Auto Racing | Busch seeks NASCAR sweep today
AVONDALE, Ariz. - Kyle Busch’s run of bad luck officially ended Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Busch, who won a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night, triumphed Saturday in the Busch Series, giving him a chance today in the Nextel Cup event to become the first driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s national series at the same track on the same long weekend.
“I am not saying we will. I am not saying we won’t,” Busch said. “I am just saying we hope to. It would be a great honor to have that.”
In preparation for the moment, Busch pulled a broom-waving fan into victory lane to pose for pictures. Busch starts 38th in today’s Checker Auto Parts 500.
“It would be really special to get that for Kyle,” crew chief Alan Gustafson said. “It would be a great way for us to finish up the year.”
Busch, 22, arrived in Arizona frustrated by what he considered four consecutive losses. For instance, he was on pace to win the Nextel Cup event two weeks ago in Georgia until a slow final pit stop.
So his mood was considerably lighter as he left PIR, where he led 131 laps and held off Matt Kenseth over several late restarts to claim the win in the Arizona.Travel 200. The 11th caution brought out an 11-minute red flag, and Kenseth had one last chance to chase down Busch for a two-lap overtime finish.
But Kenseth, who had no power steering, had nothing for Busch on the restart. Busch jumped out to a lead of 6 car-lengths and posted his fourth Busch Series win of the year.
“Hey, little buddy, you drove the wheels off of that thing,” team owner Rick Hendrick told Busch.
It was the final Busch Series race of Busch’s career at Hendrick. He is leaving the team at the end of the season as it makes room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. In 101 Busch starts for Hendrick, Busch won 11 times.
Kenseth’s Ford failed postrace inspection, with NASCAR saying the right rear was too high on the second-place car.
Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw finished sixth. Vancouver, Wash., native Greg Biffle placed 36th of 43.
Notes
• Searching for an escape from their race to the Nextel Cup title, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon headed to Mexico for a little rest and relaxation.
Both championship contenders planned to use their short - and separate - vacations to recharge before heading to Phoenix International Raceway and resume the title chase. They never expected to run into each other, but did when Gordon spotted Johnson having lunch. Traveling with his wife and infant daughter, Gordon pulled the car over for a brief visit with Johnson and his wife.
“We’re sitting at a beach bar, relaxing and having a fun lunch and in the door walk Ingrid and Jeff,” said Johnson, who leads Gordon by 30 points. “We’re like, ‘We’re all the way down here and what are the chances of running into each other in this little, tiny, beach bar?’ It was quite funny.”
• Will Power overcame a wrist injury to win his fifth pole of the Champ Car season. Power took a spin around the 2.774-mile layout in 1 minute, 23.558 seconds, a track record.
Sebastien Bourdais has clinched the season championship for the Newman-Haas-Lanigan team and Friday’s qualifying lead in Mexico City gave him a guaranteed front-row start today for the Mexico Grand Prix, the Champ Car season finale.