Stage 3 were: Busch, Jones, Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, McMurray, Hamlin, the #95 of Kasey Kahne, Truex, Stenhouse, and Newman.
Busch once again took advantage of the stage break to visit pit road for another set of four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. “I’ll take a Gatorade” came the call from the driver as he came in for service. Busch’s crew showed no signs of weakness or fatigue, as they laid down another fast stop to protect Busch’s lead for the restart on lap 307.
As the field got back to green flag racing conditions in this final stage, Keselowski started alongside Busch. Busch cleared him but Keselowski hung on in second. By lap 315, however, Busch was once again showing the strength of his Red White & Blue M&Ms Camry, having pulled out to a 2.1 second lead. He showed no signs of slowing down. This was a man on a mission.
By lap 345, Busch’s lead was almost seven seconds over second-place Truex. As Busch began to find himself in heavy lapped traffic on lap 350, he voiced some concern about navigating through it. Stevens reassured him that all was fine and they would be pitting soon. Two laps later, Busch was on pit road for his final scheduled stop of the night. His crew did not disappoint, delivering yet another fast 4-tire stop. Busch went back out on the track and waited for the green flag pit stop cycle to complete.
He cycled back into the lead on lap 355, with Keselowski giving chase in second place, 3.75 seconds behind him. Truex caught and passed Keselowski for second on lap 365 but Busch was almost 6.5 seconds ahead of them at that point. Over the next several laps, Busch again found himself in heavy traffic, with his lead shrinking to 3.8 seconds by lap 395 with just five laps remaining in the race. There were only 9 cars remaining on the lead lap. His lead may have been shrinking but Busch had put on a clinic.
White flag in the air! Busch flashed under it, his lead growing slightly once again, leaving everyone behind him fighting for second. As the checkered flag went in the air, Busch thundered out of turn 4 and headed for the line one last time. Busch literally screamed (over the radio) toward the checkers with a commanding lead still in hand as spotter Hirschman cheered “Coke 600, guys!” over the radio. “Oh yes! You guys are amazing!” Busch exclaimed.
This OR just might have been yelling at the top of her lungs as he began his victory burnout. Busch got rid of his “0-fer” in absolutely dominant fashion. He led a total of 377 of the 400 laps and also passed 15,000 career laps led on route to his first Coca-Cola 600 victory. In doing so, Busch became the only driver in NASCAR history to win a points race at every Cup Series track where he has started a race. Quite the achievement.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Truex
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Keselowski
P5 – Johnson
P6 – McMurray
P7 – Larson
P8 – Kurt Busch
P9 – Alex Bowman
P10 – Stenhouse
Next up: The series heads to Pocono Raceway to tangle with the Tricky Triangle.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
All images in photo gallery: Sue Parzych
May 27th, 2018
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
The Race: Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles)
Stage Ends: 100/200/300/400 laps
The Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
18 Team Start: POLE!
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wrapped up two weeks at home in Charlotte with the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. After only managing a ninth place finish in last weekend’s “bragging rights only” All-Star event, Kyle Busch was hungry for a better result in this marathon event. In 28 previous Cup Series points-event starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch had yet to score a win. He has won at every other track currently being raced on in the Cup Series and Charlotte was the lone “0-fer” still waiting to be checked off his list.
Busch started out the weekend by grabbing the pole in Thursday night’s qualifying session. This marked his first pole run since the Bristol race in mid-April and his first pole run at Charlotte since the fall of 2014. By qualifying on the pole, Busch secured the rights to select the #1 pit stall on pit road. This gave him a slight advantage over his competition when he visited pit road throughout the race, as he could not be boxed into his stall and was always assured of a clear exit. A strong start for his 29th attempt at a points race victory at NASCAR’s home track.
Sunday brought good weather with it, in spite of a less-than-stellar forecast earlier in the week. A beautiful, albeit hot, afternoon transitioned into an equally beautiful evening as Busch led the field to the green flag just after 6 p.m. local time. The #22 of Joey Logano started in second place alongside Busch and managed to take the lead away in turns 1 and 2 of the first lap under green. Busch stayed close, however, and took the lead back coming out of turn 4 on lap 4 as he and Logano approached the start/finish line. By lap 10, Busch had built a sizable lead over the rest of the field, including second-place Erik Jones. His lead continued to build over the next several laps, with Busch providing insights into the Red White & Blue M&Ms Camry’s handling to crew chief Adam Stevens throughout the run.
Lap 36 brought the night’s first caution, as the #3 of Austin Dillon had a right rear tire go flat. Busch and Stevens discussed what needed to be done on the pit stop and Busch led the field down pit road for the first pit stops of the race. The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing over-the-wall crew did their job quickly and preserved Busch’s lead as they sent him off pit road ready for the lap 43 restart. Busch restarted alongside the #11 FedEx Camry of teammate Denny Hamlin. Hamlin was able to stay close initially but Busch quickly began to pull away and once again put distance between his #18 machine and the rest of the field. As this OR watched the race from the stands, the strength of Busch’s car was clear. Comments in the group were made that this was the best his car had looked at Charlotte since the freak cable-cam incident damaged his car while he was leading the 600 in 2013, ultimately resulting in a blown engine and a disappointing DNF for the #18 team in that race.
Lap 83 brought the night’s second yellow flag for the #4 of Kevin Harvick. Harvick’s right front tire blew and he made heavy contact with the outside wall in turn 3, ending his night very early. Busch was still your leader as the field came down pit road once again with less than 20 laps to go in the first of the night’s four stages. The M&Ms crew once again delivered a stellar performance and got Busch back off pit road first. The leader for the restart, however, was the #2 of Brad Keselowski, as he missed his pit box on pit road and opted to just stay out rather than try to pit again with so few laps left in the stage. The restart came on lap 88 and, predictably, Keselowski dropped through the field like a rock on his older tires. Busch grabbed the lead easily by the time the field entered turn 1 and took off, once again distancing himself from the field. The green checkered flag flew on lap 100 to mark the end of this 600-mile marathon’s first stage. Busch easily led the field to that flag.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Busch, the #12 of Ryan Blaney, the #42 of Kyle Larson, the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., the #48 of Jimmie Johnson, the #10 of Aric Almirola, the #14 of Clint Bowyer, Hamlin, the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Jones.
Busch pitted during the stage break and the crew laid down another solid 4-tire stop, once again preserving his lead for the start of green flag racing in stage 2 on lap 107. Blaney lined up in second next to the #18 and, like others before him, he stayed close initially but quickly lost ground to Busch as the #18 machine settled into a smooth rhythm and pulled away. Green flag racing would be short-lived, however, as the caution flew for the third time for the #24 of William Byron finding the wall the hard way in turns 1 and 2. With so few laps on his tires, Busch and Stevens agreed the best call was to stay out under this caution and save fresh tires for later. As the field once again took the green flag on lap 119, Busch got back to work, only to see that yellow flag back in the air for the #48 machine of Johnson going for a spin in turns 3 and 4, causing Logano to check up and Jones to get into Logano as they tried to avoid the spinning Lowe’s machine.
After a “quickie” yellow, the field returned to green flag racing on lap 123. Busch had Larson beside him this time, but the result was the same, as Larson stayed close briefly before falling back to hold the second spot. On lap 130, the #78 of Truex got past Larson for the second spot as Busch continued to lead the field. By lap 133, Busch held a 2.2 second lead over Truex. On lap 141, Byron found the wall again but made it to pit road safely, so NASCAR did not throw the caution flag. By lap 156, green flag pit stops had begun. Two laps later, Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for his green flag stop.
Busch pitted from the lead for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel and returned to the track in the thirteenth position as he waited for the green flag cycle to complete. By lap 173, Busch had caught and passed the 22 of Logano to regain the lead. Busch had built up a 2.7 second lead over the rest of the field by lap 180, with just 20 laps left to go in stage 2. As he began to navigate heavy lapped traffic, his lead continued to hold steady over the second-place Truex machine. When the green checkered flag flew on lap 200 to mark the end of stage 2 and the halfway point in the race, Busch continued to lead the way. For those keeping score at home, Busch led 179 of the event’s first 200 laps.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Busch, Truex, Larson, Hamlin, Bowyer, Almirola, the #9 of Chase Elliott, Johnson, the #31 of Ryan Newman, and Jones.
As with the last stage break, Busch again came to pit road during this stage break. His crew delivered another solid 4-tire stop and he once again won the race off of pit road to lead the field for the start of stage 3 green flag racing conditions on lap 207. After a brief battle with Hamlin for the lead, Busch cleared him and again began putting distance between himself and the rest of the field. As those in the industry say, Busch’s car appeared to be “on rails”. Just three laps into this green flag run, his lead was already up to 1.5 seconds and growing. By the time the caution flew on lap 225 for the #23 of Gray Gaulding going for a spin in turn 4, Busch was well out in front. Adam Stevens once again called his driver to pit road for service on that stellar #18 machine. On this stop, Busch asked that his crew give him some water and ice, along with the four fresh tires and fuel they were planning on. The crew laid down yet another solid stop, once again preserving Busch’s position at the front of the field for the lap 230 restart.
Busch quickly cleared the second-place car of teammate Hamlin going into turn 2 but had the #42 of Larson hot on his heels. Larson stayed close longer than most but still found himself falling behind the #18 by lap 232. By lap 235, Busch’s lead was almost 1 second over the second place Larson. Crew chief Adam Stevens fed his driver lap times as Busch searched for the best possible line around the track to protect his lead. By lap 240, Busch found himself in lapped traffic but was able to navigate it well with help from his spotter Tony Hirschman. Halfway through the stage, green flag pit stops began once again. Stevens reminded Busch that everyone would need to pit before the end of the stage and told his driver, “We’re gonna go hard here. We’ll keep you posted.”
As luck would have it, Busch had not yet pitted when the caution flew on lap 258 for a spin in turn 4 by the #37 of Chris Buescher. He pitted along with the other leaders once pit road opened, telling Stevens his car was “pretty even for as far as what side you want to do” in reference to slight adjustments they planned on making. Busch’s crew continued to earn their money, performing yet another solid 4-tire stop and once again protecting their driver’s track position. The restart came on lap 264 and Busch once again cleared the field as Hamlin was left to battle with the #1 of Jamie McMurray for the second spot. Caution again flew on lap 272 as Larson lost it in turn 2 and went for a spin.
With only 7 green flag laps on the tires, Stevens told his driver they would stay out under this caution. Some leaders chose to pit, however, adding some drama to the restart on lap 277. Keselowski was the first car with four fresh tires and restarted the race in 14th but began moving forward quickly. Meanwhile, Busch quickly cleared the field at the front of the pack and began distancing himself from the rest of the field once again. Just one lap later, the #12 machine of Ryan Blaney burst into flames going down the front stretch. This was a scary sight to see for those of us seated in the area, as flames appeared to engulf the car entirely. Blaney brought the car to a safe stop in turns 1 and 2 and quickly jumped out. He was fine. All in attendance breathed a sigh of relief as a round of applause erupted in the stands when he was shown on the big screen walking to the ambulance under his own power for the mandatory ride to the infield care center.
The restart came on lap 285 with just 15 laps remaining in the third stage. Busch led the way and got away from the rest of the field cleanly as the #20 of Erik Jones grabbed the second spot. Busch’s lead grew as the laps ticked down. No one could keep up with that M&Ms machine. The green checkered flag flew for Busch once again on lap 300, bringing the night’s third stage to a close.
The top ten at the end of Stage 3 were: Busch, Jones, Keselowski, the #41 of Kurt Busch, McMurray, Hamlin, the #95 of Kasey Kahne, Truex, Stenhouse, and Newman.
Busch once again took advantage of the stage break to visit pit road for another set of four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. “I’ll take a Gatorade” came the call from the driver as he came in for service. Busch’s crew showed no signs of weakness or fatigue, as they laid down another fast stop to protect Busch’s lead for the restart on lap 307.
As the field got back to green flag racing conditions in this final stage, Keselowski started alongside Busch. Busch cleared him but Keselowski hung on in second. By lap 315, however, Busch was once again showing the strength of his Red White & Blue M&Ms Camry, having pulled out to a 2.1 second lead. He showed no signs of slowing down. This was a man on a mission.
By lap 345, Busch’s lead was almost seven seconds over second-place Truex. As Busch began to find himself in heavy lapped traffic on lap 350, he voiced some concern about navigating through it. Stevens reassured him that all was fine and they would be pitting soon. Two laps later, Busch was on pit road for his final scheduled stop of the night. His crew did not disappoint, delivering yet another fast 4-tire stop. Busch went back out on the track and waited for the green flag pit stop cycle to complete.
He cycled back into the lead on lap 355, with Keselowski giving chase in second place, 3.75 seconds behind him. Truex caught and passed Keselowski for second on lap 365 but Busch was almost 6.5 seconds ahead of them at that point. Over the next several laps, Busch again found himself in heavy traffic, with his lead shrinking to 3.8 seconds by lap 395 with just five laps remaining in the race. There were only 9 cars remaining on the lead lap. His lead may have been shrinking but Busch had put on a clinic.
White flag in the air! Busch flashed under it, his lead growing slightly once again, leaving everyone behind him fighting for second. As the checkered flag went in the air, Busch thundered out of turn 4 and headed for the line one last time. Busch literally screamed (over the radio) toward the checkers with a commanding lead still in hand as spotter Hirschman cheered “Coke 600, guys!” over the radio. “Oh yes! You guys are amazing!” Busch exclaimed.
This OR just might have been yelling at the top of her lungs as he began his victory burnout. Busch got rid of his “0-fer” in absolutely dominant fashion. He led a total of 377 of the 400 laps and also passed 15,000 career laps led on route to his first Coca-Cola 600 victory. In doing so, Busch became the only driver in NASCAR history to win a points race at every Cup Series track where he has started a race. Quite the achievement.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Truex
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Keselowski
P5 – Johnson
P6 – McMurray
P7 – Larson
P8 – Kurt Busch
P9 – Alex Bowman
P10 – Stenhouse
Next up: The series heads to Pocono Raceway to tangle with the Tricky Triangle.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Shop now for Kyle Busch gear!
All images in photo gallery: Sue Parzych
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Coca-Cola 600 Advance
May 27, 2018
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Race: Coca-Cola 600
The Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
This weekend, the series is home at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the longest race on the schedule, the Coca-Cola 600. It's a 600 mile endurance test of both man and machine that taxes both to their very limits in the Charlotte heat. This is also the only race on the schedule that features four stages instead of the normal three for a points race. Stage ends will come at 100-lap increments throughout the event.
The race tonight will be the icing on the proverbial cake for fans of racing. The day begins with the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, continues with the Indianapolis 500 for IndyCar in the afternoon, and then all eyes will be on Charlotte. This OR has seen many a race fan refer to today as Christmas for the motorsports fan.
While Kyle Busch won the All-Star Race here last year, he has yet to win a points-paying event in the Cup series at Charlotte. Tonight marks his 29th attempt to do just that. His efforts began Thursday night in the qualifying session. His team dialed in the car well and he advanced to the final round of qualifying easily. He saved his best run of the night for that final round, laying down the fastest lap anyone had run all day and grabbing the Busch Pole for tonight's race. Talk about a great start in his quest to rid himself of that goose egg in the points wins column for Charlotte.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
In 14 previous Coca-Cola 600 starts, Busch has impressively only lost an engine once in this 600 mile marathon event. That came in 2013 as a result of damage he took when a cable suspended over the track to carry a TV camera broke loose in a freak accident and struck his #18 machine on the nose as he was leading the race. Several other cars took damage as a result of that broken cable as well.
Looking ahead to tonight's event, this OR will be in the stands taking it all in live from my seat on the front stretch. Watch the LOS twitter feed for live updates as signal allows. Tune in and enjoy the race!
Qualifying: Thursday, 7:15 p.m., complete as of this writing.
Catch the race: Sunday, 6:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FOX (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
May 27, 2018
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Race: Coca-Cola 600
The Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
This weekend, the series is home at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the longest race on the schedule, the Coca-Cola 600. It's a 600 mile endurance test of both man and machine that taxes both to their very limits in the Charlotte heat. This is also the only race on the schedule that features four stages instead of the normal three for a points race. Stage ends will come at 100-lap increments throughout the event.
The race tonight will be the icing on the proverbial cake for fans of racing. The day begins with the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, continues with the Indianapolis 500 for IndyCar in the afternoon, and then all eyes will be on Charlotte. This OR has seen many a race fan refer to today as Christmas for the motorsports fan.
While Kyle Busch won the All-Star Race here last year, he has yet to win a points-paying event in the Cup series at Charlotte. Tonight marks his 29th attempt to do just that. His efforts began Thursday night in the qualifying session. His team dialed in the car well and he advanced to the final round of qualifying easily. He saved his best run of the night for that final round, laying down the fastest lap anyone had run all day and grabbing the Busch Pole for tonight's race. Talk about a great start in his quest to rid himself of that goose egg in the points wins column for Charlotte.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Charlotte start: Pole, twice, spring 2008 and fall 2014 (not counting tonight)
- Highest Charlotte finish: Second, three times, fall 2010 and 2011, spring 2017
- Average Charlotte start: 12.1
- Average Charlotte finish: 15.5
- Average Coca-Cola 600 start: 14.0
- Average Coca-Cola 600 finish: 18.9
In 14 previous Coca-Cola 600 starts, Busch has impressively only lost an engine once in this 600 mile marathon event. That came in 2013 as a result of damage he took when a cable suspended over the track to carry a TV camera broke loose in a freak accident and struck his #18 machine on the nose as he was leading the race. Several other cars took damage as a result of that broken cable as well.
Looking ahead to tonight's event, this OR will be in the stands taking it all in live from my seat on the front stretch. Watch the LOS twitter feed for live updates as signal allows. Tune in and enjoy the race!
Qualifying: Thursday, 7:15 p.m., complete as of this writing.
Catch the race: Sunday, 6:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FOX (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
□⚪️□ @mmschocolate Red, White and Blue colors this weekend @CLTMotorSpdwy #18N18
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 22, 2018
pic.twitter.com/Z4GcPIKTdt
KC Masterpiece 400 Advance
May 11, 2018
Venue: Kansas Speedway
The Race: KC Masterpiece 400
The Date: Saturday, May 12, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Kansas Speedway. Over the years, Kyle Busch has pretty much loathed coming to this track in the heart of "Tornado Alley", as he often failed to finish well in the land of Dorothy and Toto, recording a total of eight finishes outside the top 20, including four DNFs, in a total of 20 starts.
That all changed in 2016 when Busch finally broke through for his first win at this mile and a half oval in the spring of that year. It seemed the #18 team had finally figured the place out. In the three Kansas races held since that victory, Busch has both qualified and finished inside the top 10.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch suffered a broken driveshaft last weekend in Dover, with Miles handing him his first DNF in 15 races. Not a pleasant result but especially unpleasant as Busch watched championship rival Kevin Harvick cruise to his fourth Cup win of the season.
Can the #18 team rebound in Kansas and follow the yellow brick road all the way back into Victory Lane? They certainly have the speed, with Busch qualifying his Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Caramel Toyota Camry in the third position Friday afternoon. Harvick took the pole position for Saturday night’s event, so the two heavyweights will be facing off once again at the front of the field. Tune in to find out who will emerge victorious in this battle royale!
Qualifying: Friday, 6:45 p.m., complete as of this writing.
Catch the race: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
May 11, 2018
Venue: Kansas Speedway
The Race: KC Masterpiece 400
The Date: Saturday, May 12, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Kansas Speedway. Over the years, Kyle Busch has pretty much loathed coming to this track in the heart of "Tornado Alley", as he often failed to finish well in the land of Dorothy and Toto, recording a total of eight finishes outside the top 20, including four DNFs, in a total of 20 starts.
That all changed in 2016 when Busch finally broke through for his first win at this mile and a half oval in the spring of that year. It seemed the #18 team had finally figured the place out. In the three Kansas races held since that victory, Busch has both qualified and finished inside the top 10.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Kansas start: Second, once, fall 2016
- Highest Kansas finish: Winner, once, spring 2016
- Average Kansas start: 13.4
- Average Kansas finish: 17.4
- Average Kansas I start: 11.3
- Average Kansas I finish: 13.5
- Notable: Kansas began holding 2 races per year in 2011. Prior to 2011, Kansas only held one race per year, which was scheduled in the fall.
Busch suffered a broken driveshaft last weekend in Dover, with Miles handing him his first DNF in 15 races. Not a pleasant result but especially unpleasant as Busch watched championship rival Kevin Harvick cruise to his fourth Cup win of the season.
Can the #18 team rebound in Kansas and follow the yellow brick road all the way back into Victory Lane? They certainly have the speed, with Busch qualifying his Joe Gibbs Racing M&Ms Caramel Toyota Camry in the third position Friday afternoon. Harvick took the pole position for Saturday night’s event, so the two heavyweights will be facing off once again at the front of the field. Tune in to find out who will emerge victorious in this battle royale!
Qualifying: Friday, 6:45 p.m., complete as of this writing.
Catch the race: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
It’s Race Day w @mmschocolate Caramel.
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 12, 2018
□ 8 PM ET
□ FS1 #18n18 pic.twitter.com/1aZQizmLKQ
AAA 400 Advance
May 3, 2018
Venue: Dover International Speedway
The Race: AAA 400
The Date: Sunday, May 6, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Dover International Speedway, a.k.a. the Monster Mile. While Kyle Busch did not get to celebrate a fourth win in a row last weekend at Talladega, instead finishing 13th, he did leave ‘Dega with his points lead intact atop the season-long standings.
Busch will be going for his second Dover win in a row, however, having won the race here last fall. Not a bad way to go into the weekend-long dance with Miles (the monster mascot for Dover).
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch has had his share of both good and bad luck in his tangles with Miles over the course of his career. While he has scored three wins here, he’s finished outside of the top 15 in the last four spring races here, three of those due to wrecks. Given his strong run so far this season, it is high time for him to break through with another spring win here.
Will Miles spare Busch from his wrath on Sunday or will he take another bite out of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pedigree machine? Tune in to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 3:20 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
May 3, 2018
Venue: Dover International Speedway
The Race: AAA 400
The Date: Sunday, May 6, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Dover International Speedway, a.k.a. the Monster Mile. While Kyle Busch did not get to celebrate a fourth win in a row last weekend at Talladega, instead finishing 13th, he did leave ‘Dega with his points lead intact atop the season-long standings.
Busch will be going for his second Dover win in a row, however, having won the race here last fall. Not a bad way to go into the weekend-long dance with Miles (the monster mascot for Dover).
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Dover start: Pole, once, spring 2017
- Highest Dover finish: Winner, three times, spring 2008, spring 2010, fall 2017
- Highest Dover I start: Pole, spring 2017
- Highest Dover I finish: Winner, twice, 2008 and 2010
- Average Dover start: 9.7
- Average Dover finish: 14.2
- Average Dover I start: 9.1
- Average Dover I finish: 16.15
Busch has had his share of both good and bad luck in his tangles with Miles over the course of his career. While he has scored three wins here, he’s finished outside of the top 15 in the last four spring races here, three of those due to wrecks. Given his strong run so far this season, it is high time for him to break through with another spring win here.
Will Miles spare Busch from his wrath on Sunday or will he take another bite out of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pedigree machine? Tune in to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 3:20 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
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Geico 500 Advance
April 26, 2018
Venue: Talladega Superspeedway
The Race: Geico 500
The Date: Sunday, April 29, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to “Sweet Home Alabama” as they look to race on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon. Talladega, with its high stakes restrictor plate racing, is a wild-card race of sorts. Pretty much anyone has an opportunity to win here if they can avoid the inevitable mayhem inherent to superspeedway racing.
Kyle Busch is coming off his third straight Cup Series win. However, he hasn’t won at Talladega since the spring race of his inaugural season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Maybe this is the weekend that stat changes. Speaking of stats…
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch has been on quite a run, finishing every race since the Daytona 500 inside the top ten with the last 7 inside the top three, including the three wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol, and Richmond. Adding a second Cup win at Talladega would be a great way to get four in a row. Can he escape the mayhem and pull off four Cup wins in a row? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 1:05 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
April 26, 2018
Venue: Talladega Superspeedway
The Race: Geico 500
The Date: Sunday, April 29, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to “Sweet Home Alabama” as they look to race on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon. Talladega, with its high stakes restrictor plate racing, is a wild-card race of sorts. Pretty much anyone has an opportunity to win here if they can avoid the inevitable mayhem inherent to superspeedway racing.
Kyle Busch is coming off his third straight Cup Series win. However, he hasn’t won at Talladega since the spring race of his inaugural season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Maybe this is the weekend that stat changes. Speaking of stats…
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Talladega start: 5th, once, spring 2008
- Highest Talladega finish: Winner, once, spring 2008
- Highest Talladega I start: 5th, 2008
- Highest Talladega I finish: Winner, once, 2008
- Average Talladega start: 20.3
- Average Talladega finish: 20.8
- Average Talladega I start: 17.4
- Average Talladega I finish: 19.7
Busch has been on quite a run, finishing every race since the Daytona 500 inside the top ten with the last 7 inside the top three, including the three wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol, and Richmond. Adding a second Cup win at Talladega would be a great way to get four in a row. Can he escape the mayhem and pull off four Cup wins in a row? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 1:05 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Which □ scheme will take home the □ Sunday @TalladegaSuperS? #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/L1OpiH9f9B
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) April 26, 2018
Toyota Owners 400 Recap
Venue: Richmond Raceway, Richmond, VA
The Race: Toyota Owners 400 (400 laps, 300 miles)
Stage Ends: 100/200/400 laps
The Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018
Pole: Martin Truex Jr.
18 Team Start: 32nd
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series traveled to Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night showdown under the lights. After a truly unfortunate qualifying session Friday evening, Kyle Busch found himself starting Saturday night’s race all the way back in the 32nd position. Given his history here, however, Rowdy Nation should have known there was nothing to worry about. The last time Busch started that deep in the field, he rallied to a runner-up finish.
No weather concerns got in the way of Saturday night’s event, unlike what the drivers experienced last weekend in Bristol. Mother Nature cooperated nicely in Richmond, bringing out clear skies and perfect racing conditions. As the green flag flew over pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. to get the Toyota Owners 400 underway, an M&Ms Toyota Camry began to work its way forward from the rear of the field. In just ten laps, that M&Ms machine was all the way up to the 18th position. On lap 13, crew chief Adam Stevens radioed to his driver “P17, making really good time here. Just pace yourself for me.”
By lap 20, Busch had cracked the top 15, a gain of 17 positions in just twenty short laps, and was gaining time on everyone ahead of him. Busch was on a mission. Lap 25 found Busch in 13th and running down Alex Bowman in the Hendrick Motorsports #88 machine. Just eight laps later, Busch moved into the tenth position. Spots got harder to gain the closer to the lead that #18 machine got but Busch was working hard to do just that.
Fifty laps in, halfway through the first stage of a caution-free race, Busch was running in the ninth position. “I lost drive about when I got to Newman” was Busch’s message to his crew regarding the car’s handling at that point. Seven laps later, Busch passed teammate Denny Hamlin for the eighth position. “Forty more laps here, nice and smooth” came across the radio from Stevens to his driver on lap 60. On lap 68, Busch caught and passed Kevin Harvick for the seventh position.
Still caution-free, Busch had worked his way into the sixth position by lap 90, with just ten laps remaining in the first stage. Over those ten remaining stage laps, Busch and Stevens discussed the car’s handling and the plan for his first pit stop of the night that would come at the stage break. Busch was still in sixth when the green checkered flag flew over the field to indicate the end of stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Truex, and Harvick
After pitting for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and adjustments, Busch got back on track in the fourth position, a gain of two positions on pit road, for the stage 2 restart on lap 111. As the green flag once again waved in the air, older brother Kurt took the lead away from Logano. It took about a dozen laps for the #18 to really get going and, on lap 123, Busch passed Byron for third. Shortly after that, Busch was told he was the fastest on the track and was reminded to pace himself. By lap 137, Busch had caught the #22 machine of Logano and made the pass for second. The #14 of Bowyer was closing on Busch a bit from behind but Busch’s focus was squarely on his brother, who was still in the lead.
The race stayed clean and caution free, allowing Bowyer to catch Busch for the second spot on lap 151. Busch radioed to the crew and described the handling issues that were starting to cause problems for him. Over the next several laps, Busch fell a few more positions, ending stage 2 on lap 200 in sixth, the exact same position as he had finished stage 1. Busch and Stevens once again discussed plans for the stage break pit stop and the adjustments that would be needed to make the most of the final stage.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Logano, Bowyer, Almirola, Kurt Busch, Byron, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Truex, and Harvick.
The #18 pit crew once again did solid work during the stage break, getting Busch back out on the track in sixth for the stage 3 restart on lap 212. Due to a speeding penalty issued to the #24 of Byron, Busch wound up restarting in fifth. Once again, older brother Kurt quickly took the lead from Logano. Meanwhile, Busch moved up to fourth and held it for the next dozen or so laps until Truex caught and passed him on lap 226.
A few laps later, Busch began asking Stevens about the type of adjustments made on the last pit stop. Listening to the two talk in such detail about the handling of Busch’s #18 machine can be both fascinating and enlightening for a race fan. The conversation finished with Busch stating simply, “I need what the 78’s got going on.” On lap 240, Busch passed a fading Logano for the fourth position and ran there until Harvick caught him on lap 256, returning Busch to the fifth spot.
As the first green flag pit stops of the night drew nearer, Busch checked back in with his crew chief regarding the handling on his #18 M&Ms Camry, indicating he was having issues with a tight-loose condition in his race car that would require more adjustments on pit road. Busch came to pit road for his green flag stop on lap 272. The crew gave him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments, putting him back on track in fourth once the green flag pit cycle completed on lap 276. Busch was chasing leader Truex, second place Bowyer, and third place Harvick.
As he continued to run in the fourth position, Busch reported that his car was going a little tight around lap 297. Lap 317 saw the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. get into the wall but the contact was not hard enough to warrant the night’s first non-stage related caution. A few laps later, the battle for the lead heated up between Truex and second place Harvick as Busch continued to run fourth. The battle for the lead was settled on lap 323 when Harvick finally completed the pass on Truex, followed quickly by Bowyer, leaving Truex in third just ahead of Busch.
Green flag pit stops began once again around lap 330 and Busch hit pit road on lap 331. This was to be his last scheduled stop of the night. The crew laid down a solid stop, preserving his fourth place track position once the pit cycle was completed a few laps later on lap 335.
Lap 353 brought the night’s first yellow flag for contact. The #12 of Ryan Blaney went for a spin and collected Stenhouse and the #72 of Cole Whitt in the process. The incident happened behind Busch, so he was fine. Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. The crew got their work done and gained Busch a position in the process, sending him off pit road in third for the lap 361 restart.
Busch wasted no time moving into the second position behind leader Truex as soon as the green flag waved. The green flag conditions did not last long, though. On lap 367, the caution flag was back in the air. This time, the culprit was a smoking #31 of Ryan Newman. Once again, Busch was called to pit road for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel. The crew laid down a faster stop than the other leaders and sent Busch off pit road with the lead for the lap 378 restart.
When the green flag waved once again, Busch took off with Truex hot on his heels. By lap 385, Busch had widened the gap to about 6 tenths of a second. On lap 390, the caution waved once again. This time, it was for a wreck in turn 3 involving the #38 of David Ragan. Once again, the leaders came to pit road. Once again, Busch’s crew got it done, preserving Busch’s lead on the race track for the lap 394 restart.
Busch took off as the green flag waved with just six laps remaining in the scheduled distance of the race. The field had not seen the last of the caution flag, however, as Stenhouse wrecked in turn 3 on lap 396. Busch stayed out this time, knowing it would be a two lap shootout to the checkers once the track was cleaned up. The restart came on lap 400. Busch took off like a rocket, already practically tasting that third win in a row if he could just hold on for two laps. First he fought off teammate Denny Hamlin, then Chase Elliott. The field was left in his wake, though, as Rowdy flashed under the checkered flag first once again, the third time in as many weeks. “Awesome job, guys!” was the jubilant cheer from Busch over the radio, followed by “Great work, pit crew! You won this one!”
Rowdy Nation, time to celebrate for the third week in a row.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Elliott
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Logano
P5 – Harvick
P6 – Jimmie Johnson
P7 – Kyle Larson
P8 – Keselowski
P9 – Bowyer
P10 – Daniel Suarez
Next up: Talladega looms large. Rowdy hasn’t notched a win there since the spring of 2008. Can he finally break through for his second Dega win and notch his fourth Cup win in a row?
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Venue: Richmond Raceway, Richmond, VA
The Race: Toyota Owners 400 (400 laps, 300 miles)
Stage Ends: 100/200/400 laps
The Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018
Pole: Martin Truex Jr.
18 Team Start: 32nd
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series traveled to Richmond Raceway for a Saturday night showdown under the lights. After a truly unfortunate qualifying session Friday evening, Kyle Busch found himself starting Saturday night’s race all the way back in the 32nd position. Given his history here, however, Rowdy Nation should have known there was nothing to worry about. The last time Busch started that deep in the field, he rallied to a runner-up finish.
No weather concerns got in the way of Saturday night’s event, unlike what the drivers experienced last weekend in Bristol. Mother Nature cooperated nicely in Richmond, bringing out clear skies and perfect racing conditions. As the green flag flew over pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. to get the Toyota Owners 400 underway, an M&Ms Toyota Camry began to work its way forward from the rear of the field. In just ten laps, that M&Ms machine was all the way up to the 18th position. On lap 13, crew chief Adam Stevens radioed to his driver “P17, making really good time here. Just pace yourself for me.”
By lap 20, Busch had cracked the top 15, a gain of 17 positions in just twenty short laps, and was gaining time on everyone ahead of him. Busch was on a mission. Lap 25 found Busch in 13th and running down Alex Bowman in the Hendrick Motorsports #88 machine. Just eight laps later, Busch moved into the tenth position. Spots got harder to gain the closer to the lead that #18 machine got but Busch was working hard to do just that.
Fifty laps in, halfway through the first stage of a caution-free race, Busch was running in the ninth position. “I lost drive about when I got to Newman” was Busch’s message to his crew regarding the car’s handling at that point. Seven laps later, Busch passed teammate Denny Hamlin for the eighth position. “Forty more laps here, nice and smooth” came across the radio from Stevens to his driver on lap 60. On lap 68, Busch caught and passed Kevin Harvick for the seventh position.
Still caution-free, Busch had worked his way into the sixth position by lap 90, with just ten laps remaining in the first stage. Over those ten remaining stage laps, Busch and Stevens discussed the car’s handling and the plan for his first pit stop of the night that would come at the stage break. Busch was still in sixth when the green checkered flag flew over the field to indicate the end of stage 1.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, William Byron, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Truex, and Harvick
After pitting for four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and adjustments, Busch got back on track in the fourth position, a gain of two positions on pit road, for the stage 2 restart on lap 111. As the green flag once again waved in the air, older brother Kurt took the lead away from Logano. It took about a dozen laps for the #18 to really get going and, on lap 123, Busch passed Byron for third. Shortly after that, Busch was told he was the fastest on the track and was reminded to pace himself. By lap 137, Busch had caught the #22 machine of Logano and made the pass for second. The #14 of Bowyer was closing on Busch a bit from behind but Busch’s focus was squarely on his brother, who was still in the lead.
The race stayed clean and caution free, allowing Bowyer to catch Busch for the second spot on lap 151. Busch radioed to the crew and described the handling issues that were starting to cause problems for him. Over the next several laps, Busch fell a few more positions, ending stage 2 on lap 200 in sixth, the exact same position as he had finished stage 1. Busch and Stevens once again discussed plans for the stage break pit stop and the adjustments that would be needed to make the most of the final stage.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Logano, Bowyer, Almirola, Kurt Busch, Byron, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Truex, and Harvick.
The #18 pit crew once again did solid work during the stage break, getting Busch back out on the track in sixth for the stage 3 restart on lap 212. Due to a speeding penalty issued to the #24 of Byron, Busch wound up restarting in fifth. Once again, older brother Kurt quickly took the lead from Logano. Meanwhile, Busch moved up to fourth and held it for the next dozen or so laps until Truex caught and passed him on lap 226.
A few laps later, Busch began asking Stevens about the type of adjustments made on the last pit stop. Listening to the two talk in such detail about the handling of Busch’s #18 machine can be both fascinating and enlightening for a race fan. The conversation finished with Busch stating simply, “I need what the 78’s got going on.” On lap 240, Busch passed a fading Logano for the fourth position and ran there until Harvick caught him on lap 256, returning Busch to the fifth spot.
As the first green flag pit stops of the night drew nearer, Busch checked back in with his crew chief regarding the handling on his #18 M&Ms Camry, indicating he was having issues with a tight-loose condition in his race car that would require more adjustments on pit road. Busch came to pit road for his green flag stop on lap 272. The crew gave him four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and some adjustments, putting him back on track in fourth once the green flag pit cycle completed on lap 276. Busch was chasing leader Truex, second place Bowyer, and third place Harvick.
As he continued to run in the fourth position, Busch reported that his car was going a little tight around lap 297. Lap 317 saw the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. get into the wall but the contact was not hard enough to warrant the night’s first non-stage related caution. A few laps later, the battle for the lead heated up between Truex and second place Harvick as Busch continued to run fourth. The battle for the lead was settled on lap 323 when Harvick finally completed the pass on Truex, followed quickly by Bowyer, leaving Truex in third just ahead of Busch.
Green flag pit stops began once again around lap 330 and Busch hit pit road on lap 331. This was to be his last scheduled stop of the night. The crew laid down a solid stop, preserving his fourth place track position once the pit cycle was completed a few laps later on lap 335.
Lap 353 brought the night’s first yellow flag for contact. The #12 of Ryan Blaney went for a spin and collected Stenhouse and the #72 of Cole Whitt in the process. The incident happened behind Busch, so he was fine. Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. The crew got their work done and gained Busch a position in the process, sending him off pit road in third for the lap 361 restart.
Busch wasted no time moving into the second position behind leader Truex as soon as the green flag waved. The green flag conditions did not last long, though. On lap 367, the caution flag was back in the air. This time, the culprit was a smoking #31 of Ryan Newman. Once again, Busch was called to pit road for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel. The crew laid down a faster stop than the other leaders and sent Busch off pit road with the lead for the lap 378 restart.
When the green flag waved once again, Busch took off with Truex hot on his heels. By lap 385, Busch had widened the gap to about 6 tenths of a second. On lap 390, the caution waved once again. This time, it was for a wreck in turn 3 involving the #38 of David Ragan. Once again, the leaders came to pit road. Once again, Busch’s crew got it done, preserving Busch’s lead on the race track for the lap 394 restart.
Busch took off as the green flag waved with just six laps remaining in the scheduled distance of the race. The field had not seen the last of the caution flag, however, as Stenhouse wrecked in turn 3 on lap 396. Busch stayed out this time, knowing it would be a two lap shootout to the checkers once the track was cleaned up. The restart came on lap 400. Busch took off like a rocket, already practically tasting that third win in a row if he could just hold on for two laps. First he fought off teammate Denny Hamlin, then Chase Elliott. The field was left in his wake, though, as Rowdy flashed under the checkered flag first once again, the third time in as many weeks. “Awesome job, guys!” was the jubilant cheer from Busch over the radio, followed by “Great work, pit crew! You won this one!”
Rowdy Nation, time to celebrate for the third week in a row.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Elliott
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Logano
P5 – Harvick
P6 – Jimmie Johnson
P7 – Kyle Larson
P8 – Keselowski
P9 – Bowyer
P10 – Daniel Suarez
Next up: Talladega looms large. Rowdy hasn’t notched a win there since the spring of 2008. Can he finally break through for his second Dega win and notch his fourth Cup win in a row?
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
"Great work, pit crew! You won this one!"@KyleBusch | #ToyotaOwners400 pic.twitter.com/bclT8qMgXf
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 22, 2018
When Brexton misses Victory Lane, we bring it home to him! pic.twitter.com/RODZ049IKU
— Samantha Busch (@SamanthaBusch) April 22, 2018
Toyota Owners 400 Advance
April 19, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway
The Race: Toyota Owners 400
The Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018
This weekend, the series goes under the lights at Richmond Raceway Saturday night for the Toyota Owners 400. Kyle Busch has gotten back-to-back Cup Series wins the last two races and would love nothing more than to make it three in a row with another spring race win at Richmond. From 2009 to 2012, Busch won four consecutive spring races here. Those are his only four wins at this track, but the mere fact that it happened in a streak like that one makes his accomplishment notable.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Notable: Busch has completed all but 1 lap of the 10027 laps in his 25 Cup races at Richmond. He has completed every lap (4416 total) in the 12 Richmond spring races he has run.
Busch truly has been on a roll since a rough race at Daytona, finishing every race since the 500 inside the top ten with the last 6 inside the top three, including the back-to-back wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol. A win in the spring at Richmond has eluded him since his incredible run of four in a row from 2009 to 2012. Can he get back to his winning Richmond ways and pull off three Cup wins in a row? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 5:30 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
April 19, 2018
Venue: Richmond Raceway
The Race: Toyota Owners 400
The Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018
This weekend, the series goes under the lights at Richmond Raceway Saturday night for the Toyota Owners 400. Kyle Busch has gotten back-to-back Cup Series wins the last two races and would love nothing more than to make it three in a row with another spring race win at Richmond. From 2009 to 2012, Busch won four consecutive spring races here. Those are his only four wins at this track, but the mere fact that it happened in a streak like that one makes his accomplishment notable.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Richmond start: Pole, twice, fall 2008 and spring 2010
- Highest Richmond finish: Winner, four times, most recently in spring race 2012
- Highest Richmond I start: Pole, once, 2010
- Highest Richmond I finish: Winner, four times, most recently in 2012
- Average Richmond start: 12.0
- Average Richmond finish: 7.4
- Average Richmond I start: 12.92
- Average Richmond I finish: 5.12
Notable: Busch has completed all but 1 lap of the 10027 laps in his 25 Cup races at Richmond. He has completed every lap (4416 total) in the 12 Richmond spring races he has run.
Busch truly has been on a roll since a rough race at Daytona, finishing every race since the 500 inside the top ten with the last 6 inside the top three, including the back-to-back wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol. A win in the spring at Richmond has eluded him since his incredible run of four in a row from 2009 to 2012. Can he get back to his winning Richmond ways and pull off three Cup wins in a row? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 5:30 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Food City 500 Recap
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
The Race: Food City 500 (500 laps, 267 miles)
Stage Ends: 125/250/500 laps (Competition caution: ~lap 45)
The Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018 (finished Monday, April 16, 2018)
18 Team Start: POLE!
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers took their talents to the short track at Bristol Motor Speedway, a.k.a. “The Last Great Colosseum”. Coming off his first win of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch wanted more. Busch had not won a spring race at Bristol since 2011 and he had his eye on putting an end to that streak. The weekend started well for Busch, as he just barely edged out his older brother, Kurt Busch, for the pole position in qualifying on Friday. It would be a Busch brother front row to start the Food City 500.
With Mother Nature bringing wet weather to the track, NASCAR opted to do as much as they could to get the race in on Sunday. That included moving the start time up by an hour from the originally scheduled 2 p.m. start. The green flag flew to start the race and Busch took off. The race was only three laps old when the mayhem began. The caution flew on lap 3 for a multi-car incident involving the #9 of Chase Elliott, the #15 of Ross Chastain, the #19 of Daniel Suarez, the #24 of William Byron, the #34 of Michael McDowell, the #38 of David Ragan, the #47 of AJ Allmendinger, the #66 of Chad Finchum, and the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., with the wreck occurring on the front stretch. After a lengthy clean up that lasted 6 laps, the field got back underway on lap 9, with Busch still leading the way. The green flag conditions would not last long, though, with the next caution coming on lap 16 as a result of the previously-damaged #47 of Allmendinger going for a spin in turn 2. The #1 of Jamie McMurray also caught some damage in this incident as he tried to avoid the spinning Allmendinger.
Just before the caution flew, Ryan Blaney, in the #12 Team Penske machine, took the lead away from Busch, leaving Busch in second for this caution. Busch’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, told Busch to stay out unless he had an issue. The leaders all stayed out on the track and lined up for the restart on lap 23. Busch quickly fell back through the field from the second position, finding himself all the way back in the tenth position just 12 short laps later on lap 35. He stabilized there and took back ninth place just before the scheduled competition caution on lap 45. Not only was it the scheduled competition yellow but Mother Nature decided to get in on the action and brought the rain to the track. Busch was rather heated when he reported over the radio that the “track is wet!” Spotter Tony Hirschman confirmed that the rain was indeed picking up. NASCAR brought the field down pit road on lap 49 and displayed the red flag for the first time at approximately 1:55 p.m. The drivers were told that they could get out of their cars and crews were sent to cover the cars.
The rain was short-lived and, less than 20 minutes later, drivers were called back to their cars. The red flag was lifted at approximately 2:20 p.m. and cars returned to the track under yellow flag conditions. As soon as pit road opened, Busch, along with the rest of the leaders, headed to the pits to get four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. After a solid stop by the #18 Skittles crew, Busch got back on the track and lined up for the restart in the fifth position, a gain of four spots. The restart came on lap 59 but the green flag conditions only lasted two laps. The caution flew once again on lap 61, this time for an incident involving the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the #20 of Erik Jones, and the #22 of Joey Logano in turn 4. Busch was seventh at the time and had to brake hard to avoid the melee. Stevens asked Busch if he slid his tires. Busch’s reply came quickly and without hesitation. “No. We’re good.”
What should have been a relatively short caution turned into a longer one, as NASCAR had issues getting the lineup straightened out for the restart. The restart came on lap 67 with Blaney still in the lead as Busch ran in the seventh spot. The race finally went “clean and green” for a while, with Busch slowly working his way back toward the front of the field. By lap 100, he was sixth. Ten laps later, he was up to fourth. He was making steady progress toward the front when, on lap 118, the caution flag flew once again, this time for a big wreck in turn 3 involving McMurray, the #6 of Trevor Bayne, Blaney, the #37 of Chris Buescher, Ragan, and the #51 of Harrison Rhodes. The #2 of Brad Keselowski was in the lead when the yellow flew, with Busch in third. NASCAR once again displayed the red flag on lap 119 at approximately 2:50 p.m. to facilitate cleanup efforts and brought the field back down pit road. This proved to be beneficial when the skies opened briefly once again near turn 4, lengthening what should have been a short red flag into one that lasted approximately 9 minutes.
The red was lifted just before 3 p.m. and the yellow flag was once again displayed. Pit road opened on lap 120 and many of the leaders took the opportunity to pit, Busch included. The crew completed another solid stop and sent Busch back on the track in seventh, behind some who stayed out, for the restart on lap 124. With just one lap until the end of stage 1, it would truly be a race to the line. Busch finished the first stage in the eighth position, with Keselowski taking the playoff point for winning the stage.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola, Allmendinger, Kyle Larson, Jones, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, and Stenhouse.
Since Busch had just been on pit road in the caution period immediately before the stage break, he stayed out during the stage break. This allowed him to restart in the sixth position for the start of green flag conditions in stage 2 on lap 134. Busch quickly fell back to ninth by lap 139 and found himself outside the top 10 in eleventh when the caution flew again on lap 155 for Bayne’s car spinning in turn 4. Adam Stevens called his driver to the pits for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. Before the green flag could return to the air, Mother Nature intervened once again, forcing NASCAR to bring out the red flag for a third time on lap 165 at approximately 3:24 p.m.
After another brief shower, drivers were told to return to their cars and the red flag was lifted at approximately 3:50 p.m. The restart came on lap 169 and Busch worked his way forward, climbing all the way to fifth before the skies opened once again and NASCAR threw the caution for rain on lap 202. By lap 204, it was clear Mother Nature was winning the battle once again and NASCAR brought the field back down pit road. The red flag was displayed for a fourth time at approximately 4:06 p.m. NASCAR waited almost two hours before postponing the remainder of the race until Monday at 1 p.m.
Cut to Monday afternoon and Mother Nature was still playing games with the weather. NASCAR told the teams they would be allowed one additional set of tires due to the circumstances. The restart time was delayed until 1:30 p.m., as rain began to fall once again just as the drivers were getting settled into their cars for the 1 p.m. scheduled restart. Finally, the engines were re-fired at 1:30 p.m. and the red flag was officially lifted once again as the field rolled off pit road to resume the race. There were 23 cars remaining on the lead lap, with Busch in fourth behind Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Paul Menard. As the field began to slowly circle the track, spotter Hirschman reported that the sleet was “picking up again pretty heavy”. NASCAR kept the cars on track despite several drivers reporting that track conditions were rapidly deteriorating.
“My windshield is all wet”, from driver of the #19, Daniel Suarez. Driver of the #32, Matt DiBenedetto, said the pace car was running away from them and he needed treaded tires if they were going to race in the rain. Race control asked the pace car driver how his windshield was. His response? “Uhh… Not good.” The quick resumption of green flag conditions appeared to be fading right along with the track conditions.
Finally, NASCAR was able to open pit road on lap 213. Busch came down pit road with the leaders for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel. Two cars stayed out and, while Busch left pit road second, that meant he would restart fourth. The green flag finally waved once again on lap 217 and Busch got down to business, quickly advancing into the second spot and chasing down leader Kyle Larson. The #42 car was fast in clean air, however, and by lap 220, Busch was already 2 seconds behind Larson. On lap 222, Busch lost second to his teammate Hamlin, then quickly lost third as well to the #48 car. Busch settled in and got his car back under him and went to work with spotter Hirschman’s help as he navigated lapped traffic. On lap 230, it was Hamlin back in third and Busch was able to get around him to go after Johnson and Larson ahead of him. Five laps later, Busch caught and passed Johnson for second. Three laps after that, Keselowski caught and passed Busch, putting him once again in third. Both were still chasing the #42 of Larson. On lap 243, Busch, still behind Keselowski, caught and passed Larson. Larson fought hard to keep second but ultimately lost the battle as the stage came to an end on lap 250 with Keselowski once again winning the stage and Busch right behind him in second.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Busch, Johnson, Hamlin, Larson, Stenhouse, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
Busch came to pit road under the stage break for another set of fresh Goodyear tires and fuel, along with some adjustments. The crew delivered once again, getting him off pit road in third for the restart on lap 261. Busch fell to fifth on the restart. It was very clear he had a car better made for the long runs than short runs. Hamlin took the lead on lap 263. By lap 266, Busch’s car was starting to come to him and he was back up to the third spot as Keselowski regained the lead. The very next lap, Busch took second from Johnson and worked to hunt down Keselowski. By lap 284, Busch was on Keselowski’s back bumper and wanted the lead. The battle continued until the #42 of Larson rejoined the mix and Busch had to battle with him to keep second. By lap 290, Larson had cleared Busch for second and, three laps later, cleared Keselowski for the lead. Busch finally caught Keselowski to retake second on lap 314 and started working to chase down Larson in lapped traffic. On lap 324, Larson spun on the front stretch, bringing out the caution and handing the lead to Busch. Crew chief Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for another change of tires and fuel. After a stop that lasted just over 14 seconds, Busch headed back out on to the track, still in the lead, for the restart on lap 329. By lap 340, his lead was about a second over second place Jimmie Johnson. Five laps later, the lead was up to almost 1.75 seconds over new second place driver Keselowski.
Lap 353 brought the day’s next caution, this time for a wreck in turns 3 and 4 involving the #55 of Reed Sorenson. He hit the outside wall hard, leaving fans relieved when he emerged from the car uninjured. Busch was once again called to pit road by his crew. With another fresh set of tires and a full tank of fuel, Busch left pit road first to line up for the restart on lap 365 in second next to teammate Suarez, who stayed out. Once again, Busch fell back quickly to the fourth position behind Keselowski and Bubba Wallace. By lap 370, he was moving forward and was in third, having passed a fading Suarez. On lap 374, Wallace took the lead and Busch followed him past Keselowski for second. Six laps later, Busch passed Wallace for the lead.
On lap 387, spotter Hirschman reported “sleet’s picking up pretty decent here” and, two laps later, Busch responded, “it’s freaking wet, man!” On lap 390, NASCAR was forced to throw the caution for weather yet again. Busch stayed out on the track under this caution for the restart on lap 399. Busch took off with the lead and had put almost a full second on the rest of the field by lap 401. However, the #42 of Larson was coming once again. By lap 420, Larson was within a quarter of a second of Busch’s rear bumper. The gap between them stabilized for almost 20 laps before Larson got the run he needed and passed Busch for the lead on lap 438. Busch held second for several laps but, on lap 460, reported that the car felt like the right front tire was about to blow. Stevens told him to work the gap back to the cars behind him if he needed to in order to keep the car under him and in one piece. Busch was running third when got the caution he needed on lap 469 as Keselowski hit the wall in turn 2. The crew delivered a solid “money stop” and sent Busch back out on the track in second behind leader Larson.
As had been the case all race long, Busch had a car that performed far better on the long runs. He fell to fourth again on the lap 478 restart. With the laps quickly ticking down, Busch needed his car to come to him quickly if he was going to have a chance to catch Larson. On lap 481, he was back in third. Just four laps later, Busch swiped second from Stenhouse, leaving only Larson in his way of winning back-to-back races. Busch hunted Larson for several laps before finally catching him on lap 494 and, by way of a bump-and-run move, took the lead. Larson stormed back and stayed close but Busch would not give up the lead. As Busch took the white flag, Larson had faded to about a half second behind him. When Busch took the checkers for the win on lap 500, the margin of victory over second place Larson was 0.628 seconds. Busch raced the rainbow right back into Victory Lane and took his seventh career Cup Series victory at “The Last Great Colosseum”, much to the delight of his family, friends, and fans. Rowdy Nation, it’s time to celebrate. Rowdy is on a roll!
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Larson
P3 – Johnson
P4 – Stenhouse
P5 – Bowman
P6 – Almirola
P7 – Harvick
P8 – Clint Bowyer
P9 – Logano
P10 – Newman
Next up: Get ready for a Saturday night slugfest as the series heads to Richmond Raceway under the lights!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
The Race: Food City 500 (500 laps, 267 miles)
Stage Ends: 125/250/500 laps (Competition caution: ~lap 45)
The Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018 (finished Monday, April 16, 2018)
18 Team Start: POLE!
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers took their talents to the short track at Bristol Motor Speedway, a.k.a. “The Last Great Colosseum”. Coming off his first win of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch wanted more. Busch had not won a spring race at Bristol since 2011 and he had his eye on putting an end to that streak. The weekend started well for Busch, as he just barely edged out his older brother, Kurt Busch, for the pole position in qualifying on Friday. It would be a Busch brother front row to start the Food City 500.
With Mother Nature bringing wet weather to the track, NASCAR opted to do as much as they could to get the race in on Sunday. That included moving the start time up by an hour from the originally scheduled 2 p.m. start. The green flag flew to start the race and Busch took off. The race was only three laps old when the mayhem began. The caution flew on lap 3 for a multi-car incident involving the #9 of Chase Elliott, the #15 of Ross Chastain, the #19 of Daniel Suarez, the #24 of William Byron, the #34 of Michael McDowell, the #38 of David Ragan, the #47 of AJ Allmendinger, the #66 of Chad Finchum, and the #78 of Martin Truex Jr., with the wreck occurring on the front stretch. After a lengthy clean up that lasted 6 laps, the field got back underway on lap 9, with Busch still leading the way. The green flag conditions would not last long, though, with the next caution coming on lap 16 as a result of the previously-damaged #47 of Allmendinger going for a spin in turn 2. The #1 of Jamie McMurray also caught some damage in this incident as he tried to avoid the spinning Allmendinger.
Just before the caution flew, Ryan Blaney, in the #12 Team Penske machine, took the lead away from Busch, leaving Busch in second for this caution. Busch’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, told Busch to stay out unless he had an issue. The leaders all stayed out on the track and lined up for the restart on lap 23. Busch quickly fell back through the field from the second position, finding himself all the way back in the tenth position just 12 short laps later on lap 35. He stabilized there and took back ninth place just before the scheduled competition caution on lap 45. Not only was it the scheduled competition yellow but Mother Nature decided to get in on the action and brought the rain to the track. Busch was rather heated when he reported over the radio that the “track is wet!” Spotter Tony Hirschman confirmed that the rain was indeed picking up. NASCAR brought the field down pit road on lap 49 and displayed the red flag for the first time at approximately 1:55 p.m. The drivers were told that they could get out of their cars and crews were sent to cover the cars.
The rain was short-lived and, less than 20 minutes later, drivers were called back to their cars. The red flag was lifted at approximately 2:20 p.m. and cars returned to the track under yellow flag conditions. As soon as pit road opened, Busch, along with the rest of the leaders, headed to the pits to get four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. After a solid stop by the #18 Skittles crew, Busch got back on the track and lined up for the restart in the fifth position, a gain of four spots. The restart came on lap 59 but the green flag conditions only lasted two laps. The caution flew once again on lap 61, this time for an incident involving the #17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the #20 of Erik Jones, and the #22 of Joey Logano in turn 4. Busch was seventh at the time and had to brake hard to avoid the melee. Stevens asked Busch if he slid his tires. Busch’s reply came quickly and without hesitation. “No. We’re good.”
What should have been a relatively short caution turned into a longer one, as NASCAR had issues getting the lineup straightened out for the restart. The restart came on lap 67 with Blaney still in the lead as Busch ran in the seventh spot. The race finally went “clean and green” for a while, with Busch slowly working his way back toward the front of the field. By lap 100, he was sixth. Ten laps later, he was up to fourth. He was making steady progress toward the front when, on lap 118, the caution flag flew once again, this time for a big wreck in turn 3 involving McMurray, the #6 of Trevor Bayne, Blaney, the #37 of Chris Buescher, Ragan, and the #51 of Harrison Rhodes. The #2 of Brad Keselowski was in the lead when the yellow flew, with Busch in third. NASCAR once again displayed the red flag on lap 119 at approximately 2:50 p.m. to facilitate cleanup efforts and brought the field back down pit road. This proved to be beneficial when the skies opened briefly once again near turn 4, lengthening what should have been a short red flag into one that lasted approximately 9 minutes.
The red was lifted just before 3 p.m. and the yellow flag was once again displayed. Pit road opened on lap 120 and many of the leaders took the opportunity to pit, Busch included. The crew completed another solid stop and sent Busch back on the track in seventh, behind some who stayed out, for the restart on lap 124. With just one lap until the end of stage 1, it would truly be a race to the line. Busch finished the first stage in the eighth position, with Keselowski taking the playoff point for winning the stage.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola, Allmendinger, Kyle Larson, Jones, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, and Stenhouse.
Since Busch had just been on pit road in the caution period immediately before the stage break, he stayed out during the stage break. This allowed him to restart in the sixth position for the start of green flag conditions in stage 2 on lap 134. Busch quickly fell back to ninth by lap 139 and found himself outside the top 10 in eleventh when the caution flew again on lap 155 for Bayne’s car spinning in turn 4. Adam Stevens called his driver to the pits for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. Before the green flag could return to the air, Mother Nature intervened once again, forcing NASCAR to bring out the red flag for a third time on lap 165 at approximately 3:24 p.m.
After another brief shower, drivers were told to return to their cars and the red flag was lifted at approximately 3:50 p.m. The restart came on lap 169 and Busch worked his way forward, climbing all the way to fifth before the skies opened once again and NASCAR threw the caution for rain on lap 202. By lap 204, it was clear Mother Nature was winning the battle once again and NASCAR brought the field back down pit road. The red flag was displayed for a fourth time at approximately 4:06 p.m. NASCAR waited almost two hours before postponing the remainder of the race until Monday at 1 p.m.
Cut to Monday afternoon and Mother Nature was still playing games with the weather. NASCAR told the teams they would be allowed one additional set of tires due to the circumstances. The restart time was delayed until 1:30 p.m., as rain began to fall once again just as the drivers were getting settled into their cars for the 1 p.m. scheduled restart. Finally, the engines were re-fired at 1:30 p.m. and the red flag was officially lifted once again as the field rolled off pit road to resume the race. There were 23 cars remaining on the lead lap, with Busch in fourth behind Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Paul Menard. As the field began to slowly circle the track, spotter Hirschman reported that the sleet was “picking up again pretty heavy”. NASCAR kept the cars on track despite several drivers reporting that track conditions were rapidly deteriorating.
“My windshield is all wet”, from driver of the #19, Daniel Suarez. Driver of the #32, Matt DiBenedetto, said the pace car was running away from them and he needed treaded tires if they were going to race in the rain. Race control asked the pace car driver how his windshield was. His response? “Uhh… Not good.” The quick resumption of green flag conditions appeared to be fading right along with the track conditions.
Finally, NASCAR was able to open pit road on lap 213. Busch came down pit road with the leaders for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel. Two cars stayed out and, while Busch left pit road second, that meant he would restart fourth. The green flag finally waved once again on lap 217 and Busch got down to business, quickly advancing into the second spot and chasing down leader Kyle Larson. The #42 car was fast in clean air, however, and by lap 220, Busch was already 2 seconds behind Larson. On lap 222, Busch lost second to his teammate Hamlin, then quickly lost third as well to the #48 car. Busch settled in and got his car back under him and went to work with spotter Hirschman’s help as he navigated lapped traffic. On lap 230, it was Hamlin back in third and Busch was able to get around him to go after Johnson and Larson ahead of him. Five laps later, Busch caught and passed Johnson for second. Three laps after that, Keselowski caught and passed Busch, putting him once again in third. Both were still chasing the #42 of Larson. On lap 243, Busch, still behind Keselowski, caught and passed Larson. Larson fought hard to keep second but ultimately lost the battle as the stage came to an end on lap 250 with Keselowski once again winning the stage and Busch right behind him in second.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Busch, Johnson, Hamlin, Larson, Stenhouse, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
Busch came to pit road under the stage break for another set of fresh Goodyear tires and fuel, along with some adjustments. The crew delivered once again, getting him off pit road in third for the restart on lap 261. Busch fell to fifth on the restart. It was very clear he had a car better made for the long runs than short runs. Hamlin took the lead on lap 263. By lap 266, Busch’s car was starting to come to him and he was back up to the third spot as Keselowski regained the lead. The very next lap, Busch took second from Johnson and worked to hunt down Keselowski. By lap 284, Busch was on Keselowski’s back bumper and wanted the lead. The battle continued until the #42 of Larson rejoined the mix and Busch had to battle with him to keep second. By lap 290, Larson had cleared Busch for second and, three laps later, cleared Keselowski for the lead. Busch finally caught Keselowski to retake second on lap 314 and started working to chase down Larson in lapped traffic. On lap 324, Larson spun on the front stretch, bringing out the caution and handing the lead to Busch. Crew chief Adam Stevens called his driver to pit road for another change of tires and fuel. After a stop that lasted just over 14 seconds, Busch headed back out on to the track, still in the lead, for the restart on lap 329. By lap 340, his lead was about a second over second place Jimmie Johnson. Five laps later, the lead was up to almost 1.75 seconds over new second place driver Keselowski.
Lap 353 brought the day’s next caution, this time for a wreck in turns 3 and 4 involving the #55 of Reed Sorenson. He hit the outside wall hard, leaving fans relieved when he emerged from the car uninjured. Busch was once again called to pit road by his crew. With another fresh set of tires and a full tank of fuel, Busch left pit road first to line up for the restart on lap 365 in second next to teammate Suarez, who stayed out. Once again, Busch fell back quickly to the fourth position behind Keselowski and Bubba Wallace. By lap 370, he was moving forward and was in third, having passed a fading Suarez. On lap 374, Wallace took the lead and Busch followed him past Keselowski for second. Six laps later, Busch passed Wallace for the lead.
On lap 387, spotter Hirschman reported “sleet’s picking up pretty decent here” and, two laps later, Busch responded, “it’s freaking wet, man!” On lap 390, NASCAR was forced to throw the caution for weather yet again. Busch stayed out on the track under this caution for the restart on lap 399. Busch took off with the lead and had put almost a full second on the rest of the field by lap 401. However, the #42 of Larson was coming once again. By lap 420, Larson was within a quarter of a second of Busch’s rear bumper. The gap between them stabilized for almost 20 laps before Larson got the run he needed and passed Busch for the lead on lap 438. Busch held second for several laps but, on lap 460, reported that the car felt like the right front tire was about to blow. Stevens told him to work the gap back to the cars behind him if he needed to in order to keep the car under him and in one piece. Busch was running third when got the caution he needed on lap 469 as Keselowski hit the wall in turn 2. The crew delivered a solid “money stop” and sent Busch back out on the track in second behind leader Larson.
As had been the case all race long, Busch had a car that performed far better on the long runs. He fell to fourth again on the lap 478 restart. With the laps quickly ticking down, Busch needed his car to come to him quickly if he was going to have a chance to catch Larson. On lap 481, he was back in third. Just four laps later, Busch swiped second from Stenhouse, leaving only Larson in his way of winning back-to-back races. Busch hunted Larson for several laps before finally catching him on lap 494 and, by way of a bump-and-run move, took the lead. Larson stormed back and stayed close but Busch would not give up the lead. As Busch took the white flag, Larson had faded to about a half second behind him. When Busch took the checkers for the win on lap 500, the margin of victory over second place Larson was 0.628 seconds. Busch raced the rainbow right back into Victory Lane and took his seventh career Cup Series victory at “The Last Great Colosseum”, much to the delight of his family, friends, and fans. Rowdy Nation, it’s time to celebrate. Rowdy is on a roll!
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Larson
P3 – Johnson
P4 – Stenhouse
P5 – Bowman
P6 – Almirola
P7 – Harvick
P8 – Clint Bowyer
P9 – Logano
P10 – Newman
Next up: Get ready for a Saturday night slugfest as the series heads to Richmond Raceway under the lights!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Got the #BuschPole. Won the race.@KyleBusch got the job done ... now he's ready to get warm! pic.twitter.com/AQyU9Xw8A3
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 16, 2018
Family over everything. @KyleBusch | #ItsBristolBaby pic.twitter.com/EFtHTi03tp
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 16, 2018
Food City 500 Advance
April 12, 2018
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Race: Food City 500
The Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, also known as the “Last Great Colosseum”, for the Food City 500. Kyle Busch is fresh off his first win of the season last weekend in Texas and looking for another one. Busch has made a name for himself at Bristol over the course of his career by not only completing the “Bristol Sweep” in 2010 – wins in all three major NASCAR series in the same weekend – but repeating the feat last fall. (Fun fact: the Bristol Sweep cars are all on display at Busch’s race shop, Kyle Busch Motorsports, in Mooresville, NC.)
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch has been on a roll since a rough race at Daytona, finishing every race since the 500 inside the top ten with the last 5 inside the top three, including the win at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend. Bristol, however, is a horse of a different color. He hasn’t won here in the spring since 2011, having suffered DNFs in the two most recent spring trips here. Can he change his spring race luck and pull off back-to-back wins? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 4:45 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
April 12, 2018
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Race: Food City 500
The Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, also known as the “Last Great Colosseum”, for the Food City 500. Kyle Busch is fresh off his first win of the season last weekend in Texas and looking for another one. Busch has made a name for himself at Bristol over the course of his career by not only completing the “Bristol Sweep” in 2010 – wins in all three major NASCAR series in the same weekend – but repeating the feat last fall. (Fun fact: the Bristol Sweep cars are all on display at Busch’s race shop, Kyle Busch Motorsports, in Mooresville, NC.)
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Bristol start: Pole, once, spring 2013
- Highest Bristol finish: Winner, six times, most recently in fall race 2017
- Highest Bristol I start: Pole, once, 2013
- Highest Bristol I finish: Winner, three times, most recently in 2011
- Average Bristol start: 16.0
- Average Bristol finish: 14.6
- Average Bristol I start: 16.9
- Average Bristol I finish: 16.75
Busch has been on a roll since a rough race at Daytona, finishing every race since the 500 inside the top ten with the last 5 inside the top three, including the win at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend. Bristol, however, is a horse of a different color. He hasn’t won here in the spring since 2011, having suffered DNFs in the two most recent spring trips here. Can he change his spring race luck and pull off back-to-back wins? Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 4:45 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Our hauler's arrived back safely from @TXMotorSpeedway. Did you catch the fireworks at the end to celebrate @KyleBusch 's victory? #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/AFbSUDI3TP
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) April 10, 2018
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Recap
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
The Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 (334 laps, 501.0 miles)
The Date: Sunday, April 8, 2018
Stage Ends: 85/170/334 laps
Pole Sitter: Kurt Busch
18 Team Start: 8th
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headed south to Texas, home of the 1.5 mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. After a qualifying session cut short by lightning in the area, Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Interstate Batteries team found themselves in the eighth starting spot for Sunday afternoon’s race. Older brother Kurt Busch claimed the pole position in the shortened session.
As the green flag waved over a chilly Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon, Busch went to work to improve his position. His progress would be interrupted by the day’s first caution on lap 2 for the spinning #88 machine of Alex Bowman in turn 4. The #3 of Austin Dillon, the #19 of Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Suarez, and the #21 of Paul Menard all took damage as well, with only Suarez unable to continue. Busch was running in the tenth position and the #4 of Kevin Harvick was shown in the lead when the yellow flew.
The field got back under green flag conditions on lap 7. Busch went back to work on moving forward through the field. By lap 20, he was back to where he started the race and was gaining on those ahead of him. However, just ten laps later, Busch reported a vibration and was concerned he could have a right front tire going down. Crew chief Adam Stevens told Busch the crew was ready if he needed to pit. Busch rode it out, though, and on lap 40 he was up to the seventh position. Just three laps later, he would pit from that position for his first scheduled stop of the day. The #18 Interstate Batteries crew went to work, giving Busch four fresh Goodyear tires and a full tank of fuel, sending him back out on the track to wait for the pit stop cycle to complete.
At lap 50, Busch was still waiting for the final two cars to pit and was riding in the seventh position once again, looking to advance his position further before the cycle completed. He made it all the way to third but, on lap 64, older brother Kurt passed him for the third spot. At that point, Harvick was back in command, leading the field by over 7 seconds. It was clear that #4 Stewart Haas Racing machine was in its own zip code, with no one able to run him down, not even second-place car Martin Truex Jr. Truex’s luck would go south on lap 80, though, as his #78 machine suffered a right front tire failure, sending Truex into the outside wall as he exited turn 4. This brought out the day’s second caution and, since it was only five laps short of the end of the stage and much clean-up work needed to be done, NASCAR treated this yellow flag as the stage break, scoring the field for stage points accordingly. Harvick took the stage win, with Busch second, ahead of his brother Kurt in third.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones
Busch’s crew did a solid job on pit road during this stage break, giving him four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments and getting him off pit road with the lead. This was the first time the #18 machine had clean air all day. As the field took the green to start stage 2, Busch pulled away quickly, the clean air seemingly helping his Interstate Batteries machine gain some extra speed. Harvick was not inclined to let the lead get away so easily, though, and began running Busch down, finally catching him and taking the lead away on lap 117.
Lap 126 brought the day’s third yellow flag to the air, as the #42 of Larson lost a right front tire and found the turn 2 wall with a hard hit. Busch was still holding his own in second position as he came down pit road with the rest of the leaders for another fresh set of tires and fuel. The crew once again did great work, sending Busch out just behind his brother, maintaining the second position on the race track. Harvick’s crew, on the other hand, struggled on this round of stops and left him restarting in the ninth position.
The green went back in the air on lap 135 and Busch ran behind his brother for several laps before finally running him down and battling for the lead around lap 165. By lap 166, the brothers’ battle was over, with Kyle besting Kurt and taking the lead once again just in time to grab the valuable playoff point that came with the stage win on lap 170. As the green checkered flag flew to signify the end of the stage, the Busch brothers led the way and Harvick was no longer in sight, having received a pit road penalty along with the bad stop earlier that left him a lap down to the leaders.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Logano, Jones, Bowyer, Elliott, Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Aric Almirola
Busch told the team the “balance was better this time” and brought his #18 machine to pit road for service, along with the rest of the leaders. The crew once again did solid work but Busch was beaten off pit road by his Joe Gibbs teammate Erik Jones, leaving him in the second position for the restart on lap 177. The green flag conditions were short-lived, with the next caution flag coming just one lap later on lap 178 for a multi-car crash in turn 4. All told, at least seven cars were involved, including Keselowski, Austin Dillon, the #6 of Trevor Bayne, the #10 of Almirola, the #11 of Hamlin, the #38 of David Ragan, and the #48 of Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski, Almirola, Hamlin and Johnson all saw their day end early as a result of the damages they sustained. Debris covered the race track, forcing NASCAR to display the red flag on lap 179 for approximately 11 minutes while they got things all cleaned up.
Once the red flag was lifted, the field got rolling under caution. Busch was running eighth at the time and, when pit road was opened, Stevens told him to stay out. As a result, Busch lined up for the restart on lap 182 in the sixth position. Erik Jones was the leader as the race got back underway. Busch seemed stuck in that sixth spot for several laps, though he was slowly beginning to catch the cars ahead of him. Around lap 200, he was closing in on Logano’s tail for the fifth spot and by lap 230, he was up to fourth and making a scheduled pit stop. Five laps later, the caution would wave again, this time for the #21 of Menard wrecking in turn 2. The pit stop cycle was not yet completed, so when the final two cars pitted under this caution, it left Busch in the second position, behind Jones for the restart.
The green flag waved once again on lap 240 and Busch wasted no time passing the young gun for the lead with a pretty impressive move. Less than ten laps later, caution would come out once again, this time for the synchronized spins of the #6 of Bayne and the #95 of Kasey Kahne. Stevens once again told Busch to stay on the race track to protect his track position. The race got back underway on lap 255 and Busch led the way. Harvick had managed to find his way back onto the lead lap with all the cautions and was once again trying to get to the front of the field. By the time Busch pitted for his final scheduled stop of the day on lap 290, Harvick was less than 2 seconds behind him. The #18 crew pulled off the “money stop” without a hitch and got Busch back out on the track still ahead of Harvick by approximately 1.5 seconds.
That gap would be erased with the day’s final caution on lap 303 for the #31 of Ryan Newman losing a right front tire and wrecking on the front stretch. Busch was third when the caution flew, but cycled back to the lead with Harvick alongside of him once the final two cars pitted under the caution. With less than 25 laps to go on the restart, Busch knew it would be a fight to the finish. The green flag flew on lap 310 and Busch took off, Harvick hot on his heels. Busch managed to put a gap between himself and Harvick as the laps wound down but Harvick stayed close – far too close for comfort for this OR. Spotter Tony Hirschman kept feeding information to Busch about where he was best against Harvick and where Harvick was better than the #18. Ten laps to go, the gap was still uncomfortably small, particularly with as fast as Harvick was running all day. Five to go… Busch continued to hold off Harvick but knew just one mistake would lead to yet another second place finish behind the red-hot Harvick. White flag in the air! The gap stabilized but Busch still had to make one final great lap to grab the victory. Checkered flag! Busch flashed across the finish line ahead of Harvick to take his first win of the 2018 MENCS season and punch his ticket to the playoffs at the end of the season.
A pumped up Rowdy cheered over his radio as he began his celebration with an impressive burnout on the front stretch, followed by his signature bow after he got the checkered flag from the flag stand official. The celebration continued right into Victory Lane, complete with Busch tossing his son Brexton in the air and giving his wife Samantha a bit of a heart attack, in spite of the fact that father and son both love what has become a post-race victory tradition.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Harvick
P3 – McMurray
P4 – Jones
P5 – Blaney
P6 – Logano
P7 – Kurt Busch
P8 – Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr.
P9 – Bowyer
P10 – William Byron
Next up: Get ready for a short track and shorter tempers. The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, a.k.a. The Last Great Colosseum. It’s Bristol, baby!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX
The Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 (334 laps, 501.0 miles)
The Date: Sunday, April 8, 2018
Stage Ends: 85/170/334 laps
Pole Sitter: Kurt Busch
18 Team Start: 8th
18 Team Finish: WINNER!
This weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headed south to Texas, home of the 1.5 mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. After a qualifying session cut short by lightning in the area, Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Interstate Batteries team found themselves in the eighth starting spot for Sunday afternoon’s race. Older brother Kurt Busch claimed the pole position in the shortened session.
As the green flag waved over a chilly Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon, Busch went to work to improve his position. His progress would be interrupted by the day’s first caution on lap 2 for the spinning #88 machine of Alex Bowman in turn 4. The #3 of Austin Dillon, the #19 of Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Suarez, and the #21 of Paul Menard all took damage as well, with only Suarez unable to continue. Busch was running in the tenth position and the #4 of Kevin Harvick was shown in the lead when the yellow flew.
The field got back under green flag conditions on lap 7. Busch went back to work on moving forward through the field. By lap 20, he was back to where he started the race and was gaining on those ahead of him. However, just ten laps later, Busch reported a vibration and was concerned he could have a right front tire going down. Crew chief Adam Stevens told Busch the crew was ready if he needed to pit. Busch rode it out, though, and on lap 40 he was up to the seventh position. Just three laps later, he would pit from that position for his first scheduled stop of the day. The #18 Interstate Batteries crew went to work, giving Busch four fresh Goodyear tires and a full tank of fuel, sending him back out on the track to wait for the pit stop cycle to complete.
At lap 50, Busch was still waiting for the final two cars to pit and was riding in the seventh position once again, looking to advance his position further before the cycle completed. He made it all the way to third but, on lap 64, older brother Kurt passed him for the third spot. At that point, Harvick was back in command, leading the field by over 7 seconds. It was clear that #4 Stewart Haas Racing machine was in its own zip code, with no one able to run him down, not even second-place car Martin Truex Jr. Truex’s luck would go south on lap 80, though, as his #78 machine suffered a right front tire failure, sending Truex into the outside wall as he exited turn 4. This brought out the day’s second caution and, since it was only five laps short of the end of the stage and much clean-up work needed to be done, NASCAR treated this yellow flag as the stage break, scoring the field for stage points accordingly. Harvick took the stage win, with Busch second, ahead of his brother Kurt in third.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones
Busch’s crew did a solid job on pit road during this stage break, giving him four fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments and getting him off pit road with the lead. This was the first time the #18 machine had clean air all day. As the field took the green to start stage 2, Busch pulled away quickly, the clean air seemingly helping his Interstate Batteries machine gain some extra speed. Harvick was not inclined to let the lead get away so easily, though, and began running Busch down, finally catching him and taking the lead away on lap 117.
Lap 126 brought the day’s third yellow flag to the air, as the #42 of Larson lost a right front tire and found the turn 2 wall with a hard hit. Busch was still holding his own in second position as he came down pit road with the rest of the leaders for another fresh set of tires and fuel. The crew once again did great work, sending Busch out just behind his brother, maintaining the second position on the race track. Harvick’s crew, on the other hand, struggled on this round of stops and left him restarting in the ninth position.
The green went back in the air on lap 135 and Busch ran behind his brother for several laps before finally running him down and battling for the lead around lap 165. By lap 166, the brothers’ battle was over, with Kyle besting Kurt and taking the lead once again just in time to grab the valuable playoff point that came with the stage win on lap 170. As the green checkered flag flew to signify the end of the stage, the Busch brothers led the way and Harvick was no longer in sight, having received a pit road penalty along with the bad stop earlier that left him a lap down to the leaders.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Logano, Jones, Bowyer, Elliott, Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Aric Almirola
Busch told the team the “balance was better this time” and brought his #18 machine to pit road for service, along with the rest of the leaders. The crew once again did solid work but Busch was beaten off pit road by his Joe Gibbs teammate Erik Jones, leaving him in the second position for the restart on lap 177. The green flag conditions were short-lived, with the next caution flag coming just one lap later on lap 178 for a multi-car crash in turn 4. All told, at least seven cars were involved, including Keselowski, Austin Dillon, the #6 of Trevor Bayne, the #10 of Almirola, the #11 of Hamlin, the #38 of David Ragan, and the #48 of Jimmie Johnson. Keselowski, Almirola, Hamlin and Johnson all saw their day end early as a result of the damages they sustained. Debris covered the race track, forcing NASCAR to display the red flag on lap 179 for approximately 11 minutes while they got things all cleaned up.
Once the red flag was lifted, the field got rolling under caution. Busch was running eighth at the time and, when pit road was opened, Stevens told him to stay out. As a result, Busch lined up for the restart on lap 182 in the sixth position. Erik Jones was the leader as the race got back underway. Busch seemed stuck in that sixth spot for several laps, though he was slowly beginning to catch the cars ahead of him. Around lap 200, he was closing in on Logano’s tail for the fifth spot and by lap 230, he was up to fourth and making a scheduled pit stop. Five laps later, the caution would wave again, this time for the #21 of Menard wrecking in turn 2. The pit stop cycle was not yet completed, so when the final two cars pitted under this caution, it left Busch in the second position, behind Jones for the restart.
The green flag waved once again on lap 240 and Busch wasted no time passing the young gun for the lead with a pretty impressive move. Less than ten laps later, caution would come out once again, this time for the synchronized spins of the #6 of Bayne and the #95 of Kasey Kahne. Stevens once again told Busch to stay on the race track to protect his track position. The race got back underway on lap 255 and Busch led the way. Harvick had managed to find his way back onto the lead lap with all the cautions and was once again trying to get to the front of the field. By the time Busch pitted for his final scheduled stop of the day on lap 290, Harvick was less than 2 seconds behind him. The #18 crew pulled off the “money stop” without a hitch and got Busch back out on the track still ahead of Harvick by approximately 1.5 seconds.
That gap would be erased with the day’s final caution on lap 303 for the #31 of Ryan Newman losing a right front tire and wrecking on the front stretch. Busch was third when the caution flew, but cycled back to the lead with Harvick alongside of him once the final two cars pitted under the caution. With less than 25 laps to go on the restart, Busch knew it would be a fight to the finish. The green flag flew on lap 310 and Busch took off, Harvick hot on his heels. Busch managed to put a gap between himself and Harvick as the laps wound down but Harvick stayed close – far too close for comfort for this OR. Spotter Tony Hirschman kept feeding information to Busch about where he was best against Harvick and where Harvick was better than the #18. Ten laps to go, the gap was still uncomfortably small, particularly with as fast as Harvick was running all day. Five to go… Busch continued to hold off Harvick but knew just one mistake would lead to yet another second place finish behind the red-hot Harvick. White flag in the air! The gap stabilized but Busch still had to make one final great lap to grab the victory. Checkered flag! Busch flashed across the finish line ahead of Harvick to take his first win of the 2018 MENCS season and punch his ticket to the playoffs at the end of the season.
A pumped up Rowdy cheered over his radio as he began his celebration with an impressive burnout on the front stretch, followed by his signature bow after he got the checkered flag from the flag stand official. The celebration continued right into Victory Lane, complete with Busch tossing his son Brexton in the air and giving his wife Samantha a bit of a heart attack, in spite of the fact that father and son both love what has become a post-race victory tradition.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Kyle Busch
P2 – Harvick
P3 – McMurray
P4 – Jones
P5 – Blaney
P6 – Logano
P7 – Kurt Busch
P8 – Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, Jr.
P9 – Bowyer
P10 – William Byron
Next up: Get ready for a short track and shorter tempers. The series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, a.k.a. The Last Great Colosseum. It’s Bristol, baby!
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Take a bow, Rowdy.#NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/mpRbXq8YHp
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 8, 2018
Woooo. Time to celebrate with Brex! pic.twitter.com/ATA5dI14a3
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) April 8, 2018
STP 500 Advance
March 23, 2018
Venue: Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville, VA)
The Race: STP 500
The Date: Sunday, March 25, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east this weekend to do some classic short track racing at Martinsville Speedway, well known in NASCAR circles as the “paper clip” due to its unique pit road configuration. If you look at Martinsville from above, you can see just how much it resembles its nickname.
This barely-half-mile oval (0.526 miles to be exact) has been a place of both joy and frustration for Busch over the years. Looking at his finishing record here feels like riding a roller coaster. In the 26 times the series has visited Martinsville since Busch debuted in the Cup series, he has missed one race (spring, 2015, Daytona injury recovery), finished outside of the top 20 seven times, once due to an overheating engine that resulted in a DNF, and inside the top 10 fourteen times.
Busch finally broke through to get his first victory here just two years ago and it came in the spring race. Since then, he grabbed another win here (and another grandfather clock, Martinsville’s unique and heavily sought-after trophy) last fall.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
With two runner-up finishes and a third place finish last weekend in Fontana, Busch is knocking on the door of Victory Lane every week. Will this be the weekend the door opens to him and the rest of his Joe Gibbs Racing 18 team? Tune in and find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 5:10 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
March 23, 2018
Venue: Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville, VA)
The Race: STP 500
The Date: Sunday, March 25, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east this weekend to do some classic short track racing at Martinsville Speedway, well known in NASCAR circles as the “paper clip” due to its unique pit road configuration. If you look at Martinsville from above, you can see just how much it resembles its nickname.
This barely-half-mile oval (0.526 miles to be exact) has been a place of both joy and frustration for Busch over the years. Looking at his finishing record here feels like riding a roller coaster. In the 26 times the series has visited Martinsville since Busch debuted in the Cup series, he has missed one race (spring, 2015, Daytona injury recovery), finished outside of the top 20 seven times, once due to an overheating engine that resulted in a DNF, and inside the top 10 fourteen times.
Busch finally broke through to get his first victory here just two years ago and it came in the spring race. Since then, he grabbed another win here (and another grandfather clock, Martinsville’s unique and heavily sought-after trophy) last fall.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest spring Martinsville start: Pole, once, 2014
- Highest spring Martinsville finish: Winner, once, 2016
- Highest overall Martinsville start: Pole, once, as noted above
- Highest overall Martinsville finish: Winner, twice, spring 2016 and fall 2017
- Average spring Martinsville start: 10.2
- Average spring Martinsville finish: 16.1
- Average overall Martinsville start: 11.6
- Average overall Martinsville finish: 13.1
With two runner-up finishes and a third place finish last weekend in Fontana, Busch is knocking on the door of Victory Lane every week. Will this be the weekend the door opens to him and the rest of his Joe Gibbs Racing 18 team? Tune in and find out!
Qualifying: Saturday, 5:10 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Current situation. #STP500 #NASCAR #martinsvillespeedway pic.twitter.com/eoGSBZsqgt
— Martinsville Speedway (@MartinsvilleSwy) March 22, 2018
Auto Club 400 Advance
March 16, 2018
Venue: Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, CA)
The Race: Auto Club 400
The Date: Sunday, March 18, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series completes its West Coast swing this weekend in Fontana, California at Auto Club Speedway, sister track to Michigan International Speedway. This 2-mile oval is where Kyle Busch notched his first-ever Cup Series victory back in the fall of 2005, back when he was in just his second full Cup season and driving the #5 Kellogg’s machine for Hendrick Motorsports.
In the sixteen times the series has visited Fontana since that first win, Busch has only finished outside of the top 15 four times, once due to engine failure, and he has notched two more victories, those coming back-to-back in 2013 and 2014. Including his victories here, Busch has notched an impressive 13 top-10 finishes, with his only DNF being the engine failure in the fall of 2010.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
The series stopped visiting Fontana twice a year beginning in the 2011 season. However, the track has remained a part of the early-season “NASCAR Goes West” West Coast swing ever since. With Busch coming off of two runner-up finishes (both behind his rival, the red-hot Kevin Harvick) in the last two Cup events, he is extremely hungry for a win. Could this be the weekend Harvick’s streak is broken by none other than the Rowdy one? Tune in Sunday afternoon to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 7:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
March 16, 2018
Venue: Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, CA)
The Race: Auto Club 400
The Date: Sunday, March 18, 2018
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series completes its West Coast swing this weekend in Fontana, California at Auto Club Speedway, sister track to Michigan International Speedway. This 2-mile oval is where Kyle Busch notched his first-ever Cup Series victory back in the fall of 2005, back when he was in just his second full Cup season and driving the #5 Kellogg’s machine for Hendrick Motorsports.
In the sixteen times the series has visited Fontana since that first win, Busch has only finished outside of the top 15 four times, once due to engine failure, and he has notched two more victories, those coming back-to-back in 2013 and 2014. Including his victories here, Busch has notched an impressive 13 top-10 finishes, with his only DNF being the engine failure in the fall of 2010.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Fontana start: Pole, once, 2005 spring race
- Highest Fontana finish: Winner, three times, 2005 fall race, 2013, 2014
- Average Fontana start: 10.9
- Average Fontana finish: 10.8
The series stopped visiting Fontana twice a year beginning in the 2011 season. However, the track has remained a part of the early-season “NASCAR Goes West” West Coast swing ever since. With Busch coming off of two runner-up finishes (both behind his rival, the red-hot Kevin Harvick) in the last two Cup events, he is extremely hungry for a win. Could this be the weekend Harvick’s streak is broken by none other than the Rowdy one? Tune in Sunday afternoon to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 7:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the race: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
When #NASCARGoesWest, @KyleBusch goes full throttle.
— Toyota Racing (@ToyotaRacing) March 12, 2018
WATCH HERE: https://t.co/9K0j4orIx4 pic.twitter.com/hBagiQE5yB
Ticket Guardian 500 Advance
March 10, 2018
Venue: ISM Raceway (Formerly Phoenix Raceway)
The Race: Ticket Guardian 500
The Date: Sunday, March 11, 2018
After an up and down triple-header weekend for Kyle Busch in his hometown of Las Vegas last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues the west coast swing this week as it heads to ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Rival driver Kevin Harvick is on a hot streak right now, having won the last two Cup events, and most everyone expects his Stewart-Haas Racing team to run strongly once again in Phoenix.
Busch is on a bit of a roll himself, having grabbed his first pole of the season last weekend and following up on that strong pole run with a runner-up finish to Harvick in Sunday’s event. Busch would love nothing more than to grab his first checkered flag of the Cup season here in Phoenix this weekend.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Qualifying for this weekend’s race took place Friday evening. Busch qualified in the seventh position for Sunday’s race, while fellow Toyota Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. took the pole. Will Busch grab his first checkered flag of the 2018 MENCS season here? If he pulls it off, it will also be Busch’s first win in the spring race at ISM Raceway. Tune in Sunday afternoon to find out! (And remember to “spring forward” Saturday night if your area observes Daylight Saving Time)
Qualifying: Friday, 5:15 p.m. (ET) (COMPLETE as of this writing)
Catch the race: 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
March 10, 2018
Venue: ISM Raceway (Formerly Phoenix Raceway)
The Race: Ticket Guardian 500
The Date: Sunday, March 11, 2018
After an up and down triple-header weekend for Kyle Busch in his hometown of Las Vegas last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues the west coast swing this week as it heads to ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Rival driver Kevin Harvick is on a hot streak right now, having won the last two Cup events, and most everyone expects his Stewart-Haas Racing team to run strongly once again in Phoenix.
Busch is on a bit of a roll himself, having grabbed his first pole of the season last weekend and following up on that strong pole run with a runner-up finish to Harvick in Sunday’s event. Busch would love nothing more than to grab his first checkered flag of the Cup season here in Phoenix this weekend.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Phoenix I start: Pole, twice, 2006 and 2016
- Highest Phoenix I finish: Second, once, 2011
- Average Phoenix I start: 9.5
- Average Phoenix I finish: 11.1
- Average overall Phoenix start: 11.4
- Average overall Phoenix finish: 12.2
Qualifying for this weekend’s race took place Friday evening. Busch qualified in the seventh position for Sunday’s race, while fellow Toyota Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. took the pole. Will Busch grab his first checkered flag of the 2018 MENCS season here? If he pulls it off, it will also be Busch’s first win in the spring race at ISM Raceway. Tune in Sunday afternoon to find out! (And remember to “spring forward” Saturday night if your area observes Daylight Saving Time)
Qualifying: Friday, 5:15 p.m. (ET) (COMPLETE as of this writing)
Catch the race: 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
□□□ pic.twitter.com/QV8jLz7H1v
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) March 10, 2018
Pennzoil 400 Advance
March 1, 2018
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
The Date: Sunday, March 4, 2018
This weekend, NASCAR goes west to Las Vegas, aka Sin City, for the first of three West Coast races in a row. This OR is headed west as well and is looking forward to sharing some behind the scenes info of Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s (LVMS) first-ever triple-header race weekend. This year also marks the first year that LVMS will host two Cup level races, with the other coming in the fall, as part of a second triple-header weekend. Kyle Busch will be running all three races this weekend, giving him three opportunities to notch another win at his hometown track.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch’s home track has not often been kind to the #18 team, with a most recent finish of 22nd in last year’s event. However, he has notched one win here back in 2009. Rowdy Nation would be thrilled to see him score a second Cup win here this Sunday. Follow along as this OR follows Busch’s triple-header runs.
Qualifying: Friday, 7:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the MENCS race: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
March 1, 2018
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Race: Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
The Date: Sunday, March 4, 2018
This weekend, NASCAR goes west to Las Vegas, aka Sin City, for the first of three West Coast races in a row. This OR is headed west as well and is looking forward to sharing some behind the scenes info of Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s (LVMS) first-ever triple-header race weekend. This year also marks the first year that LVMS will host two Cup level races, with the other coming in the fall, as part of a second triple-header weekend. Kyle Busch will be running all three races this weekend, giving him three opportunities to notch another win at his hometown track.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest LVMS start: Pole, twice, 2008 and 2009
- Highest LVMS finish: Winner, once, 2009
- Average LVMS start: 9.5
- Average LVMS finish: 14.2
Busch’s home track has not often been kind to the #18 team, with a most recent finish of 22nd in last year’s event. However, he has notched one win here back in 2009. Rowdy Nation would be thrilled to see him score a second Cup win here this Sunday. Follow along as this OR follows Busch’s triple-header runs.
Qualifying: Friday, 7:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports app live)
Catch the MENCS race: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on NBC Sports app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
The pressure is on for @KyleBusch this weekend @LVMotorSpeedway! #NASCARGoesWest pic.twitter.com/9u5YxdJgwW
— Joe Gibbs Racing □□□ (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 28, 2018
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Recap
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
The Race: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (325 laps, 500 miles)
Stage Ends: 85/170/325
The Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018
Competition Caution: Scheduled for Lap 30 (rain)
Pole Sitter: Kyle Busch
18 Team Finish: 7th
With the first race of the 2018 season under the drivers’ belts, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series traveled north a bit. The road trip ended in Hampton, Georgia, home of Atlanta Motor Speedway and site of the season’s second points-paying event. After a rough race in Daytona that ended in a 25th place finish, Kyle Busch was ready to leave that mess behind him and grab a better finish from the track where he brought home Toyota Racing’s first Cup Series victory back in 2008. His weekend started out the right way, as Busch grabbed the pole position in Friday’s qualifying session. It was the first time Busch has qualified on the pole here.
Some rain over the weekend resulted in NASCAR scheduling a competition caution to take place on or about lap 30. As the race began, Busch lost the lead early on to Richard Childress Racing’s Ryan Newman. Busch kept fighting, however, and retook the lead on lap 20. His run up front was again short-lived as Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick took the lead away on the very next lap.
All was quiet and Busch continued to run in the second position through the competition caution period that began on lap 30 and ended as the field once again took the green on lap 35. By lap 40, Busch had fallen back to seventh as Harvick continued to lead the way. Over the next several laps, Busch battled hard to work his way back toward the front of the field. By lap 65, he was up to the third position. He stalled there, however, and began falling back once again. By the time the caution flew to mark the end of Stage 1 on lap 85, Busch found himself in sixth. Crew chief Adam Stevens called Busch to pit road during the stage break for four fresh tires and fuel. The crew did solid work, sending Busch back onto the track one spot closer to the lead.
As the green flag waved on lap 93 at the start of Stage 2, Busch was in the fifth position and fighting hard to stay there. Around lap 125 Busch told the team that he was “tight center, loose off”. Stevens acknowledged and told him their scheduled green flag stop would be coming soon.
Two laps later, Busch relinquished the lead, gained via others pitting ahead of him, and came to pit road and the attention of his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew. The crew gave him four fresh Goodyear tires, a full tank of fuel and some adjustments and sent him on his way. The race continued with relatively little drama over the next several laps until, on lap 158, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson wrecked in turn 2, bringing out the day’s first non-stage related caution flag. Busch again brought the #18 to pit road from the seventh position and the crew did a phenomenal job, gaining him two positions with their quick work.
The restart came on lap 163 with just 7 short laps remaining until the end of the stage. All in the field knew there were points to be had. Those inside the top 10 were jockeying to move further forward, those just outside were looking to knock on that door and work their way into a points-paying position. Busch set his sights on the front of the field and began to work his way there. As the green checkered flag came out on lap 170 to mark the end of Stage 2, Busch found himself in the third position, with Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski taking the stage win.
The start of green flag conditions in Stage 3 came on lap 176, with Busch restarting fifth after another solid pit stop by his #18 crew during the stage break. Just 15 laps later, spotter Tony Hirschman reported light sprinkles on the spotters’ stand. Stevens confirmed that there was a “blip” on the radar. Hirschman’s response? “Yep, I’m getting blipped!” This OR couldn’t help but laugh. A few laps later, around lap 195, Stevens tells Hirschman the rain appeared to be about 45-50 minutes away, as best he could tell. Would this be a race to the checkers or a race to the rain? Only time would tell. Neither mentioned anything about the impending weather to Busch, who was busily working his way through traffic with his sights set on leader Keselowski.
By lap 210, Busch was riding in third and preparing for his next scheduled green flag pit stop. Three laps later, he relinquished that third position to come in for his stop. The green flag pit cycle completed on lap 225, as teammate Denny Hamlin and Penske Racing’s Joey Logano finally brought their cars down pit road for service.
Busch was back in the third position, this time behind leader Harvick. Around lap 235, Busch radioed to the crew and said “undo everything you just did. It was way better the previous run.” Stevens acknowledged and told Busch his next pit stop would be coming in the next 15-20 laps. On lap 250, Busch was called to pit road for that stop. The crew once again gave him four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel, and more adjustments. Busch wound up in the fifth position once the pit cycle was completed and went back to work hunting down the leaders. By lap 280, Busch had moved up into the fourth position and was looking for more, with the final scheduled pit stops of the day planned for around lap 290.
Busch brought his #18 machine to his crew’s attention on lap 287 for that final scheduled stop. On lap 290, Hirschman reported that the 6 (Trevor Bayne) had “a motor going sour”. Busch was scored in the ninth position at that point. Six laps later, Bayne’s engine blew, bringing out the final caution flag of the day. Busch was eighth when the yellow flew. Stevens brought him down pit road one last time to put on a fresh set of Goodyears for the final 20-or-so lap shootout that would remain when the field once again took the green. Unfortunately, Busch overshot his pit box and had to back up, costing the team precious time and track position.
Busch lined up for the restart on lap 304 in the ninth position as a result of the mishap on pit road. Harvick led the way and could not be caught. Busch fought tooth and nail to pick his way through traffic but was only able to recover to seventh by the time the checkers flew on lap 325.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, and Logano.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Logano, Harvick, Hamlin, Larson, Almirola, Bowyer, and Daniel Suarez.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Harvick
P2 – Keselowski
P3 – Bowyer
P4 – Hamlin
P5 – Truex
P6 – Logano
P7 – Kyle Busch
P8 – Kurt Busch
P9 – Larson
P10 – Chase Elliott
Next up: Rolling the dice and looking for a win in Las Vegas, Rowdy’s hometown.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
The Race: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (325 laps, 500 miles)
Stage Ends: 85/170/325
The Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018
Competition Caution: Scheduled for Lap 30 (rain)
Pole Sitter: Kyle Busch
18 Team Finish: 7th
With the first race of the 2018 season under the drivers’ belts, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series traveled north a bit. The road trip ended in Hampton, Georgia, home of Atlanta Motor Speedway and site of the season’s second points-paying event. After a rough race in Daytona that ended in a 25th place finish, Kyle Busch was ready to leave that mess behind him and grab a better finish from the track where he brought home Toyota Racing’s first Cup Series victory back in 2008. His weekend started out the right way, as Busch grabbed the pole position in Friday’s qualifying session. It was the first time Busch has qualified on the pole here.
Some rain over the weekend resulted in NASCAR scheduling a competition caution to take place on or about lap 30. As the race began, Busch lost the lead early on to Richard Childress Racing’s Ryan Newman. Busch kept fighting, however, and retook the lead on lap 20. His run up front was again short-lived as Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick took the lead away on the very next lap.
All was quiet and Busch continued to run in the second position through the competition caution period that began on lap 30 and ended as the field once again took the green on lap 35. By lap 40, Busch had fallen back to seventh as Harvick continued to lead the way. Over the next several laps, Busch battled hard to work his way back toward the front of the field. By lap 65, he was up to the third position. He stalled there, however, and began falling back once again. By the time the caution flew to mark the end of Stage 1 on lap 85, Busch found himself in sixth. Crew chief Adam Stevens called Busch to pit road during the stage break for four fresh tires and fuel. The crew did solid work, sending Busch back onto the track one spot closer to the lead.
As the green flag waved on lap 93 at the start of Stage 2, Busch was in the fifth position and fighting hard to stay there. Around lap 125 Busch told the team that he was “tight center, loose off”. Stevens acknowledged and told him their scheduled green flag stop would be coming soon.
Two laps later, Busch relinquished the lead, gained via others pitting ahead of him, and came to pit road and the attention of his #18 Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew. The crew gave him four fresh Goodyear tires, a full tank of fuel and some adjustments and sent him on his way. The race continued with relatively little drama over the next several laps until, on lap 158, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson wrecked in turn 2, bringing out the day’s first non-stage related caution flag. Busch again brought the #18 to pit road from the seventh position and the crew did a phenomenal job, gaining him two positions with their quick work.
The restart came on lap 163 with just 7 short laps remaining until the end of the stage. All in the field knew there were points to be had. Those inside the top 10 were jockeying to move further forward, those just outside were looking to knock on that door and work their way into a points-paying position. Busch set his sights on the front of the field and began to work his way there. As the green checkered flag came out on lap 170 to mark the end of Stage 2, Busch found himself in the third position, with Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski taking the stage win.
The start of green flag conditions in Stage 3 came on lap 176, with Busch restarting fifth after another solid pit stop by his #18 crew during the stage break. Just 15 laps later, spotter Tony Hirschman reported light sprinkles on the spotters’ stand. Stevens confirmed that there was a “blip” on the radar. Hirschman’s response? “Yep, I’m getting blipped!” This OR couldn’t help but laugh. A few laps later, around lap 195, Stevens tells Hirschman the rain appeared to be about 45-50 minutes away, as best he could tell. Would this be a race to the checkers or a race to the rain? Only time would tell. Neither mentioned anything about the impending weather to Busch, who was busily working his way through traffic with his sights set on leader Keselowski.
By lap 210, Busch was riding in third and preparing for his next scheduled green flag pit stop. Three laps later, he relinquished that third position to come in for his stop. The green flag pit cycle completed on lap 225, as teammate Denny Hamlin and Penske Racing’s Joey Logano finally brought their cars down pit road for service.
Busch was back in the third position, this time behind leader Harvick. Around lap 235, Busch radioed to the crew and said “undo everything you just did. It was way better the previous run.” Stevens acknowledged and told Busch his next pit stop would be coming in the next 15-20 laps. On lap 250, Busch was called to pit road for that stop. The crew once again gave him four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel, and more adjustments. Busch wound up in the fifth position once the pit cycle was completed and went back to work hunting down the leaders. By lap 280, Busch had moved up into the fourth position and was looking for more, with the final scheduled pit stops of the day planned for around lap 290.
Busch brought his #18 machine to his crew’s attention on lap 287 for that final scheduled stop. On lap 290, Hirschman reported that the 6 (Trevor Bayne) had “a motor going sour”. Busch was scored in the ninth position at that point. Six laps later, Bayne’s engine blew, bringing out the final caution flag of the day. Busch was eighth when the yellow flew. Stevens brought him down pit road one last time to put on a fresh set of Goodyears for the final 20-or-so lap shootout that would remain when the field once again took the green. Unfortunately, Busch overshot his pit box and had to back up, costing the team precious time and track position.
Busch lined up for the restart on lap 304 in the ninth position as a result of the mishap on pit road. Harvick led the way and could not be caught. Busch fought tooth and nail to pick his way through traffic but was only able to recover to seventh by the time the checkers flew on lap 325.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, and Logano.
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Logano, Harvick, Hamlin, Larson, Almirola, Bowyer, and Daniel Suarez.
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Harvick
P2 – Keselowski
P3 – Bowyer
P4 – Hamlin
P5 – Truex
P6 – Logano
P7 – Kyle Busch
P8 – Kurt Busch
P9 – Larson
P10 – Chase Elliott
Next up: Rolling the dice and looking for a win in Las Vegas, Rowdy’s hometown.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 Advance
February 21st, 2018
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Race: Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500
The Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500. This was the site of two milestones in 2008, Kyle Busch’s first Cup Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota’s first trip to Victory Lane in the series. Busch’s only other win here came in 2013, though he got as close as third in 2016.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
Busch is coming into Atlanta hoping to shake off the bad luck that plagued him last weekend in the Daytona 500. Will he score his first win of the 2018 season here? Or, better yet, will he grab his first pole here along with that checkered flag? (The last driver to win from the pole was Kasey Kahne back in 2006.) Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 5:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
February 21st, 2018
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Race: Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500
The Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018
This weekend, the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500. This was the site of two milestones in 2008, Kyle Busch’s first Cup Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota’s first trip to Victory Lane in the series. Busch’s only other win here came in 2013, though he got as close as third in 2016.
Some stats heading into this weekend’s race:
- Highest Atlanta start: Second, once, 2010
- Highest Atlanta finish: Winner, twice, 2008 and 2013
- Average Atlanta start: 12.3
- Average Atlanta finish: 15.3
Busch is coming into Atlanta hoping to shake off the bad luck that plagued him last weekend in the Daytona 500. Will he score his first win of the 2018 season here? Or, better yet, will he grab his first pole here along with that checkered flag? (The last driver to win from the pole was Kasey Kahne back in 2006.) Tune in this weekend to find out!
Qualifying: Friday, 5:15 p.m. (ET), TV: FS1 (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Catch the race: 2:00 p.m. (ET), TV: Fox (also available on Fox Sports Go app live)
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
"It's a whold different animal!"
— Atlanta Motor Speedway (@amsupdates) February 21, 2018
□ Hear what @JimmieJohnson, @KyleBusch and @AlexBowman88 have to say about how they prepare for a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after two weeks in Daytona. pic.twitter.com/O4w11DXcQv
Daytona 500 Recap
February 19th, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
The Race: Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)
Stage Ends: 60/120/200
The Date: Sunday, February 18, 2018
Pole Sitter: Alex Bowman
18 Team Start: 12th
18 Team Finish: 25th
This is it. The offseason is over and the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series season is officially upon us. Sunday marked the 60th running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr., in his first season as a retired driver, gave a thrilling command and the engines of 40 race cars roared to life. The pace car was driven by none other than Peyton Manning, retired NFL quarterback. As Manning led the field off pit road, with pole winner Alex Bowman close behind him, the excitement mounted.
For these 40 drivers in the “fraternal order of go fast”, as they are called by some track announcers, this marked the beginning of a brand new opportunity to go after a Cup championship. For many, it would be their first. For drivers like Kyle Busch, who earned his first championship in 2015, it would just add to an already impressive resume of NASCAR accomplishments.
Green flag in the air! Bowman led the first lap as Busch jockeyed around in the pack right about where he started the race. Lap 8 saw the day’s first caution, as Corey LaJoie’s engine expired, bringing an end to the #72 team’s day much earlier than they would have preferred. Joe Gibbs Racing #18 team Crew Chief Adam Stevens made the call to bring Busch to pit road. Many of the leaders did likewise. Busch got right side tires only on this first stop and headed back out on the track, restarting in about the same place as he’d left. By lap 20, Busch was up to third while Bowman continued to lead the field. Around lap 26, Busch radioed “little bit free everywhere with the back”. Stevens acknowledged.
Two laps later came news over the radio no Rowdy Nation fan wanted to hear. “Flat left rear flat left rear flat left rear” Busch hollered as he limped his car to pit road and the attention of his crew. The crew changed left side tires and sent Busch back out to the track. All was quiet for a few laps. Then, on lap 35, “Got a vibration” was the report from the #18 M&Ms Camry driver. Stevens tells him the team found no rub or flat spot on the left rear tire that failed but they were having Goodyear look at it. At this point, Busch was running 37th, down one lap to the field. By lap 45, Busch was closing in on the #23 of Gray Gaulding for the lucky dog spot.
Unfortunately, just five laps later, Busch’s left rear tire would fail again, sending Busch into the wall and bringing out the day’s second caution flag. The #96 of DJ Kennington and the #1 of Jamie McMurray also sustained damage as a result of Busch’s troubles. Busch asked the team to check if the left rear wheel was loose while they worked to repair the damage.
Under NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP), the team has just 6 minutes, including the time it takes the driver to get on and off pit road, to make repairs. The car must meet minimum speed once the 6 minute repair period has been exhausted. If the car meets minimum speed, the team is off the clock. However, if it fails to meet minimum speed, the team is parked for the remainder of the day. Stevens directed the crew on the repairs that needed to be completed as Busch sat in his pit stall. By the restart on lap 55, Busch was scored in the 39th position, now 3 laps down to the field.
As the laps in the first stage wound down, Busch played it safe toward the back of the pack. On lap 59, that proved to be a wise decision. Ricky Stenhouse Jr made an aggressive move up front and, while he saved his car, Erik Jones was unable to do the same, spinning out and collecting the cars of William Byron, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Larson. Jones, Dillon, Suarez, and Johnson all found themselves at the end of their Daytona Day before the first stage was even complete. Under caution, Busch reiterates that he thinks there is something wrong with his left rear. He told Stevens that he thought it could be a loose hub or possibly a broken shock, based on how the car was handling.
Lap 66 brought the restart and the start of green flag conditions in the second stage. Busch was in 35th and 3 laps down to the field but he worked to make the best of what was quickly becoming a very long day. By lap 89, he had lost the draft and was being lapped again, putting him 4 laps down to the field. On lap 91, Byron dragged the wall all the way from turn 4 into turn 1 (lap 92). Caution flew on lap 92 for debris on the backstretch that resulted from damage to Byron’s car after the long drag. Stevens worked the math to determine if Busch could take advantage of a wave around to get a lap back. That work became moot, however, as Truex stayed out, which negated any chance of a wave around. Busch came down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel.
The restart came on lap 98 but the green flag was not out very long. Lap 101 brought the day’s second big wreck and the day’s fourth non-stage related yellow flag. The unfortunate drivers that were tangled in this wreck were Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Michael McDowell, Truex, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne. Only Truex and McDowell were able to continue. The rest saw their chance at a Daytona 500 win come to a screeching halt for another year. For Patrick, it brought an early end to her final NASCAR race.
With the end of the second stage looming in less than 20 laps, Busch stayed out under this caution. He was scored 31st, down 4 laps to the field, on the lap 108 restart. Attrition was allowing him to gain valuable positions and points. By the time the yellow waved on lap 120 to mark the end of the second stage, Busch was 29th, though still 4 laps down. Stevens told him to stay out and take the wave around during this stage break. He restarted 29th on lap 126, though now only 3 laps down to the field.
Lap 156 brought Busch’s final scheduled pit stop of the day as Ryan Blaney led the way at the front of the field. Busch got four fresh tires and fuel and returned to the track. NASCAR caught him speeding on his way out, however, so he had to return to pit road to serve a pass-through penalty. This was not what the #18 team needed. By lap 180, Busch was riding in 28th position, once again 4 laps down due to his speeding ticket.
As the final laps wound down, excitement and anxiety both began to build. It was truly the calm before the storm. All waited to see who would make their move and when. Blaney continued to lead. On lap 190, Byron spun, bringing out the yellow again. Stevens called Busch to pit road to work on the repairs the team had made after the earlier damage. This cost the team another 3 laps and Busch restarted on lap 193 in 29th, but now 7 laps down to the rest of the field.
With just 7 laps remaining in the scheduled distance, nerves were fried, drivers were squirrely, and the crowd – both at the track and watching at home – held their collective breath. Would it actually go clean and green to the checkers? All knew that was highly unlikely. On lap 198, the mayhem came. Twelve cars were involved in the day’s biggest crash. Those unlucky drivers were Kurt Busch, Truex, Matt DiBenedetto, Stenhouse, Brendan Gaughan, Blaney, Bowman, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt, and AJ Allmendinger. After several laps of cleanup that extended beyond the race’s scheduled distance, the field got back underway on lap 205, with Busch scored 29th.
As the field took the white flag, Aric Almirola led the way and looked to be on route to his first Daytona 500 win. However, as anyone who has watched the racing in Daytona knows, it’s not over until you take the checkers. With less than half a lap between Almirola and victory, the #3 of Austin Dillon started charging toward the lead. With cars lined up behind him, Dillon got to Almirola carrying far more speed than Almirola could block. Almirola ended up in the wall and Dillon took the coveted checkered flag, with Wallace just barely beating a hard-charging Denny Hamlin to the line for second.
Kyle Busch finished the race in 25th, 7 laps down.
On the 20 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s only trip to Daytona 500 Victory Lane and the 17th anniversary (to the day) of his death, congratulations to Richard Childress and the entire #3 team. This OR just might have had a tear or two slide down her cheek as Dillon honored Earnhardt’s memory.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Kurt Busch, Bowman, Blaney, Stenhouse, Truex, McDowell, Harvick, and Elliott
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Blaney, Paul Menard, Logano, Almirola, McDowell, Truex, Allmendinger, Trevor Bayne, Austin Dillon, and Hamlin
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Austin Dillon
P2 – Wallace
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Logano
P5 – Chris Buescher
P6 – Menard
P7 – Blaney
P8 – Newman
P9 – McDowell
P10 – Allmendinger
Next up: Racing in Hot-lanta! Time to see if the #18 team can shake off the bad luck from Daytona and bring home their first win of the season.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
February 19th, 2018
Venue: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
The Race: Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)
Stage Ends: 60/120/200
The Date: Sunday, February 18, 2018
Pole Sitter: Alex Bowman
18 Team Start: 12th
18 Team Finish: 25th
This is it. The offseason is over and the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series season is officially upon us. Sunday marked the 60th running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr., in his first season as a retired driver, gave a thrilling command and the engines of 40 race cars roared to life. The pace car was driven by none other than Peyton Manning, retired NFL quarterback. As Manning led the field off pit road, with pole winner Alex Bowman close behind him, the excitement mounted.
For these 40 drivers in the “fraternal order of go fast”, as they are called by some track announcers, this marked the beginning of a brand new opportunity to go after a Cup championship. For many, it would be their first. For drivers like Kyle Busch, who earned his first championship in 2015, it would just add to an already impressive resume of NASCAR accomplishments.
Green flag in the air! Bowman led the first lap as Busch jockeyed around in the pack right about where he started the race. Lap 8 saw the day’s first caution, as Corey LaJoie’s engine expired, bringing an end to the #72 team’s day much earlier than they would have preferred. Joe Gibbs Racing #18 team Crew Chief Adam Stevens made the call to bring Busch to pit road. Many of the leaders did likewise. Busch got right side tires only on this first stop and headed back out on the track, restarting in about the same place as he’d left. By lap 20, Busch was up to third while Bowman continued to lead the field. Around lap 26, Busch radioed “little bit free everywhere with the back”. Stevens acknowledged.
Two laps later came news over the radio no Rowdy Nation fan wanted to hear. “Flat left rear flat left rear flat left rear” Busch hollered as he limped his car to pit road and the attention of his crew. The crew changed left side tires and sent Busch back out to the track. All was quiet for a few laps. Then, on lap 35, “Got a vibration” was the report from the #18 M&Ms Camry driver. Stevens tells him the team found no rub or flat spot on the left rear tire that failed but they were having Goodyear look at it. At this point, Busch was running 37th, down one lap to the field. By lap 45, Busch was closing in on the #23 of Gray Gaulding for the lucky dog spot.
Unfortunately, just five laps later, Busch’s left rear tire would fail again, sending Busch into the wall and bringing out the day’s second caution flag. The #96 of DJ Kennington and the #1 of Jamie McMurray also sustained damage as a result of Busch’s troubles. Busch asked the team to check if the left rear wheel was loose while they worked to repair the damage.
Under NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP), the team has just 6 minutes, including the time it takes the driver to get on and off pit road, to make repairs. The car must meet minimum speed once the 6 minute repair period has been exhausted. If the car meets minimum speed, the team is off the clock. However, if it fails to meet minimum speed, the team is parked for the remainder of the day. Stevens directed the crew on the repairs that needed to be completed as Busch sat in his pit stall. By the restart on lap 55, Busch was scored in the 39th position, now 3 laps down to the field.
As the laps in the first stage wound down, Busch played it safe toward the back of the pack. On lap 59, that proved to be a wise decision. Ricky Stenhouse Jr made an aggressive move up front and, while he saved his car, Erik Jones was unable to do the same, spinning out and collecting the cars of William Byron, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Larson. Jones, Dillon, Suarez, and Johnson all found themselves at the end of their Daytona Day before the first stage was even complete. Under caution, Busch reiterates that he thinks there is something wrong with his left rear. He told Stevens that he thought it could be a loose hub or possibly a broken shock, based on how the car was handling.
Lap 66 brought the restart and the start of green flag conditions in the second stage. Busch was in 35th and 3 laps down to the field but he worked to make the best of what was quickly becoming a very long day. By lap 89, he had lost the draft and was being lapped again, putting him 4 laps down to the field. On lap 91, Byron dragged the wall all the way from turn 4 into turn 1 (lap 92). Caution flew on lap 92 for debris on the backstretch that resulted from damage to Byron’s car after the long drag. Stevens worked the math to determine if Busch could take advantage of a wave around to get a lap back. That work became moot, however, as Truex stayed out, which negated any chance of a wave around. Busch came down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel.
The restart came on lap 98 but the green flag was not out very long. Lap 101 brought the day’s second big wreck and the day’s fourth non-stage related yellow flag. The unfortunate drivers that were tangled in this wreck were Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick, Kevin Harvick, Michael McDowell, Truex, Brad Keselowski, and Kasey Kahne. Only Truex and McDowell were able to continue. The rest saw their chance at a Daytona 500 win come to a screeching halt for another year. For Patrick, it brought an early end to her final NASCAR race.
With the end of the second stage looming in less than 20 laps, Busch stayed out under this caution. He was scored 31st, down 4 laps to the field, on the lap 108 restart. Attrition was allowing him to gain valuable positions and points. By the time the yellow waved on lap 120 to mark the end of the second stage, Busch was 29th, though still 4 laps down. Stevens told him to stay out and take the wave around during this stage break. He restarted 29th on lap 126, though now only 3 laps down to the field.
Lap 156 brought Busch’s final scheduled pit stop of the day as Ryan Blaney led the way at the front of the field. Busch got four fresh tires and fuel and returned to the track. NASCAR caught him speeding on his way out, however, so he had to return to pit road to serve a pass-through penalty. This was not what the #18 team needed. By lap 180, Busch was riding in 28th position, once again 4 laps down due to his speeding ticket.
As the final laps wound down, excitement and anxiety both began to build. It was truly the calm before the storm. All waited to see who would make their move and when. Blaney continued to lead. On lap 190, Byron spun, bringing out the yellow again. Stevens called Busch to pit road to work on the repairs the team had made after the earlier damage. This cost the team another 3 laps and Busch restarted on lap 193 in 29th, but now 7 laps down to the rest of the field.
With just 7 laps remaining in the scheduled distance, nerves were fried, drivers were squirrely, and the crowd – both at the track and watching at home – held their collective breath. Would it actually go clean and green to the checkers? All knew that was highly unlikely. On lap 198, the mayhem came. Twelve cars were involved in the day’s biggest crash. Those unlucky drivers were Kurt Busch, Truex, Matt DiBenedetto, Stenhouse, Brendan Gaughan, Blaney, Bowman, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., Jeffrey Earnhardt, and AJ Allmendinger. After several laps of cleanup that extended beyond the race’s scheduled distance, the field got back underway on lap 205, with Busch scored 29th.
As the field took the white flag, Aric Almirola led the way and looked to be on route to his first Daytona 500 win. However, as anyone who has watched the racing in Daytona knows, it’s not over until you take the checkers. With less than half a lap between Almirola and victory, the #3 of Austin Dillon started charging toward the lead. With cars lined up behind him, Dillon got to Almirola carrying far more speed than Almirola could block. Almirola ended up in the wall and Dillon took the coveted checkered flag, with Wallace just barely beating a hard-charging Denny Hamlin to the line for second.
Kyle Busch finished the race in 25th, 7 laps down.
On the 20 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s only trip to Daytona 500 Victory Lane and the 17th anniversary (to the day) of his death, congratulations to Richard Childress and the entire #3 team. This OR just might have had a tear or two slide down her cheek as Dillon honored Earnhardt’s memory.
The top ten at the end of Stage 1 were: Kurt Busch, Bowman, Blaney, Stenhouse, Truex, McDowell, Harvick, and Elliott
The top ten at the end of Stage 2 were: Blaney, Paul Menard, Logano, Almirola, McDowell, Truex, Allmendinger, Trevor Bayne, Austin Dillon, and Hamlin
Your top ten at the end of the race were:
W – Austin Dillon
P2 – Wallace
P3 – Hamlin
P4 – Logano
P5 – Chris Buescher
P6 – Menard
P7 – Blaney
P8 – Newman
P9 – McDowell
P10 – Allmendinger
Next up: Racing in Hot-lanta! Time to see if the #18 team can shake off the bad luck from Daytona and bring home their first win of the season.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
More trouble for @KyleBusch. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/yPaR3aXLxg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2018
2018 Season Preview
February 14, 2018
Driver: Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing #18
Crew Chief: Adam Stevens
18 Team 2017 Finish: 2nd, -5 points to champion Martin Truex, Jr.
While a second championship was not in the cards for Kyle Busch when the checkers flew over Homestead last November, Kyle still had an incredible run. He visited Victory Lane five times in 2017, finally notching his first points win of the season on the second trip to Pocono. That marked his first Cup win at the tricky triangle, leaving just Charlotte on the list of tracks where he has yet to win a Cup points event.
It should be noted, however, that Kyle took all the bragging rights in last year’s All-Star Race, marking the first Cup event win at the series’ home track, even if there were no points involved. Perhaps 2018 will be the year he finally conquers at least one of the two Cup points-paying races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle’s list of accomplishments in the 2017 season also included his second triple sweep of the August races in Bristol, 14 top-5 finishes and 22 top-10s.
While the Clash is already in the books, we are still waiting on the official pit crew roster for this season. However, this official reporter (OR) has not heard word of any changes on the #18 over-the-wall crew since the crew switch took place last fall before the Chase, beyond the reduction to just five crew members being allowed over the wall. We got our first look at these 5-member stops last Sunday during the Clash. Thankfully, the crews involved in that race, Kyle’s included, got their pit stops off smoothly all day long.
Kyle’s spotter, Tony Hirschman, once again returns as Kyle’s “eyes in the sky”. Tony comes from a family of racers and is arguably one of the best on the spotters’ stand week after week. Adam Stevens continues in the crew chief role and will be making the calls on top of the box. Adam, now with a few years’ worth of experience atop that 18 pit box, is continuing to grow in confidence and leads the team well, even under the most stressful of circumstances. His leadership and guidance are invaluable to Kyle and the entire #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
I will once again be on hand at three of the race tracks personally for a total of 6 Cup races and their associated lower series events – Las Vegas, Charlotte (May & October), and Michigan (June & August). I enter my ninth year of doing my “cookie girl” duties (don’t know the cookie story? Check out my “About Me” for the short version) and hope to see this #18 team of mine celebrating in Victory Lane multiple times.
I am also proud to say that I have once again been granted the opportunity to represent Ladies of Speed (formerly NASCARFemale) as a recognized member of the media for the Las Vegas race weekend. I look forward to putting my best foot forward to both represent our site well and bring you, fellow members of Rowdy Nation, some unique behind-the-scenes coverage of our driver and his amazing team.
To keep up with Kyle (or whoever your favorite may be), follow me and the rest of the writers here at Ladies of Speed as we bring you the stories of the 2018 season from the drop of the green flag in Daytona till they throw the checkers at Homestead. I offer a hearty Ladies of Speed welcome to all newcomers, both to our team of writers and photographers as well as all new visitors to our site. Sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
February 14, 2018
Driver: Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing #18
Crew Chief: Adam Stevens
18 Team 2017 Finish: 2nd, -5 points to champion Martin Truex, Jr.
While a second championship was not in the cards for Kyle Busch when the checkers flew over Homestead last November, Kyle still had an incredible run. He visited Victory Lane five times in 2017, finally notching his first points win of the season on the second trip to Pocono. That marked his first Cup win at the tricky triangle, leaving just Charlotte on the list of tracks where he has yet to win a Cup points event.
It should be noted, however, that Kyle took all the bragging rights in last year’s All-Star Race, marking the first Cup event win at the series’ home track, even if there were no points involved. Perhaps 2018 will be the year he finally conquers at least one of the two Cup points-paying races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle’s list of accomplishments in the 2017 season also included his second triple sweep of the August races in Bristol, 14 top-5 finishes and 22 top-10s.
While the Clash is already in the books, we are still waiting on the official pit crew roster for this season. However, this official reporter (OR) has not heard word of any changes on the #18 over-the-wall crew since the crew switch took place last fall before the Chase, beyond the reduction to just five crew members being allowed over the wall. We got our first look at these 5-member stops last Sunday during the Clash. Thankfully, the crews involved in that race, Kyle’s included, got their pit stops off smoothly all day long.
Kyle’s spotter, Tony Hirschman, once again returns as Kyle’s “eyes in the sky”. Tony comes from a family of racers and is arguably one of the best on the spotters’ stand week after week. Adam Stevens continues in the crew chief role and will be making the calls on top of the box. Adam, now with a few years’ worth of experience atop that 18 pit box, is continuing to grow in confidence and leads the team well, even under the most stressful of circumstances. His leadership and guidance are invaluable to Kyle and the entire #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
I will once again be on hand at three of the race tracks personally for a total of 6 Cup races and their associated lower series events – Las Vegas, Charlotte (May & October), and Michigan (June & August). I enter my ninth year of doing my “cookie girl” duties (don’t know the cookie story? Check out my “About Me” for the short version) and hope to see this #18 team of mine celebrating in Victory Lane multiple times.
I am also proud to say that I have once again been granted the opportunity to represent Ladies of Speed (formerly NASCARFemale) as a recognized member of the media for the Las Vegas race weekend. I look forward to putting my best foot forward to both represent our site well and bring you, fellow members of Rowdy Nation, some unique behind-the-scenes coverage of our driver and his amazing team.
To keep up with Kyle (or whoever your favorite may be), follow me and the rest of the writers here at Ladies of Speed as we bring you the stories of the 2018 season from the drop of the green flag in Daytona till they throw the checkers at Homestead. I offer a hearty Ladies of Speed welcome to all newcomers, both to our team of writers and photographers as well as all new visitors to our site. Sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.
Follow and chat with me here: @rowdygirl1851
Smile with @KyleBusch □ #Selfie #Daytona500 #TheClash pic.twitter.com/YOWmtIHDV4
— Ryan (@TheKBshow) February 11, 2018
