EveryJoe » Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch Wins Nationwide Title

Warren Hayashi — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:44:25 +0000

It’s been along year for all the drivers, teams, and fans in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. After a tough year that has seen Kyle Busch and team fight their way through a maze of problems. Kyle Busch can sit back and relax after shutting the door behind him for the Nationwide Series title with his win in Saturday’s Ford 300 held at Homestead-Miami Speedway. You kind of new it was going to be another long race for Kyle Busch’s competition on the day, after a year where Kyle Busch has been the best on the track, week after week. It all might have been a formality as Kyle Busch drove like a man obsessed through the whole race and year, to take the victory by .482 seconds ahead of Carl Edwards.

Kyle Busch wins Nationwide title

It was a tough race for Busch, but he won with his usual flare and was the best car on the track again. He should buy his team a dinner tonight and thank them all for giving him the car to compete and win. Kyle Busch never would have accomplished this without the little people surrounding this affair doing their jobs and making it possible.

The day was exciting as Brad Keselowski took Denny Hamlin’s purposeful spinning of Keselowski’s No. 88 Chevrolet, before the excitement had even started. This scene played second fiddle to Kyle Busch and his championship though and it’s certainly a good thing. Keselowski should be sanctioned for his actions and he needs to keep control of his emotions and show some maturity in his actions on the track. There’s no place for such choices and actions on a track where the possibility of death or serious injury is always present. Two laps after a restart on Lap 163 and pitting for new tires, Kyle Busch passed Edwards and pulled into the lead and then held on for the win.

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Kyle Busch Wins Nationwide Title

Kyle Busch Wins O’Reilly Challenge

Warren Hayashi — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:09:41 +0000

Kyle Busch will go for the three in a row Sunday on the 1.5-mile surface of Texas Motor speedway in the Dickies 500 Sprint Cup Series event scheduled after he won his second race of the weekend in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race the O’Reilly Challenge. If he is able to accomplish the feat and win the Dickies 500 on Sunday from fifth on the grid, they’ll have to open up another page of NASCAR history because he would be the first driver to ever win all three races; the Camping World Truck, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series race on the same weekend. His first win of the weekend came behind the wheel of a truck during Friday nights Camping World Truck series race, so if he is able to win Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event, he’ll accomplish a feat that is difficult to complete. He also moved closer to his first NASCAR title with his win in the O’Reilly Challenge and never looked in trouble as he was in the lead for 179 of 200 scheduled laps.

Kyle Busch won his second race of the weekend Saturday

Busch was able to pull away from Casey Mears during a restart on Lap 187 and in a race to the finish line was able to cross the line 3.154 seconds ahead of Mears. This win is the eighth of the 2009 Nationwide Series season for Kyle Busch, the 29^th of his NASCAR career and his fourth Nationwide Series win in a row at Texas. Kyle Busch moves 272 points in front of his nearest competitor with this win, ninth place finisher in the O’Reilly Challenge Carl Edwards and can clinch the 2009 Nationwide Series title Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway by placing better than sixteenth place. He still has two races after that where he only needs to place at least 34^th to also clinch the title, so things are looking pretty good for him to win the Nationwide Series title for 2009.

Casey Mears took advantage of a ride he received because of a crash Friday during Sprint Cup Series practice for Sunday’s race by Jeff Burton to finish second with a great run that left him just short. Burton was not seriously hurt but team owner Richard Childress decided to make the change anyway as a precaution. Hats off to the gentlemen for thinking of Burton’s health first and not his ego, there ‘s no point in taking the chance with the lives of people on the track and it’s always better to error on the side of caution.

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Kyle Busch Wins O’Reilly Challenge

Kyle Busch Wins Mountain Dew 250

Warren Hayashi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:33:46 +0000

If you wait long enough anything can happen! This statement became truth after 300 starts in the Camping World Truck Series for team owner Billy Ballew as his trucks finished the Mountain Dew 250 one-two after a long and hard fought race on the pavement of Talledega raceway. Billy can finally scratch this wish off his list as Kyle Busch was able to pass Todd Bodine in a quarter-mile ending race and his team mate Aric Almirola added insult to injury by also passing Todd in the same stretch of track. This win is the sixth of the season for Kyle Busch and the 15^th of his illustrious career and one he probably won’t forget soon. Kyle should thank Almirola for his victory, as he wouldn’t have made it to the end without his help keeping Todd Bodine at bay. Bodine was fast all day and at the end he was double teamed by the pair and finishing third certainly isn’t what he envisioned for the race from the spot he was before the last lap. I am sure Almirola will take the one-two finish for the team and be happy. He probably just wishes he was the one in the one-two combination.

Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola were able to make it past Todd Bodine on the last lap

The event ran four laps past the scheduled 94 laps due to a green-white chequered flag finish caused by an eleven truck accident on Lap 97 started by Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner and Johnny Sauter jockeying and bumping in the pack. The No. 33 Chevrolet of series leader Ron Hornaday was one of the fatalities in this dustup as he lost two laps and finished in 17^th place. Second place driver in the standings Matt Crafton was able to stay out of the crash and came home in tenth place, which trims Hornaday’s margin to 202 points.

This is a great result for Billy and his team after a lot of hard fought races and it was only a matter of time before he achieve this feat and I am glad it happened in this race for Billy. The future is bright for Billy and his team and I expect a lot more wins in the future.

Terry Cook had another strong start and finished in fourth place, just ahead of a fast and consistent David Starr in fifth, Mario Gosselin in sixth and Stacy Compton in seventh place. Dennis Setzer finished eighth; Justin Hobgood came in ninth, while the top ten in the Mountain Dew 250 was rounded out by Matt Crafton.

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Kyle Busch Wins Mountain Dew 250

Brad Keselowski Wins Nationwide Series Race

Warren Hayashi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:16:04 +0000

NASCAR’s Nationwide Series race, the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250, held at Memphis Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon was a energetic affair that entertained the crowds and kept them on the edge of their seats as a fast and aggressive Brad Keselowski managed to keep his car in one piece throughout the bump and crash affair to take the win. Brad was able to keep his car running during at least three meetings with other cars during the race, the last one occurring with just a few laps remaining in the race.

Brad keselowski was able to pull away from Kyle Busch during this restart to win

Keselowski was able to leap into the lead after he went past the front row racers Michael Annett and Tony Raines during a restart on Lap 238 of 250 scheduled for the day. Keselowski just had to keep the Nationwide Series leader, Kyle Busch behind him during a restart to win and that’s just what he did.

The day was eventful for other reasons as Steve Wallace ran into Kenseth’s car after the race and it looked purposeful. The two races did exchange compliments after the race and something tells me they weren’t exactly happy with the way the other races. There’s a lot of money and pride on the line and these two gentlemen are very competitive and hate to loose. Keselowski picked up $75,000 through the Nationwide Series Dash 4 Cash program, $25,000 for the win and $50,000 for being the point’s leader in the four Dash 4 Cash races of the 2009 Nationwide Series season. His most prized possession for the victory has to be the Elvis trophy that is presented to the winner of this race, he never let go of it during the whole winning ceremony and carried it with him as he left. If we were able to see into his bedroom, we might see him sleeping soundly with his arms around the trophy and a big smile satisfied smile on his face.

Kyle Busch finished second in the Kroger For The Cure 250, Jason Leffler finished third, just ahead of Mike Bliss in fourth and Brendan Gaughan in fifth position. Carl Edwards held on for sixth place, Scott Wimmer finished seventh, just in front of David Reutimann in eighth, Stephen Leicht in ninth and Landon Cassill who rounded out the top ten.

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Brad Keselowski Wins Nationwide Series Race

Kyle Busch Wins the Dollar General 300

Warren Hayashi — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:51:12 +0000

Kyle Busch got over a recent bout with a body under attack by a virus that doctors diagnosed as pneumonia, just in time to get in his car and do what he does best, win. Even better he returned to Lowe’s Motor Speedway, a track he likes and has success on. This was a welcome change after eleven straight races in second place or worse on the race track for the talented and successful Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Kyle Busch celebrated his return to his car by leading for 137 laps of 200 on his way to taking the chequered flag in the Dollar General 300 on the pavement of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The victory pushes Busch’s lead in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series to 195 points on his nearest competitor Carl Edwards, who finished fifth in the Dollar General 300. The Nationwide Series only has four races remaining in the schedule and Busch is starting to look like he’s going to be hard to catch in the four races remaining in the year.

Kyle Busch was in front for most of the Dollar General 300

Kyle Busch beat Mike Bliss to the line by 1.712 seconds in a 21-lap race at the end that was run under a green flag to grab his seventh win of the 2009 Nationwide Series season, fifth at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the 28^th of his NASCAR career. His car was fast all night and his skill was on display as he raced to victory against a field of racers known for their competitive desire to win.

On another note, Steve Wallace had a bad showing and was overtaken by Justin Allgaier, after a competition between these two races that has been fun to watch. Justin moved into fifth place in the standings, just ahead of Wallace, which could mean that it will be Steve Wallace and not Justin Allgaier who makes it to the awards banquet in Florida at the end of the Nationwide Series season.

Dave Blaney finished third in the Dollar General 300, just ahead of Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards in fifth and Brad Keselowski in sixth. Ryan Newman finished in seventh place, Kasey Kahne in eighth, Jeff Burton in ninth and the top ten was completed by Tony Raines.

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Kyle Busch Wins the Dollar General 300

The Chase Contenders are Ruling the Track

Warren Hayashi — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:15:41 +0000

Sports are adrenalin fed activities that walk along a narrow edge between success and failure, no matter the sport you compete in. Success always breeds confidence and confidence creates an athlete who holds nothing back and puts it all on the line every time. There’s something in the statement that race car drivers are athletes who constantly walk the line between confident success and sheepish failure. The feeling of confidence a NASCAR competitor feels after having been through the fire of the season and come out the other side on fire, must be exhilarating and something that fills you with life. Trying to stop a NASCAR competitor who is confident and has been successful during the year must be like trying to stop a flaming snowball rolling down hill for less confident racers who haven’t had as fast a car, a helpful turn of the dice or the kind of success on the NASCAR track that breeds success and confidence.

The Chase contenders are racing like champions

NASCAR’s playoff round, the Chase, has been a difficult time for racers outside the Chase, yet still on the track after a less than confident year. This isn’t a surprise considering the contender heavy field of the first three races of the Chase. Still racers like Kyle Busch, Elliot Sadler, Matt Kenseth and David Reutimann have had a difficult time finishing in the money in the first three competitions. The winners during the season have been racing faster, finishing better and will be taking home the majority of the year end money the drivers are looking at and dreaming of. The cars, teams and drivers of the Chase contenders have been better all year long and confidence breeds success on the track or any field of battle.

The only one of the non contenders that had a good showing in the third race Sunday was David Reutimann with an eighth place finish for Michael Waltrip Racing. He didn’t start the greatest but his car was fast and he probably left a bit on the track. He was racing against contenders who have a lot more to loose and gain than him if they win, so he might not have been as aggressive as he would have been if he had been more successful during the regular season and thus have more confidence and to gain going into the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the only other non contender who had a chance. He started second and was in the lead for 41 laps, before he had problems during a pit stop that ruined his chances for a top three finish.

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The Chase Contenders are Ruling the Track

Logano Quiets the Critics

Warren Hayashi — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:14:57 +0000

Joey Logano’s short and selective memory has paid off just six days after one of the most spectacular crashes NASCAR has witnessed in awhile as this 19-year old NASCAR competitor put his memories behind him and the pedal to the metal in the Kansas Lottery 300 to take the win. Joey stayed in contention until with about three laps remaining in the race and then he drove his Toyota past his Joe Gibbs racing team mate Kyle Busch on the outside and raced towards the finish line to cross just .574 seconds ahead of Busch.

Joey Logano wins the Kansas Lottery 300 six days after his spectacular crash on same track

Kyle Busch was in the lead for the majority of the race, leading for a total of 173 of the scheduled 200 laps on Dover Speedway and setting a new record for total laps in the lead during a Nationwide Series season with the laps he was in the lead in this race. Despite finishing second to Logano for the fourth time this season, Kyle Busch extended his lead the Nationwide Series standings to 245 points over Carl Edwards, who finished seventh in the Kansas Lottery 300 and 307 over Brad Keselowski, who finished third.

This win for Joey Logano will keep his critics quiet and reduce the laughter he probably feels he hears after his spectacular crash six days ago on this same track. It was a pleasure to watch his young racer put his demons behind him and quiet his critics with a win so soon after his crash. He showed no hesitation at any point of the race and when his moment came he grabbed a hold of his opportunity and took full advantage.

The final outcome is certainly a disappointing one for Busch, who hasn’t won on the Nationwide Series in his last ten tries, but has finished second five times during these ten races. He just lost to a faster car and very determined young racer who wasn’t going to let anything keep him from winning. Joey Logano deserves all the credit we can give him for taking his lumps and then jumping to his feet to get back in the there and take his swings. In life and sports it’s not what you do when your winning that tells us the most about you as a person, it’s what you do when every one is against you and things aren’t going your way that determines your character and Joey Logano appears to have the attitude of a winner.

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Logano Quiets the Critics

Clint Bowyer Wins the Dover 200

Warren Hayashi — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:13:12 +0000

Saturday was an interesting and entertaining day for NASCAR fans as the Dover 200 was run on the track of Dover International Speedway. Events and adrenalin were both heated at times on Saturday as Clint Bowyer looked like a racer on a mission to put his Richard Childress Racing No. 29 Chevrolet on the podium. He accomplished his mission on this day and added a bit of momentum and energy to the team’s step and hopes for the future.

Clint kept Kyle Busch in his sights all day long, until he was finally able to make the last pass he wanted on Lap 118 of the scheduled 200 on Dover International Speedway. After that he raced fast and consistent and led for the final 83 laps around the track and was able to beat Mike Bliss to the line by 1.319 seconds for the win and the glory. This was Bowyer’s eighth Nationwide Series career win and his second during the 2009 Nationwide Series campaign.

It was an interesting and entertaining day that started with the threat of rain that never materialized, but the lack of rain didn’t stop the storm clouds from gathering around the paddock after the race. The real excitement was a pit road confrontation between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski that resulted due to Hamlin contacting Keselowski’s Chevrolet on Lap 190 and spinning into the wall. The shoving match between these two passionate racers was finally broken up by their crew members after a few minutes of heated debate over who was responsible for the crash. Hamlin said he just wanted to give Keselowski advice on what not to do on the track and that he obviously needed help in this area. Hamlin claimed that Keselowski had just run into him without trying to stop, while Keselowski stated that Hamlin had cut him off as he always does and he was just racing to win. Just a disagreement between racers about events on the track and one they aren’t likely to solve in the future.

Once all the dust settled in the race, it was still Kyle Busch who was smiling the loudest as he was able to come home in fourth, just behind third place racer Keselowski, and increase his Nationwide Series lead to 211 points over Carl Edwards. Carl finished just behind Busch in fifth but never really looked like he had the car running as good as it could and needs to do a little more work in the following races.

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Clint Bowyer Wins the Dover 200

Kyle Busch Wins the Heluva Good! 200

Warren Hayashi — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:18:54 +0000

Kyle Busch won his third straight race in the Camping World Truck Series, during only his fifth race of the Camping World Truck Series, on Saturday during the Heluva Good! 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He didn’t have the fastest running race truck on the track and barely added enough fuel during a quick splash and dash green flag fuel stop on Lap 172, but he still managed to race to a victory. After the quick fuel stop, he was able to get back out on the track ahead of Hornaday, who had a problem with the length of his 5 second pit stop, which put him behind. Hornaday and his team owner, Kevin Harvick, battled through the last few laps for position behind Busch and this might have cost the team the victory.

Kyle Busch wins his third straight truck race

Harvick after the race stated that Hornaday’s failure to let him move past him during the closing laps prevented him from using his faster truck to catch Kyle Busch. He attributed this to lack of communication between crew chiefs and spotters and you can be sure he’s straightening this out, right now.

Kyle Busch said he wasn’t sure if he would have enough fuel after his brief stop, but decided to put the his foot down and see how far his car would make it. He made it over the line just .560 seconds ahead of Hornaday and ran out of gas as he was driving into Victory Lane to receive his rewards. This gamble allowed Busch to take the win when Hornaday took to long in pit row adding additional fuel.

Hornaday and Harvick were actually the dominant trucks all day long, but when Hornaday failed to respond to Harvick’s desire to get past him, Harvick was done. The heat between team owner and Hornaday appeared to be rising after the race as Harvick stormed over to Hornaday’s truck after the race and apparently had a little talk with his fellow racer and employee.

Hornaday stared after the race that communication problems definitely played a part in his two trucks not winning the race and they’ll work out the problems so this hopefully doesn’t happen again.

This was hardly a bad day for Harvick and his team, they still finished second and third, and he still leads in the series standings by 217 points over Crafton. Crafton for his part was obviously making an effort to race clean after last week’s race at Gateway that saw him getting black flagged. He did finish fourth, but never really challenged for the win.

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Kyle Busch Wins the Heluva Good! 200

Kevin Harvick Wins the Degree V12 300

Warren Hayashi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:07:27 +0000

Pole sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran hard and fast for 193 laps of Saturday night’s Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then surrendered the lead to the No 33 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt Jr. had pitted for the last time on Lap 125 and then managed his fuel well enough to make it to Lap 193 but lost pace and ground to the front runners in the process. Earnhardt tried to chase after Harvick but the pace of his car was slower than the other front runners and he was eventually passed by Kyle Busch on lap 194. Kevin Harvick ended up beating Kyle Busch to the line for his second Nationwide Series win of 2009 and the 34^th of his career. Kyle Busch padded his Nationwide Series lead to 221 points over Carl Edwards, who finished a lap down in seventh on a fractured right foot he suffered playing Frisbee on Wednesday night.

Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and the boys going for a drive

The No. 18 of Kyle Busch was a little better on the short runs, but after a few laps Harvick and Earnhardt had set the pace, and the race was on. Harvick had a fast car all night long but he conserved his car and waited for his moment like an old pro. Earnhardt’s fuel management strategy almost worked but he couldn’t stay ahead of the speed in the race and had to settle for third place.

It was a great race for the fans as Kyle Busch won the pit road race after the lead cars all pitted for tires and fuel under yellow on Lap 129. Harvick stayed behind Busch until he passed him with 48 laps remaining and then his strength in the long stretches allowed him to build a lead of more than seven seconds over Busch by the time they pitted for the last time on Lap 182. After coming out of the pits Harvick chased down Earnhardt and passed him to take the win in the Degree V12 300.

Brad Keselowski came home fourth, followed by Jeff Burton in fifth and Joey Logano in sixth place. Greg Biffle finished eighth, just ahead of David Ragan in ninth, while Reed Sorenson made a good showing by completing the top ten.

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Kevin Harvick Wins the Degree V12 300