Kyle Busch News
Friday, July 16, 2010
Kasey Kahne to drive Kyle Busch Motorsports truck at Pocono: Kasey Kahne, who is undefeated in two career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, will pilot the No. 18 Toyota of Scranton (Pa.) Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the inaugural Pocono Mountains 125 Truck Series event July 31 at Pocono Raceway. Kahne, who drives the #9 Budweiser Ford full-time for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, won Truck Series races in November 2004 at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. "It's a big deal for us to have someone like Kasey in the #18 Toyota Tundra," said KBM driver-owner Kyle Busch. "His Truck Series record is about as good as it can get, given that he's never lost a race. He's obviously got a good record at Pocono in the Sprint Cup Series as well, so we know he'll give us a great chance to go to victory lane." The Pocono Mountains 125 is the first-ever Truck Series event at Pocono Raceway, which is located 38 miles south of Toyota of Scranton. Busch is hoping to win as an owner and a driver all in the same day, for while Kahne will drive the #18 Toyota of Scranton Toyota Tundra for KBM at Pocono, Busch will pilot the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newton.(KBM)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wallace apologizes for Kyle Busch comment: Rusty Wallace apologizes for comment at Kyle Busch during Nationwide race ESPN broadcaster Rusty Wallace apologized Monday for an expletive he directed toward Kyle Busch during Friday night's Nationwide broadcast from Chicagoland Speedway. The comment could be heard after Busch finished his Victory Lane interview. Said Wallace in a statement from ESPN: "At the end of Friday night's telecast, I made an unfortunate remark regarding Kyle Busch. There's no excuse and I certainly know better. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone including Kyle for my mistake." Wallace made the comment after Busch referenced the fans who booed him after he won the race. Wallace then can be heard uttering a one-word comment. An ESPN spokesman said the network would not suspend Wallace for the comment and stated: "ESPN has spoken to Rusty and he understands his remark was uncalled for.''(Virginian Pilot)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Kyle Busch visits Mars headquarters: Kyle Busch, nicknamed “Rowdy” for his aggressive driving style, is one of the bad boys of racing. But the stock car champion might as well have another nickname — the candy man. His No. 18 racer is painted the colors of a bag full of Halloween treats — brown, blue and orange — with a huge M&M’s character emblazoned on the car. “It all has to do with marketing, and NASCAR has a world following,” Busch said during a visit yesterday with employees at the Hackettstown candy plant of his prime sponsor, Mars Chocolate North America. “I have fans in South Africa, London and Germany.” NASCAR was once exclusively a Southern regional sport sponsored mostly by automotive-related companies such as STP, Valvoline and Sunoco. But consumer products firms have paid big bucks to slap their logos on the hoods of race cars in the hope of reaching customers who will remember them when they go shopping. (NJ Star-Ledger)
Burton, Busch insist they're over last weekend's incident: Call it want you want: One of them racin’ deals. Boys havin’ at it. Angry young men squaring off. Whatever the description, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch insist they’re over it. Friday at Pocono Raceway, though, both drivers said they have put the incident behind them. In fact, Busch said he was unaware that he cut Burton’s tire and at first didn’t understand why Burton was upset. “I just was for one, shocked where he came from because I didn’t know where he finished at the time,” Busch said. “And, I didn’t know what he was mad about. I thought that he still ran sixth or seventh. I didn’t know where he came from — finishing 25th or wherever he did normally you go to the garage area. I don’t know if he parked his car on pit road and he ran over to me or what. So, I was like, ‘Where did this guy come from?’” Busch didn’t think there would be any issues going forward. “It was just a spot of the heat of the moment and what transpired on the race track led to the incident on pit road after the race,” said Busch. “I think that we can both move forward and go on and put this behind us and just try to race each other with dignity and respect as much as we have before.” Burton said he, too, had moved beyond the issue. “He made a mistake and I paid the price for it,” Burton said. (FOX News)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Gibbs meets with Hamlin, Busch after race: The angry Kyle Busch was back. The driver who always seems to run up front, yet can also come unglued at any moment, had parked his mangled car within inches of Denny Hamlin's hauler. The All-Star race was still going on late Saturday night, but car owner Joe Gibbs knew he had to act immediately to avoid a potentially season-altering crisis after Busch had just declared on the radio that, "I swear to God, I am going to kill (him)." Gibbs hustled to catch up to Busch, who climbed out of his ruined car, punched the air and stormed into Hamlin's trailer. Hamlin was still on the track, but Busch was waiting to confront him for his move with eight laps left that caused Busch to hit the wall and end his chances of winning $1 million. Gibbs relied heavily on his people skills. "I think in pro sports, if you've been on the sidelines or you've been in racing you're going to have people get mad about things," Gibbs said. "It's spur of the moment type things. I think what was much more meaningful is we met in there." Not before forming a plan. Gibbs joined Busch in Hamlin's hauler. After Busch's brother, Kurt, won the race and Hamlin finished fourth, Hamlin was told to park his car at the edge of the garage. He was met by several team members, and escorted to the suddenly crowded hauler. Gibbs had ordered the incident - in which Hamlin tried to block his teammate's attempt to pass him for the lead in the closing laps - cued up on their video monitor. At first, Busch had no use for watching TV. "It was the old Kyle for a little while," Hamlin said, referring to the hothead reputation Busch has been trying to shed of late. "Then the new Kyle came and met with us." With Gibbs mediating, Hamlin and Busch watched the video and told their sides. "Kyle brought up a great point. What should we expect when we come to this race?" Hamlin said. "Do we need to have a meeting beforehand and say, 'OK, we don't share the same jerseys today, is it every man for himself?' My feeling was, 10 laps to go, I'm afraid so, we're not teammates. I think we both have an understanding of that and it's good from here on forward. Gibbs, too, insisted the meeting ended peacefully and with the issue behind them. (AP)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Joe Gibbs: I appreciate the new Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch a title contender? Busch won his first race of the season, passing Jeff Gordon for the lead off the final restart with five laps to go. The victory debuted the “new” Busch as he called himself. Well, maybe the new, older Busch, who turned 25 on Sunday - “I’m getting old,” he said. The new Busch, third in the points, remained patient even when he fell back after leading 221 of the first 229 laps. He put himself in position to win instead of wallowing about his car’s sudden frailties. “I appreciate the new Kyle,” car owner Joe Gibbs said. Of course, it’s a long season, and this new Busch will be challenged. How he reacts will determine whether he’s a title contender.(Virginian-Pilot)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Kyle Busch not heppy with Said: Kyle Busch walked away from a banged-up car shaking his head, clearly miffed about a scrape in the final practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch tangled with Boris Said coming onto the back straightaway and was forced to park his Toyota after getting in 37 practice laps. While the damage around the right rear tire was mainly cosmetic, that didn't improve Busch's mood. "You've got guys who don't belong out there," he said. "He's off the pace at every track we've been to. But he keeps getting in on owner points." Said drives for Latitude 43 Motorsports, a new venture started by a Vermont businessman who bought the No. 26 team from Roush Fenway Racing, inheriting its points from a year ago. Since that team finished 22nd in the Cup standings, Said is guaranteed entry into the first five races of 2010. "I'm out there minding my own business, running my car at the bottom of the track," Busch said. "He's at the top, then all of a sudden he wants to run in the middle on the straightaway. Usually if you're running at the top, you stay up there." Said, who's gotten into the last three races based on his owner points, managed only two laps in his final tuneup for the race. He was next-to-last on the speed chart, beating out rookie Kevin Conway.(ESPN.com)
Thuesday, February 11, 2010
Kyle Busch: Key to Chase is being consistent and finishing races: Kyle Busch cut right to the point. “There’s a lot of motivation there to go forward and to try to get in the Chase this year and try to win the championship,” he said. “That’s everybody’s goal and everybody’s story. Everybody is telling you they want to win the championship. How many championships can you hand out? There’s only one. You gotta earn it. There’s no one more determined than I am.” Determination has never been a problem for Busch, who has won 16 races in five full seasonsand qualified for the championship playoff three times. In fact, he was the favorite heading into the final 10 races in 2008, but imploded down the stretch. Last season, his implosion came much earlier and he failed to qualify, capping off a miserable season. Now, with a contract extension at Joe Gibbs Racing, a different crew chief, one more year’s experience and the knowledge gained from winning the 2009 Nationwide Series title, Busch is armed and dangerous. “I think the biggest thing I learned from the Nationwide Series, being able to win the championship, was the amount of second-place finishes and third-place finishes,” he said. “It isn’t all about wins. It is about being consistent and finishing races …” “Ultimately, it takes some of those in the year to make you capable of getting into the Chase in order to contend for the championship. For us, it’s about building the consistency, understanding what it took to win to that championship and being able to apply that to the Cup level.” (Florida Today)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Busch repeats at Lanier National Speedway to win Speedfest: Kyle Busch is making Lanier National Speedway his home away from home. The NASCAR Sprint Cup star won for the second straight year at Speedfest on Sunday, running away with the checkered flag in the Super Late Model Division. In other races, Greg Simpson won the Pro Late Model Division, while Brad Springer won the Modified race, which had been pushed from its originally scheduled spot on Saturday. The cold, wet weather, which forced race officials to postpone all of Saturday's events, made for a busy day at the track Sunday.(Gainsville Times)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Kyle Busch signs multi-year agreement with JGR: Joe Gibbs Racing announced it has signed driver Kyle Busch to a "multi-year" contract that will keep Busch with the team for the next several seasons. "It's something we've been working on for a while," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. "We probably could've announced this earlier. We were just getting some of the details ironed out and finalized. Watching him grow off the track as well as on the track has been exciting for us. We look forward to many years together racing up front." Busch said there "wasn't much convincing needed" to come back to the team after the 2010 season, when his first contract was set to expire. The team wouldn't say how many years the contract is, though Gibbs said they could announce that in the future.(CMS PR )
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Kyle Busch close to contract extension with JGR? Kyle Busch's free agency in the five biggest stories for 2010, a high-ranking source has confirmed Kyle Busch is off the market. The source would not confirm when the extension was signed, but has knowledge of one that ties him to both Gibbs and M&M's through 2011. Sources at Joe Gibbs Racing could not be reached for comment by press time, but it appears that they have addressed the top priority on their Christmas wish list by stabilizing Busch's contract and by rebuilding the No. 18 Toyota this offseason. (SI.com)
December 11, 2009
Kyle Busch Motorsports to field two trucks in 2010: Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that as of right now they will run two full-time teams in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010. Kyle Busch will drive the No. 18 Miccosukee Toyota with Brian Ickler picking up the ride in the stand-alone events. Tayler Malsam will drive the No. 56 Toyota full-time with sponsorship from Talking Rain and ActivWater. KBM is trying to pull enough sponsorship together to bring Champion Johnny Benson into the mix and make it a three-truck operation. Until the new shop is finished being built, the two-truck team will be based out of the former Xpress Motorsports shop located in Mooresville, NC.(SPEEDtv.com)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Gibbs working on contract extension for Busch: J.D. Gibbs say he's close to re-signing Kyle Busch and hopes to have the contract completed before the 2010 season.(FOXSports.com)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Steve Addington surprised he was replace at No. 18: Steve Addington said he was "surprised" by the change that will put replace him as Kyle Busch's crew chief and plans to explore all options inside and outside of Joe Gibbs Racing. On Tuesday, JGR announced that Dave Rogers, who has worked in JGR's Nationwide Series program will take over as crew chief of the No. 18 following Sunday's race at Tallaadega Superspeedway. Is it possible that Addington will leave JGR for another Sprint Cup Series team? "That would be ironic," Addington said Friday morning at Talladega. "Yes, I'm going to look at everything." One of those options could be the No. 2 Penske Racing car of Kurt Busch, which is losing Pat Tryson to Michael Waltrip Racing after this season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also could be in the market for a new crew chief, but Addington said he has yet to be contacted by anyone high up at Hendrick Motorsports.(ESPN.com)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dave Rogers to replace Steve Addington as No. 18 crew chief: Joe Gibbs Racing announces that Dave Rogers will be assuming the duties as crew chief for the Sprint Cup Series No. 18 Toyota starting with the November 8 race at Texas Motor Speedway. Steve Addington, who has served as crew chief for the No. 18 team the previous five seasons will be reassigned to a position within JGR following this weekend's race at Talladega Superspeedway. Rogers is currently in his fourth season as crew chief on the No. 20 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry for JGR. He led the team to JGR's first Nationwide Series Owner's Championship in 2008 amassing nine victories, six poles, 16 top-five finishes and 26 top-10 finishes despite utilizing four different drivers over the course of the season. The team has captured another five wins thus far this season under Rogers' leadership. He first joined JGR in 1998 and spent six seasons from 1999 to 2004 working under Greg Zipadelli with the No. 20 team, including the team's 2002 Championship season.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Steve Addington to be replaced? Joe Gibbs Racing is looking at several things to improve the performance of Kyle Busch's team in 2010, including the possibility of replacing crew chief Steve Addington. "There's not a lot we can say on it," team president J.D. Gibbs said before Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. "We just want to evaluate on what makes us the best, how do we capitalize on the resources we have, personnel, technology? How do we utilize that? You look at everything. It's frustrating because we know ... we've had some good runs. We just should be better than that week in and week out." Busch failed to make the Chase for the first time since his rookie season in 2005. He has only one win over the last 21 races and nine finishes of 20th or worse after winning three of the first 10 races. He has only 11 top 10s on the season after registering 21 a year ago and 20 in 2007. "Rarely do you go from running OK to now all of a sudden you're out of the box," said Gibbs, reminding no decision has been made on Addington's future. "Tony [Stewart] when he missed the Chase [in 2006], he was coming on strong consistently at the end of the season." Asked if the performance of Busch and Addington over the final four races would determine whether they stay together, Gibbs said, "It probably has more to it than the next four weeks."(ESPN.com)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
US F1 director would like Kyle Busch as driver: US F1 sporting director Peter Windsor is so enamored with Kyle Busch, he keeps very informed on what the Sprint Cup driver is doing "on a daily basis almost." Windsor would like to eliminate "almost" in 2011. "If he wanted to drive for us in 2011, we'd certainly be keen on that," Windsor says. "I think there'll be a lot of speculation about that as time goes on. If I was Kyle, I'd be saying to myself, yeah, those guys all talk the talk, let's see what they do, let's see what the car's like. Let's see what the race shop is like. Fair enough. We're going to do a good job. I know when Kyle gets to see it, I'm pretty sure it'll get his pulse rate going." Busch already has shown some interest. Windsor says he met with the driver's business team after being approached about the team. "If he wants to jump in our car next year for doing some demonstrations here in the States, he's very welcome to do that."(More at USA Today)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Ky. Busch wins Winchester 400: Kyle Busch had chances to win the Winchester 400 on a couple of occasions before, finishing second in 2008, and running for the lead with only a few laps to go a few years ago only to have a wheel come off. The 2009 Winchester 400 trophy went home with him as he raced out to the lead and stayed there. Chris Gabehart took the early lead and ran out to a strong lead before Busch started to reel him in and took the lead on the 61st lap. From there Busch only gave up the lead once under green. Gabehart was a strong challenger until hitting debris and damaging a spindle. Jeff Fultz took the lead from Busch under green but his day ended when his transmission went out with 288 laps to go.(RCA)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Busch says he had pneumonia last weekend: Kyle Busch said it was pneumonia that forced him to give way to a backup driver in last weekend's Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series races at California. But said he's strong enough that he won't need relief in either this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I'm still having side affects, still being on the medicine still throws your head for a little loop until you get out there for a few laps,'' Busch said after qualifying for Friday night's Nationwide race. "You just have to get reoriented and have a clean focus on it all. I never had to do it before in my life. It was pretty hard to do. It's something you don't ever want to have to do, but when you get in the car and get hot and your fever starts to rise and you get dizzy, it's just not safe being out there. I never got to that point of being dizzy, but I knew if I stayed in, I would.''(ESPN.com)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Gilliand on stand-by for a sick Kyle Busch: Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch is feeling worse Sunday morning and is not expected to drive the entire Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway in California, team president J.D. Gibbs said Sunday morning. David Gilliland will be his replacement. Gilliland is driving for TRG Motorsports but he is not expected to drive the complete race.(SceneDaily.com)
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009
NASCAR announces No. 18 penalty for post race inspection: NASCAR has issued penalties to the No. 18 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of a rule infraction found last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The No. 18 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8 1B (the height of the car at the left front fender did not meet the required specification; too low in post-race inspection) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. Crew chief Steve Addington has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Driver Kyle Busch and car owner Joe Gibbs have been penalized 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points, respectively.(NASCAR PR)
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
Kyle Busch too low in post race inspection: Kyle Busch, who missed making the Chase by just eight points, finished 5th in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But the left front of the No. 18 M&M's Toyota was too low in post-race inspection, and he could be penalized by NASCAR this week, usually announced on Tuesday afternoons.(ESPN.com/AP)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
Gibbs hopes to re-new Kyle Busch's contract soon: Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said "there's no timetable" on re-signing Kyle Busch, but as far as he's concerned, "the sooner the better." Busch's contract expires after next year [2010]. Gibbs added the organization will not race four full-time cars in 2010. When it came to potential sponsorships, Gibbs said there was nothing JGR "felt was appropriate" to properly run a four-car operation. With the way driver contracts fall, 2011 will have a better pool of candidates, namely Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick. Gibbs admits that Kahne "is awesome" but indicated a package deal with Budweiser, given the family's religious convictions, "would be hard."(FOXSports.com)
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009
No. 18's Steve Addington named Wypall's Crew Chief of the Race: Steve Addington, crew chief for the No. 18 M&M's Toyota driven by Kyle Busch, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Addington-led No. 18 team provided Busch with flawless execution all night, running in the top-five, but it wasn't until Lap 433 that Busch claimed the top spot from Michael Waltrip. Following a successful pit stop during a caution on lap 423, that Waltrip chose not to come in for, Addington shot his driver out to the front of the pack, never to look back. After a late race battle with Mark Martin, Busch prevailed and took home the coveted Sharpie 500 win. In addition to the $1,000 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at the season finale in Homestead.(Wypall)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Kyle Busch the NASCAR team owner? Kyle Busch discussed his interest in being a team owner in one of NASCAR's top series "down the road." From what we are hearing, "down the road" might mean 2010. There have been rumors in the past about Kyle Busch either buying out current Truck Series owner Billy Ballew or starting his own team from scratch. Busch has been driving trucks for Ballew since the 2005 season, and it is widely known that he is not paid by BBM and takes none of the winnings. Now it appears that Busch could be competing against Ballew next season.(NASCAR Insiders)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Kyle Busch says Stewart 'dumped' him: All is not forgiven in the eyes of Kyle Busch. Busch said he felt he was "dumped" by Tony Stewart Saturday night at Daytona when the two cars collided as the drivers headed to the finish line of the Coke Zero 400. Busch didn't directly criticize Stewart at first, but found a way to make his point when asked what NASCAR should do about last-lap crashes at Daytona and Talladega. "NASCAR can take steps to look at it," Busch said. "If the second-place driver dumps the leader, then black flag his ass. He doesn't get the win. If he's up along side the leader and dumps him, give the third-place car the victory." Busch then was asked if he considered the bump with Stewart "a dump." "Yes, it would be considered a dump," he said.(ESPN.com)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Kyle Busch apologizes for wreck at New Hampshire: Kyle Busch finished 7th in the rain shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Suday. Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, rookie No. 20 Joey Logano, won the race by gambling on fuel as the rain approached. Busch survived 11 cautions for 47 laps in the rain-shortened event, including a multi-car accident on a lap 174 restart that began when No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., spun his tires and Busch, No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 1 Martin Truex Jr., made contact at the end of the frontstretch. “I have to apologize to all those guys,” Busch said. “We got bottled up there in turn one – especially Martin and Jeff Burton and those guys. I meant nothing of that. The 88 (Earnhardt) spun his tires on the restart, I went to choose a lane, went to the middle, and the 42 (Montoya) and I got together a little bit. That pinched me with the 1 (Truex, Jr.) and I spun the 1 out and it was just mayhem from there. I hate it for all those guys because I know they’ve got ‘Chase’ contentions too. We were just battling for every spot out there today. Restarts are hectic, man. Everybody is fighting for every inch that’s out there because it’s so hard to pass with these cars. If you can get it done right now, then you can kind of single-file out for a while and then you don’t have to worry about much. The sooner you can get everything done – the quicker, the better, the more you’re by yourself.”(JGR PR)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ganassi excited to have Kyle Busch in Grand-Am car: NASCAR's bad boy, Kyle Busch, will step over into the Grand-Am garage on July 4 to make a run in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced Monday that Scott Speed and Busch, both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars, will compete in the No. 02 Lexus Riley for the sprint race over the 3.56-mile road course. "I am really looking forward to seeing Kyle and Scott in one of our Grand-Am cars," car owner Chip Ganassi said. "Kyle is one of the best race car drivers in the world and Scott is a young talent with a lot of road course experience. Also, I think having the opportunity for them to work with a road-course veteran like Scott Pruett should make for a great experience for them. It will be exciting to see what they can do." (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Kyle Busch and Scott Speed to race in Rolex's Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona: Chip Ganassi Racing will field a second entry for Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Scott Speed in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4. The race will take the green flag at 2 p.m. ET, and will be televised live on SPEED in advance of that evening's Sprint Cup race. The duo will make their Grand-Am Rolex Series debut piloting the No. 02 Lexus Riley alongside defending Grand-Am series champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No. 01 Lexus Riley.(Chip Ganassi Racing PR)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Kyle Busch: "People don't understand my emotions": Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's good guy; Kyle Busch is the bad guy. He gets that and accepts it. "He's the most loved and I'm the most hated," Busch said. "I guess there is a good rivalry there for the media and the fans." Media and fans get upset when he refuses to comment after a track incident takes him out of contention. He gets that, too. Now, understand Busch: "A frustrating part to that is people don't understand my emotions," Busch said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I don't have an analogy for them for what it's like. But, say a kid is playing a Little League championship game and his team scores three runs in the first inning and the whole rest of the game no one scores a run until the ninth inning, and in the bottom of the ninth that other team scores nine runs to beat them. "It's like, 'How did that just happen?' We just led the whole game and we lost. Imagine how frustrated a kid would be. That's what it's like. It's not fun to have issues comes about like that." (Tennessean)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kyle Busch wins at Iowa Speedway: Kyle Busch accomplished on Sunday what previous visiting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers could not do – win the NASCAR Camping World Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway. While Kevin Harvick had to settle for second place in 2007 and Kasey Kahne came away as the runner-up in 2008, Busch took the first-place trophy in the Long John Silver’s 200. Busch, fresh from competing in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte Saturday night, made the most of a Sunday morning practice session at Iowa to fine tune the set up of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He went on to capture the Coors Light Pole Award and dominate the race – leading 168 of the 200 laps. With Sunday's victory, Busch locked up a secure starting spot in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. While Busch was heading to victory, defending race winner Brian Ickler and David Mayhew waged a fierce door-to-door battle in the closing laps. Ickler prevailed to take second place, with Mayhew finishing a close third. Jeffrey Earnhardt passed Paulie Harraka in the closing laps to grab fourth. Rounding out the top 10 were Brett Moffitt, Brett Thompson, Jesus Hernandez, Jason Bowles and Johnny Borneman. (NASCAR Local)
Kyle Busch, Steve Addington complement each other: A balanced view - Kyle Busch discussed his relationship with crew chief Steve Addington, who had never won a Sprint Cup race before being paired with Busch in 2008. "He's got a lot of good ideas, a lot of strengths, a couple weaknesses," said Busch of Addington. "Same as me. I've got a lot of strengths, a couple weaknesses. We're trying to make those weaknesses a little better, though, and trying to make it to where we don't have those. "Steve (Addington) is a good crew chief for me because we seem to work well with each other. I can yell at him as much as I want, and he can yell at me as much as he wants, and we have an understanding that, at the end of the day, we respect each other and what we're doing out there." (Gaston Gazette)
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Ky. Busch Crew Chief - Busch is maturing: There are signs Kyle Busch has learned from those experiences. More and more, crew chief Steve Addington sees Busch pulling back at times, with a goal of finishing the race to score points. "He's been a lot smarter," Addington said. "It's knowing he has to finish these races. In bad situations, he's backed off where before he would have just stuck it in there and probably tore up our car or someone else's. That's maturity." (The State)
Friday, May 8, 2009
Kyle Busch -- Darlington is much faster track: Kyle Busch asked about how Darlington's fairly new pavement has changed the racetrack: "The track is much faster and has a lot more grip than in the past, so the tire wear is entirely different. But, it's still a unique racetrack and challenging, whether it's new or old pavement and what tires we bring. I like Darlington as a racetrack. I think it's a little easier for me to drive now with the fresh pavement than the on the old pavement. For whatever reason, I wasn't that great at the old stuff. But I finished second in the Nationwide Series once. This time, going around there is going to be the second year on the new asphalt. So it should still be pretty grippy. And I'm looking forward to it. I think Denny (Hamlin, teammate) had the tire test out there, so we'll talk to him and get some of his feedback on what he learned." (JGR PR)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Kyle Busch not concerned about other drivers: Kyle Busch is busy trying to figure out how he's going to win his next race. "You've got to keep your mind focused," Busch said in the weekly NASCAR teleconference. "The way I do it is to not let outside things get in. I don't pay attention to a lot of what goes on during the weekend. I don't pay a lot of attention to what goes on with other people, with other racers, with fans and that kind of stuff. People always think that I might be a jerk or I might be not so social or personable because I'm trying to keep in the zone and stay focused on what I'm doing and what's coming up next." (Dallas Morning News)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Kyle Busch has chance to win a million at Iowa: Commit to race at Iowa Speedway, win $1 million. This formula’s worked for NASCAR’s Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne, who each collected a seven-figure NASCAR All-Star race victory the past two seasons – one night before competing in a Camping World East/West Series event at Newton. So why not Kyle Busch, who will race in Newton’s first Camping World East/West Series event of the season May 17 after running for the $1 million at Charlotte, N.C.? “It’s kind of funny the way that they picked it,” Busch said in response to a question from The Des Moines Register today in a NASCAR teleconference. “Hopefully the tradition continues for the third year in a row.” (Des Moines Register)
Kyle Busch -- I'm here to be myself: Through it all, the driver has remained Kyle Busch, the guy not afraid to race or speak his mind. Politically correct has never been the Busch way. You may not like the guy, but you have to respect his talents and accomplishments to date. "I'm here to be myself, man," Busch said. "I am who I am. Everybody is who they are, for whatever reason. I don't think it's necessarily the way you're raised or where you're raised or whatever. I just think what you believe in, what your beliefs are, what all happens around you as you grow up and stuff." (Daytona Beach News-Journal)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Kyle Busch wants to win 200 races: When he was reeling off victories at a record pace last season, Busch said that 200 in his career was his goal. But even he knows despite flying high now that might be a lofty expectation. "It could if I can keep this pace up," he smiled. "But I know the older I get I'll start slowing down some way. You know, hopefully I can achieve that goal. It would be sure nice to get that. I know it's not 200 Cup victories like Richard Petty has. It will still be a phenomenal mark for me." "I don't know how long I'll be in the Truck Series or Nationwide Series, but hopefully for as long as [owner] Joe [Gibbs] will let me in the Truck Series, and as long as there's a Nationwide car at Joe Gibbs that we can run, I'll be there running races and fulfilling some duties and deals there." With the way Busch is going, Gibbs has no thoughts about letting his star driver go anywhere else. And in fact the former NFL head coach thinks Busch's success is starting to win over more people than just the ones who work at the team. (Sportsline.com)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Kyle Busch to race in Nashville on Sunday: Kyle Busch, one of the NASCAR's hottest young drivers, is scheduled to roll into Music City Sunday to run the Budweiser All-American 150 at Fairgrounds Speedway. Busch will compete in Saturday night's Cup race in Richmond, Va., then fly to Nashville for Sunday's event. Ron Lawler will practice and qualify Busch's car in Saturday afternoon's time trials. (Nashville City Paper)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Kyle Busch in Pedigree paint scheme at Talladega: Pedigree will make its first of three appearances as primary sponsor of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota at Talladega this weekend. The other events at which the Mars Pedigree brand will adorn the No. 18 this season will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September and Phoenix International Raceway in November. The first Pedigree paint scheme of 2009 kicks off the company’s “NASCAR’s Luckiest Dog” contest in which the winner of which will have his or her dog pictured on Busch’s No. 18 Toyota at the Checker Auto Parts 500k at Phoenix in November.(M&M's Racing PR)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Kyle Busch tells fans keep their suitcase full of memorabilia at home: Kyle Busch was asked about the track's new "All Access" program. Fans are allowed (for a price) to get up-close and personal with drivers. They can attend the pre-race drivers' meeting, watch goings-on in the garage, and line up for autographs. Busch didn't care for the arrangement. He was peeved because too many fans brought too many items to get signed. "It's our job to sign for the fans and treat them nice, but when they've got three suitcases of stuff that's a little ridiculous �three suitcases are a little outrageous," he fumed. "And they camp outside your hauler. To me, that's wrong." With that, Busch packed up his attitude and split. End of press conference. In his wake could be heard mummers and mutterings about "jerk" and "whiner" and "brat," along with a few other choice adjectives. (Nashville City Paper)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Ky. Busch upset with team performance: Kyle Busch is critical of himself when he assesses his season to this point. "We were terrible at Martinsville and Atlanta, so we know that we have more work to do," Busch said. "This year seems as if a guy hits it, he really, really hits it. Say, in Atlanta, Kurt (Busch) led the most laps and he really hit it there. He was really good. We hit it at Bristol, we were really good. … It looked like Jimmie (Johnson), Denny (Hamlin) and Jeff (Gordon) really had it at Martinsville. When you look at things, there are a lot of guys who are competitive week in and week out, but it seems like it's the same guys who are the top five week in and week out. It's hard for me at Martinsville, for some reason, to run well. We struggled there." (USA Today)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Gordon: Busch is no "Intimidator": Jeff Gordon raced against both Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch, and he's incensed that anyone could draw a comparison between the two. Earnhardt had a reputation for being a talented racer with a mean streak. So does Busch. Earnhardt had a way of stirring controversy in victory. So does Busch. But, according to Gordon, that's where the similarities end. "Please tell me you aren't trying to compare those two," Gordon said. "There's no comparison." Gordon, a four-time champion, said Earnhardt was both ruthless and calculating; Busch is brash and spontaneous. "Earnhardt was rarely on the edge, to be honest with you. But he was more of a bully. He's a guy that you never count him out. He was just tough as nails. He'd be a lap down and come back and be battling for the win at the end of the race and was just a totally different type of racer and how he approached it, than Kyle," Gordon said. "As far as results, I guess you could maybe compare results because they both really get the results. But to me, how Kyle goes about getting the results is still a little bit young and like this guy trying to tame a bull, you know. And when he first started, he was riding that bull in a china shop." (Florida Times-Union)
No. 18 to sport paint scheme in honor of B. Labonte: Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota will feature a special paint scheme for the Samsung 500 in honor of Corpus Christi, TX native Bobby Labonte, who will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Labonte was behind the wheel of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries car for 10 years with team owner Joe Gibbs, which includes his 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship and 21 Sprint Cup career victories. Busch took over the No. 18 Toyota in 2008, which is sponsored by Interstate Batteries this weekend. The special paint scheme will be on display between 6-7 p.m. at the Speedway Club, with a photo opportunity with Busch, Labonte, CEO of Interstate Batteries Norm Miller and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman/CEO Bruton Smith at 6:30pm. No. 96-Bobby Labonte and SMI Chairman Bruton Smith, who brought NASCAR back to Texas with the construction of Texas Motor Speedway, will be inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 1 in The Speedway Club's Grand Ballroom at Texas Motor Speedway. Labonte and Smith will be available for media interviews between 6-7 p.m. and the dinner ceremony will begin at 7:30pm. Proceeds of the event will benefit Happy Hill Farm, an academy and home for at-risk children.(TMS PR)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ky. Busch parties at the Hard Rock: Kyle Busch scored a victory in his hometown of Las Vegas Sunday, and celebrated by shelling out over $5,000 on 10 bottles of champagne at Body English in the Hard Rock. (TMZ.com)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Ky. Busch wins Shelby 427: Las Vegas native Kyle Busch came from the back of the 43-car field to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after Matt Kenseth's bid to win the season's first three races ended early. Busch won the pole for the Shelby 427 but was forced to start at the rear because of an engine change on his No. 18 Toyota. Busch, 23, doggedly moved up through the field, took the lead with 20 laps remaining in the 285-lap race and held off Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton, teammates at Richard Childress Racing who finished second and third, respectively. (LA Times)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Ky. Busch focused on NASCAR: Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch said the timing isn't right for him to race in Formula One for the new F1 team based in Charlotte. Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor are partnering to form the team, which hopes to begin racing to start the 2010 season. Busch's name has been mentioned as a candidate to drive one of the cars for the new operation. "I have not been talked to yet, but I do toss the idea around," Busch said. "It's something I'd love to give a shot one day. It's not something I would shoot down, but I don't think it's the right time in my career to do something like that." Busch, who turns 24 on May 2, wants to win a Sprint Cup title before taking a shot at F1. He won eight Cup races last season and started the Chase in first-place before finishing 10th overall. "I want to get it done here first," Busch said. "If I could win a championship in the next two or three years, I wouldn't mind going over there and running Formula One a couple of years, then come back. I'd only be 28 or so." (ESPN.com)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kyle Busch leaves door open for Formula One: Kyle Busch's agent said the young NASCAR star would "certainly leave the door open" to try Formula One "at some point" after Busch's name was mentioned during a press conference announcing a new American-based F1 team. Officials with the USF1 team, which will be based out of Charlotte, said it would be interested in having Busch drive its car. Busch is under contract at Joe Gibbs Racing through the end of next season. "Obviously, it's very flattering for him to be mentioned for a Formula One ride, especially an American-based team," said Jeff Dickerson, Busch's agent. "Thanks to Toyota, he was excited at the prospect of getting to test a Formula One car this past offseason. "While it didn't work out then, he would certainly leave the door open to try it out at some point. At the same time, he's currently focused on winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series championships for Joe Gibbs Racing." (SceneDaily.com)
NASCAR fans create petition: NASCAR fans against Kyle Busch would like to see him in the Formula One. (Orlando Sentinel)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Kyle Busch could make NASCAR history: On Saturday, Kyle Busch became the first driver to win twice in the same day on two of NASCAR's top-three. He held the previous best same-day performance with a first in the Nationwide and second in the Sprint Cup Series races held at Daytona on July 7, 2007. This is just the third time a driver has won both a Camping World Truck Series and a Nationwide Series race in the same weekend (Greg Biffle at Phoenix in October 2001 and Kyle Busch at Phoenix in November 2007). There have been 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup-NASCAR Nationwide weekend sweeps. No driver has ever won all three races in the same weekend.(NASCAR Statistics)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Kyle Busch named second quarter driver of the year: #18-Kyle Busch just keeps winning. The 23-year-old Sprint Cup star has won second-quarter voting for 2008 Driver of the Year, repeating his victory in the first-quarter balloting. Busch won a total of four races in NASCAR’s top two series—three in Cup and one in Nationwide—during the quarter that ran from May 3 to June 29. He continues to lead the Cup point standings. In the second-quarter voting, Busch totaled 103 points as he took seven of 14 first-place votes and was listed on every ballot, with only one vote below second place. He handily beat Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon, whose two IndyCar Series victories earned him five first-place votes and a total of 85 points. World of Outlaws star Donny Schatz, who drives for Tony Stewart Racing, had one first-place vote and was third in the voting with 48 points. The late Scott Kalitta, the Funny Car driver who died in a crash on June 21, got the other first-place vote.(Yahoo! Sports/AP)
Kyle Busch, Kvapil and Riggs tire test at Atlanta: Kyle Busch, along with Cup Series drivers Travis Kvapil and Scott Riggs, each participated in the second and final day of tire testing by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch, testing in a fully-decaled #18 M&M's Toyota, posted a best lap of 180.662 mph (30.69 seconds). Riggs was the fastest of the group in his red and gray primer Chevrolet with a Haas CNC logo on the hood as he reached 180.994 mph (30.63 seconds), while Kvapil's primer white, decal-free Yates Racing Ford hit 175.101 mph (31.66 seconds).(AMS PR)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Ky. Busch gets qualifying do-over: Kyle Busch was awarded a second qualifying lap when a NASCAR official left a piece of tape on his car after the pre-qualifying inspection.Busch would have qualified 35th after completing his initial lap in 79.024 seconds, but improved to 30th place, in 78.904 seconds, given the second chance."(NASCAR) always covers the cowl to the carburetor," crew chief Steve Addington said. "They tape it off and you roll out on pit road, and two cars before you roll out they pull the tape off. Well, they didn't pull the tape off, so it just didn't have any horsepower."Actually, it sucked the air box down on it and killed the air filter. We went out there and we didn't get to cool it down enough - plus the filter was collapsed down on top of the carburetor. It wasn't a good run. (San Bernardino County Sun)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Ky. Busch not to attempt next weekend's Nationwide series race: Kyle Busch said on TNT's pre-race show he won't race a Nationwide car next weekend in Milwaukee. The Cup series is in Sonoma, Calif., and getting back and forth is taxing on drivers. Busch also mentioned he won't compete in the Nationwide event at Memphis, which is the same October weekend the Cup series is in Atlanta. Busch said he's cutting back his schedule slightly because he's too far back to win the Nationwide title, so there's no need to make such trips. (Roanoke Times)
June 20, 2007
#5 Crew wins Michigan Drive-Thru Challenge: Kyle Busch's over-the-wall crew captured its first Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge win of the season in Sunday's Nextel Cup event at Michigan International Speedway. "The guys did a great job on pit road in Michigan," said crew chief Alan Gustafson. "We had some distractions that could have got us, but we didn't let them and ended up having one of the best weeks on pit road this year. It goes to show that the No. 5 guys are here to win. We made a lot of adjustments on the car and it was really hot out, so these guys worked hard. I'm really proud we won this week." Spending 200.130 seconds on pit road, the Kellogg's team helped boost its driver to a sixth-place finish in the Citizens Bank 400. The team will be awarded $11,000 by Checkers/Rally's for winning the weekly competition. (Checkers/Rally's PR)
June 18, 2007
Kyle Busch interest high in the garage: Busch's agent, Jeff Dickerson, said on Sunday that every team but one -- Roush Fenway Racing --has contacted him. Team owner Jack Roush said he has absolutely no interest in Busch. "We're going to talk to everyone," Dickerson said. "He wants to go somewhere he can win championships." Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team Earnhardt is leaving, said Busch could be a good fit. "He's at the top of our list," Siegel said Sunday. "He's certainly the caliber driver we'd like to have in our organization." Richard Childress Racing owner Richard Childress said it's a no-brainer that every team is interested. (Detroit News)
June 16, 2007
Busch's Crew Chief Gustafson plans to remain at Hendrick: Kyle Busch's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports says he doesn't plan on going anywhere - even if it means accepting a new role in the company. Busch may be leaving Hendrick at the end of this season, but crew chief Alan Gustafson said he wants to stay loyal to team owner Rick Hendrick, no matter what that may entail. "I expect to be a crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, but I will make the statement that I will be at Hendrick Motorsports next year regardless," Gustafson said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I'd rather sweep floors for Rick Hendrick than be a crew chief for someone else." (SceneDaily)
June 15, 2007
Busch: I never talked to other teams: Kyle Busch says he hasn't talked with any race team about where he'll drive next season after leaving Hendrick Motorsports. "This is all brand new," Busch said Thursday in an interview on "The Driver's Seat" on Sirius Satellite Radio. "I haven't talked or discussed or done anything with any other team." Busch will leave his No. 5 Chevrolet ride with Hendrick at season's end, a move that makes room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to join the four-car team for 2008 and beyond. Busch said one reason he left a developmental deal with Roush Racing to sign with Hendrick in the first place was to get out of the shadow of his older brother, Kurt, who was then at Roush. (Charlotte Observer)
June 13, 2007
Kyle Busch statement regarding his departure from Hendrick Motorsports: Kyle Busch, driver of the #5 Chevy in the Nextel Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports and four-time Nextel Cup race winner, will depart Hendrick Motorsports at the conclusion of the 2007 season. The following is a statement from Busch regarding the decision to leave: "We had been working on a contract extension for me to remain at Hendrick Motorsports, but after prolonged negotiations, we mutually agreed that a fresh start was in order. I have been granted a release after the 2007 season. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Hendrick and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. It's where I grew up, and I have a lot of great memories. I kind of feel like I'm graduating. I'm excited about my future, and I know a lot of opportunities await because of what everyone at Hendrick did for me - on the track and off. I still have a job to do this year, and will give it my all - just as I've always done - to make sure we put the #5 car in victory lane a few more times before the year is out."(True Speed Communication PR)
Kyle Busch Page 2 News
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Birthdate: May 2, 1985