For the first time in their NASCAR careers, Las Vegas natives and brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch captured front-row spots during qualifying for Sunday’s Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
But, unfortunately, when the green flag falls on race day they’ll start at opposite ends of the 43-car field instead of next to each other.
Kyle Busch, who broke the track record and set a blistering lap of nearly 186 mph, will be credited with winning the pole but will start at the back of the field for Sunday’s race.
Click Here For More Images Of NASCAR
The reason: The motor in his No. 18 Toyota blew up just five laps into practice early Friday afternoon. A coating issue is believed to be the problem.
“I don’t have any idea (what caused the motor problem),” Kyle Busch said after qualifying was over. “It’s a completely different engine department and tooling (than other Toyota-powered teams).”
As a result, the younger Busch brother was forced to go to a backup motor for qualifying. And in a twist of irony, that motor was actually more stout and powerful than the motor that blew up.
Still, NASCAR rules require that teams must use the same engine in both qualifying and all practice sessions, as well as on race day. If a change is made anywhere along the way, the car and driver are penalized and must start the race at the end of the 43-car field.
“I wish we were starting up front so we could get the five bonus points (for leading a lap) early, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” Kyle Busch said. “We’ll have to battle up through there and pass everybody if we can and get there eventually to get the five bonus points.
“The scenario is now different. We’ve just got to take what’s been given to us and try to battle it out on Sunday. The big check comes after the leader of the last lap, not the first lap.”
Short of winning a race like the Daytona 500, returning to and having the potential of winning on their home track is the same feeling for the Busch brothers as Tony Stewart’s love affair with Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Click Here For More Images Of NASCAR
Stewart grew up 50 miles away from IMS and finally earned a win there in 2005 when he captured the Brickyard 400, a feat he repeated two years later.
Although LVMS is equally as important to them as IMS is to Stewart, neither Busch brother has managed to take a Sprint Cup checkered flag here.
“It’s definitely just as prestigious for the Busch brothers here in Vegas as it would be for Tony in Indy, for sure,” Kurt Busch said. “We both watched the track get built and come out of the ground.
“At that time, we thought it could get a Cup date, and it did. It happened. It helped jump-start our careers. This place will always hold a special part in my heart, and hopefully we’ll have a chance to duke it out for the win, just like we did today for the pole.”
| 
|