Triple Threat: Kyle Busch Set For All Three Texas Races
It’s a busy week for Kyle Busch, whose NASCAR Sprint Cup team is in the throes of transformation.
New crew chief Dave Rogers takes over for Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, succeeding Steve Addington. It’s a process of regeneration for Busch, who missed this season’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
That’s a significant enough attention-getter, but Busch isn’t limiting himself to the Dickies 500. He’s also competing in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event and Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event.
In fact, he’ll do so for the remaining three NASCAR national-series weekends — triple-header schedules at Texas, next week at Phoenix International Raceway and the season finale for all three at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“It’s fun for me,” Busch said. “I’d rather be out there on the race track trying to learn something, trying to learn what happens to the race track when it gets more rubber put down, seeing if I can’t figure something out that’ll make me better than the rest of the guys out there.
“Instead of sitting in your motorhome watching the race on TV, anyway, you might as well be out there participating in it.”
He also has serious business in both the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events.
Busch leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver standings by 215 points over second-place Carl Edwards. If he prevails, he’ll win his first national-series title and the first NASCAR Nationwide Series driver title for Joe Gibbs Racing.
In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Busch is trying to help team owner Billy Ballew win his first series owners title.
“To me, it’s fun, it’s challenging,” Busch said of triple-header weekends. “I don’t get tired anymore doing it. I used to in the beginning when I first started running all three.
“Now, I’m so used to it, it’s pretty easy and simple and I can just get through the weekend pretty easily. Of course I’m hoping we can compete for some wins too.”
NSCS Etc.
Texas Milestones
Casey Mears (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) will make his 250th series start Sunday. Corpus Christi, Texas native Bobby Labonte (No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet) could earn his 200th series top 10, becoming the 26th driver to do so. Those who have are:
Year Date Track Driver 2008 7/12 Chicagoland Tony Stewart 2008 4/12 Phoenix Jeff Burton 2003 6/15 Michigan Sterling Marlin 2002 6/16 Michigan Jeff Gordon 2001 6/17 Pocono Dale Jarrett 1997 8/31 Darlington Mark Martin 1996 7/21 Pocono Rusty Wallace 1993 10/3 N. Wilkesboro Harry Gant 1992 3/29 Darlington Bill Elliott 1991 8/24 Bristol Ricky Rudd 1990 8/25 Bristol Terry Labonte 1989 6/18 Pocono Dale Earnhardt 1984 10/21 Rockingham Dave Marcis 1984 2/26 Richmond Darrell Waltrip 1979 10/14 N. Wilkesboro Benny Parsons 1978 3/19 Atlanta Cale Yarborough 1977 10/9 Lowe’s Buddy Baker 1974 7/20 Nashville Frgds Bobby Allison 1971 7/18 Trenton James Hylton 1969 6/26 N.C. Frgds David Pearson 1966 9/5 Darlington Jim Paschal 1966 4/9 Greenville Richard Petty 1965 5/15 Winston-Salem Ned Jarrett 1958 7/25 Monroe Buck Baker 1957 6/15 Tenn.-Carolina Lee Petty
Statistically Speaking
With three races remaining, these numbers illustrate this season’s close competition:
* 14 different race winners
* 10 different Coors Light Pole winners
* 42 drivers led at least one lap
* 35 drivers have scored at least one Top 10 this year
* Average Margin of Victory of 1.138 seconds
* 16 races with an MOV under one second
* Average of 10 leaders per race
* Average of 20 lead changes per race
* Average of 25 green flag passes for the lead all along the track
* Average of 3,131 green flag passes per race
* 53% of the cars finished on the lead lap
* 83% of the cars were running at the finish
Texans In the NSCS Garage
From Greg Biffle’s team: catch can man Ryan Dextraze (Wichita Falls) and pit support Eric Wallace (Austin).
From Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet: engine tuner John Goodwin (Houston).
From Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Budweiser Dodge: transporter driver Chris Sweeny (Haslet).
From Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet: front-tire carrier Josh Mick (Houston).
American Worker Of The Year Honored
Michael McGee, an agricultural teacher and horse training business owner from Broken Bow, Okla., will be introduced as the 2009 Dickies American Worker of the Year at 9:30 a.m., Sunday in the Texas Motor Speedway infield media center.
McGee was chosen for the honor on Oct. 30 during the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals in Las Vegas, Nev., after thousands of contest candidates were narrowed to six finalists.
As the winner, he receives $50,000 and an all-access VIP trip to this weekend’s race.
On Saturday morning, McGee will randomly select one of the 12 Chase participants in Sunday’s Dickies 500. If that driver wins, McGee will take home $1 million.
“I feel so fortunate to be recognized by Dickies out of all the hard-working men and women in this country,” McGee said. “Hopefully this will gain some attention for agricultural farmers across the country and remind everyone of the industry’s importance to our nation.
“It’s great Dickies supports that, (and) I want to tell everyone no matter who you are or what you come from, through hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything.”
This marks the 17th year Dickies has honored hard-working men and women through its “American Worker of the Year” contest, which recognizes exceptional workers in fields often overlooked in today’s society – farmers, builders, mechanics, teachers, roughnecks, electrical lineman and soldiers, among others.
Up Next: Phoenix International Raceway
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads next to Phoenix International Raceway for next Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil
It’s also the ninth and penultimate event in the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner. He also won last year’s pole.
Johnson has won three of the last four series races at Phoenix, including a sweep of both events last season. He leads all drivers with those three wins there. Ryan Newman leads all drivers with four Phoenix poles.
Mark Martin, who won there in April, leads all drivers with 10 top fives and 16 top 10s at Phoenix.
Fast Facts
The Race: Dickies 500
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5- mile tri-oval)
The Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
The Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 501 miles//334 laps
2008 Winner: Carl Edwards
2008 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon
Schedule: Friday: Practice, 12-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:40 p.m. Saturday: Practice, 8:45-9:30 a.m. and 10-11 a.m.
2009 Top 12 Drivers
Driver Points
1 Jimmie Johnson 6,248
2 Mark Martin 6,064
3 Jeff Gordon 6,056
4 Juan Pablo Montoya 6,009
5 Tony Stewart 5,969
6 Kurt Busch 5,936
7 Greg Biffle 5,908
8 Ryan Newman 5,846
9 Kasey Kahne 5,834
10 Carl Edwards 5,811
11 Denny Hamlin 5,800
12 Brian Vickers 5,692
| 
|