Motorsports FanHouse

Steve Addington Out as Kyle Busch's Crew Chief

Holly Cain — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

Despite turning in a four-win 2009 season and leading Kyle Busch to a series best eight victories last year, Steve Addington (far right, with Busch) is being replaced by Dave Rogers as crew chief of Busch's No. 18 Toyota beginning with the Nov. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Addington, 45, who has served as crew chief of the No. 18 car for five years, will be reassigned within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization, according to a news release from the team on Tuesday.

"We evaluate all of our teams on an ongoing basis and believe this is a change that will make the 18 team stronger as we prepare for next season,'' said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "We think highly of Steve and the job he has done and we look forward to him remaining a part of the JGR family."

With Addington calling the shots last year, Busch qualified for the Chase for the Championship, but he just missed making the 12-driver field -- by eight points -- this year. In the six Chase races to date, Busch has only two top-five finishes and has dropped to 14th in the championship -- his worst points finish since a 20th place position during his 2005 rookie year.

Rogers, a crew member on Tony Stewart's 2002 championship team at JGR, is in his fourth season as crew chief on the team's No. 20 Nationwide Series car. He led JGR to its first Nationwide Series owner's championship in 2008 with nine wins using four different drivers. The car has five wins this year.

"Dave has proven himself a talented crew chief and we think he will work well with Kyle,'' Gibbs said. "We hope that by making the move following this weekend's race at Talladega (Ala.) they can use the final three weeks of the season to begin working on communication and setups for the 2010 season.''

Busch has not issued a comment yet.

Steve Addington Out as Kyle Busch's Crew Chief originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joey Logano OK After Wild Dover Crash

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:41:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Joey Logano walked away unscathed from a nasty, tumbling crash on Lap 31 of Sunday's AAA 300 at Dover International Speedway.

More Coverage: Johnson Serves Notice at Dover | Results | Standings

Logano, 19, was startled and later called it the "wildest ride" that he's ever been on.

Logano, a rookie in the series, got turned sideways entering turn 3 at the 1-mile oval, slid up the track, collected three other cars and suddenly started barrel-rolling down the corner. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine rolled over violently seven times before coming to a stop at the apron of the corner.

"It just startled me," said Logano. "That was the wildest ride I've ever been on. You can't go on a roller coaster any wilder than that."

The incident started in the middle of the pack on the first lap after a restart on Lap 30. Logano was running on the inside line on the backstretch when Bobby Labonte in the No. 96 tried to fill a hole between Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The No. 96 clipped Logano's nose.

As Logano backed off, Tony Stewart bumped the No. 20 from behind and spun Logano sideways to the inside of the track. Logano's momentum shot the No. 20 back up on to the track in turn three where he collected Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr. and Robby Gordon. Logano's car was hit broadside by Sorenson, forcing it on to its side and then into seven door-over-door flips.

"It started rolling and I was like, 'Please make this stop,'" Logano said. "It just shows how safe these cars are."

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DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with the trophy in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: A detail of the signature of Jimmie Johnson is seen on the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet in victory lane as Johnson celebrated his win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: Jimmie Johnson (L of trophy), driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with his crew including crew chief Chad Knaus (R of trophy) in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chad Knaus

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DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: Jimmie Johnson (L) driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with a crew member in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 27: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 27, 2009 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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NASCAR drivers race during the AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Logano's car came to a rest on its side before falling back onto its wheels at the bottom of Dover's banked corners between turns 3 and 4. Safety crews immediately arrived at his mangled race car as NASCAR put the red flag out to halt all on-track action.

"I'm glad Joey is OK," Robby Gordon said after the incident. "I remember being stopped there and looking and watching it flipping and flipping and flipping."

Stewart, who raced Logano's No. 20 just last season, seemed to feel pretty sick about the incident when he was interviewed over his in-car radio by the ESPN booth.

"I wish I would have saw that coming," said Stewart. "I don't know how to say sorry enough to Joey."

Fortunately, Logano's wreck is exactly the type of crash that a NASCAR Sprint Cup race car is designed to handle. The car has a solid roll cage built under the body and is designed to tear away parts during an impact -- decreasing the amount for force felt by the driver.

Logano's car never came to a complete halt -- the worst type of wreck in NASCAR -- and instead dissipated energy with every roll. The restraint system inside the car also aided Logano by holding his body and head in place and not allowing them to flop around as the car turned over.

Logano earned his first-career Sprint Cup win earlier this season in a rain-shortened race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history.

Joey Logano OK After Wild Dover Crash originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Race Fixing or Just Racing?

Holly Cain — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

RICHMOND, Va. -- With all the publicity surrounding allegations of cheating and race fixing in Formula One and drag racing this week, it begs the question, would NASCAR drivers ever purposely "help" a teammate win a race, improve a position or gain in the championship standings?

Is it even wrong? Or is it simply a long-practiced element of competition?

"I've already thought about that in regards to my teammates and if there's anything I can do to help my teammates, I'd do it," said Carl Edwards, who has two Roush Fenway teammates still trying to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Championship in Saturday's Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

"This is a team sport and especially at this point in the year, having more of your teammates in the Chase is good."

But what if you're winning the race?

"That's a tough call, if that's what it took and that's what had to happen then that's what I would do," Edwards said.

And if it meant wrecking another driver?

"You can't take somebody out because you're not just taking that person out, you're taking out their team and their sponsors and all that stuff, so I don't think it'll come to that.''

Clearly Edwards draws a line and most of the Sprint Cup drivers felt similarly. But there's a lot on that line Saturday night and the multi-car teams have a natural advantage in terms of determining track position."If I were leading, I don't believe they'd ever put me in that position (to let a teammate win). We haven't even spoken about that this week.''
-- Denny Hamlin

"I'd give 'em second if I was second, but not a win, that's all I would do,'' said Denny Hamlin, whose Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch is trying to race his way into the Chase Saturday.

"If it puts him over the top, you'd give up a position. But there's a lot of races that go on before this. You can't play a game of cards and have only one card in the deck that can help you."

"If I were leading, I don't believe they'd ever put me in that position (to let a teammate win). We haven't even spoken about that this week.''

It's an especially hot topic after allegations that the National Hot Rod Association's all-time winningest driver John Force "threw" a Funny Car class race at the U.S. Nationals last weekend to help another car he owns qualify for the championship playoff format.

Competitor Cruz Pedregon, who failed to make the playoff because of Force's loss to his son-in-law Robert Hight, angrily accused Force of "cheating" and manipulating."

Force has maintained he simply lost the drag race, adding "They're my teams and I'll do what I want with them.''

Renault made headlines Friday as the governing body, FIA, has called the team to appear before the World Motor Sport Council on Sept. 21 to answer to charges of race fixing. There are allegations that the team had one driver, Nelson Piquet crash late in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to bring out a caution and ultimately helped his teammate Fernando Alonso win the race.

FIA President Max Mosley told AUTOSPORT, "Fixing is one degree worse than cheating.''

He has given Piquet immunity if he'll provide evidence in the case and Mosley said he's not ruling out modifying the points finish in the Singapore race or the world championship standings -- now a year later.

The F1 situation is much more serious than what NASCAR drivers are suggesting happens all the time in racing.

"It's been going on ever since the first teammate back in the day,'' driver Ryan Newman said. "Absolutely there are always teams manipulating things ... giving up positions just to get points then giving it back.

"It's a part of racing whether it is NASCAR or NHRA or Indy car, it's part of racing.''

The question is whether that is playing fair.

"Everybody is trying to get the best run they can. Certainly if you have a teammate or a friend or somebody you respect on the track and maybe you have a chance to lead a lap and get points -- just like any other week all year -- that stuff probably happens.

"I certainly don't think you're gonna see teammates or anybody do anything goofy to change the outcome."

When three-time reigning series champ Jimmie Johnson was asked about the possibility of that happening for his teammate Mark Martin, who still needs to clinch a spot in the Chase, Johnson broke out in a huge grin.

"In the experience I've had at Hendrick Motorsports, regardless of the situation, it's not been discussed or even considered.

"I think if we threw something for Mark, I think Mark would get out of the car and whip some ass.

"He wants to go in there and earn it on his own. I don't think he'd tolerate that.''

Race Fixing or Just Racing? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10 Questions With ... Denny Hamlin

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:13:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin took a break on his way to Wednesday's Gillete Prelude to the Dream charity race (HBO pay-per-view) to chat with FanHouse about a few things you may not know about the Virginia driver.

1) If Denny Hamlin wasn't a Sprint Cup driver, he'd be...

"I'd be working on trailers at Chesterfield Trailer & Hitch in Richmond (Va.). It was a family business that we had."

2) Tell me, what's the one trophy you want to have?

"For me, it'd be this weekend at Richmond. That's just such a big race for me personally because I have all of my family and friends there."

3) You'd had some troubles there lately after leading a lot. Does that leave you with more motivation to win?

"It motivates you for sure. I definitely haven't forgot about this year (in May) when we led over 200 laps and had a lug nut fall off on the last pit stop."

4) Have you ever wanted to try other racing divisions?

"At times, you know, you kind of get a bug. But I love what I'm doing because NASCAR racing is the best around. I'm a racer though so I'll try anything. I really think that I'm in the most competitive racing series there is right now."

5) Last week Clint Bowyer told us he chose "C.C Rider" as his intro music in homage of Elvis. Why did you go with "It's My Time" by Fabulous?

"I picked that song because the lyrics of it make it a good pump up song. It's almost like getting ready to go in a boxing ring."

6) Do you like to throw on the headphones before a race to get yourself amped up?

"Rarely. I spend most of my time before a race just relaxing, actually. I don't do anything other than sit back and watch some TV for my pre-race routine.

7) Drivers often talk about a moment in their careers when they final realize they've made it. What was your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment, so to speak?

"Probably my first race at Texas. I think that was my fourth or fifth race in the FedEx car and I passed Jeff Gordon on the track. That was certainly my first bit of NASCAR reality."

8) If you're having dinner from anywhere in the world tonight, where's it coming from?

"I'd have my mom's homemade spaghetti."

9) If Denny Hamlin ran NASCAR, he would...

"Well, probably shorter races. Some of them are just too long and I think you get the best excitement when we run those shorter events."

10) Talk about your dirt experience. How nice would it be to beat Tony Stewart at his own game at Eldora during the Prelude?

"It's definitely going to be tough to beat Tony. He's got a ton of laps around there, so it's going to be hard obviously to beat him. I've got a good car heading there but I've only raced there three times now, so I definitely don't have as much experience as those guys. I'm definitely looking forward to heading back."

10 Questions With ... Denny Hamlin originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocono 'Angels' Dump Denny's Demons

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

A 50-race winless streak may well have been 500 for Denny Hamlin.

Fuel pump issues, late-race passes and even a transmission that broke so violently that the shifter split in half while he was holding it have been the chapters of Denny Hamlin's long, harrowing and extremely frustrating Sprint Cup novel since March of 2008.

But the Virginia driver sped to his fifth career win Monday at Pocono Raceway to dispatch of those demons while he had some "angels" by his side.

More Coverage: Tearful Hamlin Snaps Skid | Sprint Cup Series Standings

"We've come close in a lot of races this year but came up short," said Hamlin in Victory Lane. "We definitely had some angels with us today."

The "angels" Hamlin was referring to were his 91-year-old grandmother -- and from his description, the biggest fan of Hamlin's race team -- who passed away last week, as well as a crew member on the No. 11 team who lost a mother recently.

If indeed Hamlin felt a boost from the sadness his team has felt in the past week, it couldn't have come at a better time for the team -- and Hamlin especially.

"I found myself over the last few months starting to think, 'Man, I'm only racing for second when I show up," said Hamlin. "That's no way to be."

Was doubt, then, starting to set in with Denny and his abilities?

"A little bit. A lot of it's from what I read," said Hamlin. "We can't close. We led how many laps and not got a race win. That's pressure that I put on myself. I read too much into it."

While he may have read into it, there was no getting around that since he last saw Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway in March of 2008, disappointment has won out big over Hamlin.

First, there was the Richmond race in May 2008. Hamlin dominated his home-track event by leading some 381 laps of the 400-lapper. Suddenly, a tire blew with just handfuls of circuits remaining to take him from contention.

There was the spring race at Talladega that he led some 37 laps in before finishing 3rd, and this season, Jimmie Johnson used a bump and slide late at Martinsville to take the win after Hamlin had led 296 of 500 laps. And just last week, Hamlin went from having a decent car to suffering drivetrain issues that were so forceful after a pit stop that the shifter broke off in his hand.

Even the Pocono spring race was unbearable as the No. 11 developed problems under the hood before the field even reached turn one -- quite the shock for most since Hamlin is always considered a threat at the triangle track. Those problems, though, probably helped Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford find the best setup for the second time around.

"It was tough to really use it as a solid test session because we had dirty air the whole day. We ran back there," said Hamlin of the June race. "We didn't want to race with any guys, affect their race. But we did learn some things. We really did."

Learned enough to lead some 91 laps and earn his third career win at Pocono, at least.

Thanks to the win, Hamlin's confidence certainly got a shot in the arm.

"This just puts the confidence back in me that I can come from middle of the pack with 30 to go and win a race," said Hamlin. "In the big, grand scheme of things, we've been the most solid car that hasn't had a Hendrick label on it. You know, for the most part I take a lot of pride in that. We're taking strides forward starting today."

Strides indeed.

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Denny Hamlin sprays champagne as he celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Driver Denny Hamlin makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

David Reutimann, left, is bumped by Denny Hamlin coming out of the second turn during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Hamlin won the race and Reutimann finished 29th. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Jr.)

Marcos Ambrose (47) drives his wrecked race car back to the pits for repairs as Jimmie Johnson (48) drives past during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Denny Hamlin won the race. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Sam Hornish Jr. leads Martin Truex Jr. as they race through turn three during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Hornish finished fourth and Truex finished 19th. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

LONG POND, PA - AUGUST 03: Denny Hamlin (R), driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, and team owner J.D. Gibbs pose in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway on August 3, 2009 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin;J.D. Gibbs

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Driver Jimmie Johnson makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Johnson finished in 13th place. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Tony Stewart races into turn one during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Stewart finished 10th and leads the points standings. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Driver Clint Bowyer races through turn three during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Bowyer finished the race in third place. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Denny Hamlin leads on lap 91 during the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Monday, August 3, 2009. (Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

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David Ragan (6) bumped Bobby Labonte (96) during a six-car wreck on lap 180 during the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Monday, August 3, 2009. (Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

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Pocono 'Angels' Dump Denny's Demons originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch: 'I've Got Some Things I've Got to Work On'

Holly Cain — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

INDIANAPOLIS -- Judging by Kyle Busch's comments and demeanor this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, maybe the 24-year-old has had a bit of an attitude epiphany.

When it comes to dealing with a bad day on track, Busch conceded, "I haven't done a good job at that."

"I've got some things that I've got to try to work on to make ourselves better and ultimately more championship caliber."

It was a revealing and introspective side of Busch at odds with the petulant nature he has often shown this season -- an attitude that some observers caution may be the difference in the super-talent winning a championship or not.

Everyone agrees that Busch is one of the most naturally talented race car drivers NASCAR has ever seen. But it has been his inability to deal with a bad race that sometimes overshadows his many good races.

He's had only one top-10 finish in the last seven races and dropped to 10th in the standings entering Sunday's AllState 400 at the Brickyard. Despite winning three times he holds only a 13-point cushion in qualifying for The Chase with seven races remaining before the 12-driver playoff field is set. He has had good success at Indy with three top-10 finishes in four starts.

"Kyle Busch is a tremendous talent but I think his win or nothing, 'we're going to go for broke' attitude about each and every race could put him in a precarious position in trying to keep himself inside the Chase because that's his mentality that all he wants to do is win the race," said 1999 Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett, who is an analyst for ESPN's race broadcasts.

"We've seen him be extremely disappointed about finishing second whether it's in the Nationwide Series or the Cup Series and that's a great attitude to have, but it can also be your downfall too if you're in a situation like this where you're having to try to protect just a little bit."

Maybe Busch is listening. He said Friday he's had some conversations with those close to him, including his spotter and his public relations manager, who know how much more productive it would be for Busch to control his frustrations instead of the racing equivalent of pitching a temper tantrum when his car isn't perfect.

"If you're having a bad day then you need to make a 10th out of it and we're not very good at that, at least I'm not very good at that and I don't think our team is very good at that," said Busch, who drives the No. 18 Snickers Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

"Maybe that's because of me -- maybe I'm not leading it in the right direction."

When asked if that's simply a by-product of his ultra-competitive, singularly-focused personality, Busch conceded, "Maybe that's why I've won some races because of who I am, but maybe that's a lot of the reason why I've lost some races is because of who I am.

"There's a balancing act in everything you do and there's consequences and ultimately repercussions for things so I'm trying to work on it and make it better so we don't have to look at myself as to why the problem exists."

"The bad races aren't just bad, they're horrible, whether it's my fault or not, you need a common denominator," Busch said.

"It was me who kept my head in the game and stayed focused, which I feel like I've done, but maybe I give up a little bit and don't tell my team exactly what we need on fixing the car.

"That frustration sets in and then we don't get the car any better because I'm so zoned out. I'm still driving the heck out of what I've got, but I'm not trying to make what I've got better. If I can fix myself and stay tuned in and stay zoned in on what the task is then we can look in other areas."

Kyle Busch: 'I've Got Some Things I've Got to Work On' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Lenox 301

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:22:00 EST

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

Mopping up from a wet finish, here's this week's teenage wasteland edition of Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes. They're Logano-rific!

No. No. No. Rain Tires. No.

Because this is the third time in 2009 that a Sprint Cup race has been halted by rain [congrats, Lincoln Log-ano!], the thoughts of "Why can't NASCAR use rain tires?" are creeping back again.

Well, you want the answer? It's way too simple: the racing would plain suck.

Apologies for breaking out the Kyle Busch lingo on that one, but if you just look back to NASCAR's one attempt at running at rain race in its history during last year's Nationwide Series event at Montreal, you'd know that it just wouldn't work on an oval.

Not only do teams have trouble keeping the inside windows from fogging up and getting a windshield wiper to actually adhere to a windshield at speeds above 100 mph, but the racing would dramatically change as soon as the track got wet and drivers were tip-toeing around an oval on grooved rain tires.

In all likelihood, your race winner on Sunday wouldn't have been Jeff Gordon or Kurt Busch, and instead, an obscure name -- like, gasp, Joey Logano! -- could have found victory lane with the amount of carnage the leaders would have produced.

Just accept it, please. Rain tires don't work. Better scheduling on NASCAR's part [by season, race start time and track lights] does.

Speaking of the Shrubinator himself...

Boy did Kyle Busch take some slack for the wreck that he caused -- don't let Kyle Petty tell you any differently -- on the frontstretch during a restart of Sunday's race. Just read some of these quotes:

"I guess everybody just learns to expect Kyle doing something stupid. Stupid is forever," -- Brian Vickers

"I guess Kyle just decided he didn't want to lift, so I was just an innocent victim today. Someone spun the tires and our lane didn't go. Kyle just lost his head like he usually does when something bad happens." -- Martin Truex Jr.

To his credit, for once, Busch did take the blame for the wreck as he should have. I realize that Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun his tires, but had Busch tried not to make it three-wide, there would have been no wreck, and Brian Vickers wouldn't have been able to throw any more verbal barbs at New Hampshire.

Scott Speed, it turns out, was pleasantly surprised that he didn't get blamed for that wreck, too. Grin.

Did you catch the finish of that Modified race?

Carl Edwards made note of it before Saturday's Nationwide Series race, and ESPN eventually showed the replay of the finish of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series race. The short end of it is that Donny Lia won it after four cars battled and two nearly ended up flipping coming to the checkered flag.

You can see the photo over on From the Marbles, and you can catch an amateur video here.

It's totally worth it.

Just to make a quick note

Dale Earnhardt Jr. did, in fact, drive his No. 88 into a competitive role during Sunday's race. From what I can tell, the biggest difference has been how he is being coached more to tell crew chief Lance McGrew what the car is doing instead of what changes they need.

Some may say that's a knock on Junior's driving ability, but just listen to his teammates and you'll find that each of them just say what the car is doing before the crew chief decides on the plan of action.

Really, it's just like other sports -- the right coach [or in NASCAR, the crew chief] can meld a team of individuals into a winning combination, and that's what seems to be happening here, one step at a time.

Earnhardt finished 13th.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Lenox 301 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weather Determines Winner - Again

Holly Cain — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Toyota, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

If we celebrated David Reutimann's win at Charlotte last month and Matt Kenseth's February Daytona 500 victory -- both races called off early because of rain -- then no one can begrudge rookie Joey Logano his maiden win Sunday at rain-soaked New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

However, we can question NASCAR's schedule. And we're entitled to bristle just a bit at Sunday's finish.

More Coverage: Logano Makes History | Check Standings

This is the second consecutive year -- and fourth time overall -- that weather dictated the outcome at New Hampshire instead of the racing. Qualifying has been rained out five times in the last eight seasons, including Friday.

The fine folks in New England deserve their slice of Sprint Cup action. But the rest of the country deserves a chance to see a legitimate race. And the drivers -- like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson, who actually ran up front at New Hampshire -- deserve a better fate.

Maybe racing at New Hampshire in June isn't the best idea.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only November has more average rainfall than June and July in Loudon, N.H. where the track is located.

Obviously you can't predict rain and you can't control the weather. But you can recognize a pattern.

And until NASCAR takes a serious look at fitting its venues with the proper weather, this is going to be an unfortunate side effect. It's too cold to race here in February and March, but April and May might provide better conditions.

Many fans will be unhappy with Sunday's outcome, if for no other reason, Logano wasn't a real factor all day. He was not better than Gordon or Busch or Stewart who battled for the lead throughout the afternoon.

But give the rookie's championship crew chief, veteran Greg Zipadelli credit. His meteorology skills triumphed and his strategy worked despite Logano's best effort to derail a decent finish earlier in the day.

Logano spun his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and brought out a caution on lap 182, only getting back on the lead lap thanks to NASCAR's "free pass" award seven laps later.

He inherited the race lead on lap 264 when Ryan Newman had to pit for gas. The race was called for rain, 10 laps later. He would have had to come in for gas had the race continued its schedule distance -- another 28 laps.

However, as a very gracious Gordon, who finished runner-up, told the television cameras during the initial rain delay, you take any win you can get.

A win is a win. And Logano, 19, a New England native, was in position to capitalize, making history as the youngest series winner to boot.

"This was the opportunity we had and we had nothing to lose,'' Logano said in his post-race interview. "This is a dream come true and the best race track that it could happen at."

There are no asterisks in NASCAR.

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Joey Logano smiles in victory lane after winning the rain-shortened NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Joey Logano limps into the pits with flat and missing tires during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano went on to win the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Ryan Newman's crew tries to get his engine running on pit row during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Bobby Labonte, front left, and Regan Smith, walk under umbrellas after the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was called due to rain in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the race. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Jeff Burton climbs out of his car after a crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Josh Gibney)

Joey Logano (20) makes it past a crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano went on to win the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Josh Gibney)

Jimmie Johnson makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Joey Logano makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano won the rain-shorted race. (AP Photo/Gil Talbot)

Martin Truex Jr., left, Casey Mears, center, and Kevin Harvick (29) crash during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Gil Talbot)

Cars crash in Turn 1 during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Joey Logano won the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Mike Silverwood)

Weather Determines Winner - Again originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logano Makes History on 'Gutsy Call'

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:26:00 EST

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - There were questions about the judgment of team owner Joe Gibbs when he decided to replace departing two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart with a 19-year-old rookie this season.

Even a rookie considered a phenom.

The former NFL coach, head of Joe Gibbs Racing, admitted Sunday he tried not to put too many expectations on the talented, but woefully inexperienced Joey Logano.

Holly Cain: Weather Determines Winner | Check Standings

"We were really looking for just constant improvement, and that's really what we've seen,'' Gibbs said after Logano became the youngest driver in the history of the Sprint Cup series to win a race, taking the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"The last seven, eight races we've battled back from some real tough things,'' Gibbs added.

Sunday was no exception as the precocious teenager overcame a crash and a lost lap, then saved just enough fuel to earn his first Cup victory in only his 20th start.

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano won the rain shortened race with 27 laps remaining. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano won the rain shortened race with 27 laps remaining. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, speaks to the media after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano won the rain shortened race with 27 laps remaining. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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Jamie McMurray crashes into the wall in the third turn during the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

Joey Logano drives past the yellow flag on a wet track near the end of the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301 auto race in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano held on to the lead and the victory when the race was called due to rain. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

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Joey Logano spins after losing a back tire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., Sunday, June 28, 2009. Logano won the rain-shortened race. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Crew Chief Greg Zippadelli (L) and Joey Logano (C), driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota are congratulated by Tony Stewart (R), driver of the #14 Old Spice Chevrolet after being declared the winner due to rain during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Greg Zippadelli;Joey Logano;Tony Stewart

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, drives under caution due to rain during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano won the rain shortened race with 27 laps remaining. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano

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LOUDON, NH - JUNE 28: Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota talks with his Crew Chief Greg Zippadelli after coming to a stop under caution due to rain during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 28, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano won the rain shortened race with 27 laps remaining. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Logano;Greg Zippadelli

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Logano, not even allowed to begin his NASCAR career until he turned 18 in May 2008, added his latest victory to three wins in the second tier Nationwide Series.

"Well, I figured out this sport is a rollercoaster,'' Logano said when asked how tough his learning curve has been. "I go up and down, up and down, up and down. ... One week you can win and the next week you can be 43rd.''

The youngster was among a group of drivers who moved to the front of the field after getting out of sequence on fuel stops. He took the lead when Ryan Newman, trying to stay on track as long as possible with rain threatening, ran out of gas on lap 264 in the event scheduled to go 301 laps.

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon moved into second and was steadily cutting into the lead as Logano, with a nearly empty gas tank, conserved as much fuel as possible. But the rain began falling three laps later.

The competitors ran six slow laps under caution before NASCAR put out a red flag in hopes of drying the track. But the rain began falling harder and the race was called after 273 laps.

"I was, like, 'The day just went bad, just try to finish it off and get as best finish we can,' and we made the right move at the end,'' Logano said.

The youngster gave most of the credit to crew chief Greg Zipadelli, who worked with Stewart throughout the 10 years he spent at JGR and stayed with the team when Stewart left to become an owner-driver.

"He went for it and I was just lucky enough to be in the seat,'' Logano said. "He said to just stay out, rain's in the area. So we started saving a little bit of fuel ... It's a dream come true, that's for sure.''

Zipadelli, who guided Stewart to 33 Cup victories, seemed a little stunned by this win.

"It's crazy,'' he said. "Obviously, everything at the end of the day went our way. You can't control the weather. The only thing you can do is try to play it to our hand.''

Logano, 19 years, one month and four days old, broke the record set by Kyle Busch for the youngest winner. Busch, now 24, was 20 years, four months and two days when he won for the first time at California in Sept. 2005.

Logano was first spotted as a 15-year-old by NASCAR star Mark Martin, who predicted greatness for the youngster. He been on the fast track ever since, winning races at every level and beating some of NASCAR's top developmental drivers along the way.

To his embarrassment, Logano was dubbed "Sliced Bread,'' as in, "the greatest thing since ... "

The kid has struggled at times this season, but he has shown flashes of the kind of talent that gave Gibbs the confidence to put him in the No. 20 Toyota.

"We know today we were fortunate,'' Gibbs said. "And we know there will probably be some tough days out there for us. But I'm absolutely thrilled for Joey and his family and for us, all of us at Joe Gibbs Racing. We figure we can keep this going, ride this thing for about 20 years.''

It was a virtual home victory for Logano, who was raised in Middletown, Conn., and who made his first Cup start on the same 1.058-mile oval last September, struggling throughout the race and finishing 32nd.

Gordon was disappointed with the second-place finish.

"I felt like we had the best car,'' Gordon said. "The guys got us out first on our last pit stop, but it just got us out ahead of the guys we were racing with.''

He said Zipadelli made "a gutsy call'' leaving Logano on track.

Kurt Busch, who won a rain-shortened event here last June, finished third, followed by David Reutimann and Stewart, the series leader by 69 points over Gordon.

The race was slowed by 11 caution flags for 47 laps. The ninth one was brought out when Logano spun in heavy traffic, hitting the wall in turn four on the 1.058-mile oval.

That cost Logano a lap, but he got it back on the next caution flag, earning the free pass as the first car a lap down.

Logano said Zipadelli told him he could probably have run about five more laps before he ran out of gas.

But the rain came and Logano won.

"Obviously, it's not the way you want to win your first race, in the rain,'' Logano said. "But 20 years down the road, when you look in the record books, no one will know the difference. A win is a win and I'll take them any way I can.''

Spoken like a veteran.

By MIKE HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Logano Makes History on 'Gutsy Call' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Busch Tops Logano for Nationwide Win

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Nationwide Series, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Kyle Busch figured out a way to win again in NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

After two straight frustrating runner-up finishes in the second tier series, Busch passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano near the end of the Camping World 200 on Saturday and held off the precocious 19-year-old to get the victory at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Logano, who started from the pole and led 108 of the 200 laps, beat Busch out of the pits by the length of a hood on the final pit stop by the two leaders. But Busch was able to stay with the leader and eventually drive past him with 36 laps left.

"We just kept adjusting on our car all day,'' said Busch, who had led the most laps in the last eight Nationwide races while winning only two of them. "Normally, when we're out front, we don't adjust on it. Today we didn't have the winning car, we made the winning car.

"(Crew chief) Jason (Ratcliff) and myself, we talked this past week about what we need in order to get better, in order to take this team to Victory Lane instead of finishing second week in and week out. This is a good step in the right direction.''

Logano said the handling on his car changed too much during the final run and it slowed him down enough for Busch to move ahead.

"We had a pretty good car today,'' the teenager said. "Just not good enough. It's not like he beat us by a lot. (We were) just too tight at the end. ... I guess this is how Kyle felt lately, leading all the laps and finishing second.''

Busch, who led a total of 37 laps Saturday, picked up his fifth Nationwide win of the year and 26th of his career. The 24-year-old, who also is a star in Sprint Cup and the Camping World Truck Series, now has a total of 52 wins in his NASCAR career.

Saturday's victory was his 10th of the season, including three in Cup heading into Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 on the same track and two in trucks.

Busch's latest victory also added to the remarkable string of 23 different winners in 23 Nationwide races on the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval.

Former series champion Carl Edwards challenged Logano in the early going, leading 51 laps. But his crew had problems changing the right front tire on a pit stop just past halfway and he fell out of contention, finishing sixth. That left Edwards 162 points behind Busch in the championship after 16 of 25 races. Logano, in his first full season in Nationwide, is fifth.

Brad Keselowski finished third, followed by Mike Bliss and Kevin Harvick.

As the leaders crossed the finish line, Scott Speed hit Brian Vickers from behind and spun out his Cup teammate while they battled for ninth place. Vickers recovered to finish 12th. The angry Vickers bumped the rear of Speed's car several times as the two drove slowly along pit road after the race.

By MIKE HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Busch Tops Logano for Nationwide Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch Dominates Field at Kentucky, But Joey Logano Wins

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Toyota, Nationwide Series, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

It almost seems like a broken record.

While Kyle Busch continues to own the NASCAR Nationwide Series points standings, he is having awful issues finishing races. He's had some bad luck, no doubt about it. However, Saturday night in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano simply had a better racecar. It helps that he picked a good time for what could have been his best restart of the night.

With 15 laps to go, a Mike Bliss wreck caused a red flag. After the track was cleaned up, the field was brought to green with 13 to go.

Not long after the restart, Logano got a great run on the low side of Busch, who had led for most of the race, and he made the clean pass. The combination of a popular young driver in Logano and a driver in Busch who is perceived (right or wrong) to be a complete jerk led to a loud roar from the 70,000 fans when Logano took the lead. He didn't give it up, winning by over a second.

For Busch, it was another race where he was dominant throughout, but couldn't cross the finish line first. It's the seventh straight Nationwide race where Busch led the most laps, but he has just two wins in that span.

His frustration was evident in a short postrace chat with ESPN's Mike Massaro. Asked about his widening point lead (Carl Edwards, second in points, ran 20th Saturday, so Busch picked up 47 points on the lead), Busch simply said "Would be nice to have 12 wins," before walking off.

Give him credit, though. He predicted a second-place finish earlier in the day, after a second-place finish in the Truck Series race at Michigan that saw him get passed late.

Kyle Busch Dominates Field at Kentucky, But Joey Logano Wins originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch: Good or Bad for NASCAR?

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:24:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Nationwide Series, Joe Gibbs Racing

Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway, Kyle Busch handled the coveted guitar trophy in a manner that about 99.931 percent of the world would never think to do.

Yet, when we're thinking about the most dominant driver in the sport in terms of race wins over the past year and a half, a little more thought could have almost anticipated seeing Busch doing exactly what he did in smashing that custom-painted Gibson Les Paul into the victory lane concrete.

Whether or not you found the "celebration" to be a complete slap in the face to numerous people or just another much-heralded "Kyle being Kyle" moment, there remains a stirring question: Is this 24-year-old polarizer making NASCAR into a sport that is better or worse?

If you're a believer in the school of thought that any publicity is good publicity, Busch might be the best thing since ESPN's meteoric and sudden increase in NASCAR coverage that suspciciously conincided with their resumption of race broadcasting.

Face it -- the now-famous (or infamous) guitar smash has been played hundreds if not thousands of times on various sports channels and thoroughout the sports blogosphere since it landed body-first on that painted Nashville concrete. One Youtube video of the incident has over 14,000 views of it.

The impact of Busch's smash -- I'm not talking about how he failed to actually break the guitar in a rock-star fashion -- is probably more important, though, than the overall coverage.

NASCAR isn't a sport that people have never heard of at this point, and its not some web phenomenon.

Because of that, the publicity the sport is receiving can't exactly be the best in the eyes of the same crowd who won't support basketball's Indiana Pacers after their melee in Detroit or baseball players that have been accused of medically enhancing their on-field performance.

Watching Busch smash a beautiful trophy to pieces just looked disrespectful and, in my case, left me with a sick feeling in the stomach. Does that bring in viewers to NASCAR's next race?

I'm not entirely sure.

Then, there's the argument that NASCAR needs Kyle Busch just as it needs good tires at the Brickyard or a close finish at the Daytona 500 because he's a character without robot-like tendencies that many drivers -- including the reigning three-time champion Jimmie Johnson -- have been accused of in this era of sponsor-driven racing.

Several writers in the NASCAR media contingent this week have argued that Busch's guitar smash was a "so what?" moment, and that it's just another way that Busch is evolving into that villain of the sport people have clamored for since it lost Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart became a car owner. They've questioned why people aren't applauding Busch for his out-of-the-box actions and praised him for being different.

Aren't villians, though, supposed to be hated, booed and generally frowned on against by a good majority of a sport's fans? And isn't the true test of a guy that has the gall to take that role how well he can overcome mass hatred from the stands and still produce?

Kyle Busch has succeeded in that area, but where he hasn't succeeded is finding someone who is willing to take the staunch opposite role that will gladly throw numerous verbal barbs at the No. 18 or be a shoe-in for on-track fireworks whenever they run together.

Instead, Busch seems to the be the black-caped villian of a city that doesn't care what he does because they have no motivation to stop him.

In fact, that motivation has been sorely lacking from the Sprint Cup Series where Busch, at the moment, is 9th in points and just 53 markers from losing his lock-in spot to the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Sure, it's a little different in the Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series where Busch has already tallied six total wins in 2009. That'll happen -- especially in the Nationwide Series where he should legitmately have two more wins and a bigger points lead -- when you're driving a Nationwide team with the resources of a Sprint Cup team.

I'll grant the fact that Kyle Busch is an acorn in a sport filled mostly with apples, and that his dominance certainly has energized and grown his fan base.

But when it comes to thinking that he's making the sport a better place, he seems to be following the pattern of one step forward and two steps back. He's claimed to have a deep respect for past NASCAR stars and made a huge donation to former Nationwide Series driver Sam Ard's health costs. He's given money to charities and donated a lot of time in that direction.

He's got no problem with talking at length about a race win, but when it comes to a narrow defeat, he's had a tough time figuring out how to let his fans know what happened but routinely avoiding that same media.

Smashing a coveted guitar in front of the whole world -- and more importantly Nashville track staff, artist Sam Bass and race sponsor (who walked out of victory lane according to Bass) Federated Auto Parts -- appears as a deep, deep disrespect for nearly everything in NASCAR.

A deep disrespect regardless of an intention to reward a team for their hard work with a piece of the guitar.

It's one thing to play the on- or off-track villian by spinning other cars or calling out other drivers, but when people who are in victory lane to congratulate a win and they leave with a nasty taste of disrespect because of a sheepish act, it's simple: Kyle Busch didn't do the right thing.

He's good for the sport on many, many levels right now, but there's still too much in Kyle Busch that isn't good for NASCAR right now.

Kyle Busch: Good or Bad for NASCAR? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch Is 'Rowdy' Real Thing

Holly Cain — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Darlington Raceway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

As with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch is one of the season's most polarizing drivers in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.

As with Earnhardt, you're either with Busch or you are against him. The difference between the two drivers? Busch is out there winning races. A lot of them.

And whether it's the everybody-loves-a-winner mentality or what, a lot of "haters" are warming up to "Rowdy." As hard as it is to cheer for Busch, it's getting even harder not to.

Busch made his trademark "take that" bow to the fans Saturday at Richmond, Va. after claiming his 50th NASCAR win as a 24th birthday present. It is his Cup Series-best third victory of the season in the No. 18 M& Ms Toyota, and he is the defending winner of Southern 500, which runs on Saturday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway -- a gritty, non-conforming track known for being "too tough to tame.''

They are characteristics Busch and Darlington share.

Busch is not a buttoned-down corporate smoothie or media darling like Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson, but he's not hard-core, old school Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt Sr. either. He's somewhere in-between the politically correct world of recent champs and the gritty, "let's just race" era of the NASCAR's previous generation.

He doesn't like speaking with reporters, but he's first in line to help out another driver's charity.

His competitors aren't likely to invite him over for dinner, but every one of them will tell you he's the guy to beat every single week.

He's intense enough to chastise his Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew on television when they make mistakes, but soft enough to admit the best part of this Mother's Day race weekend will be spending Sunday with his mom.

And as NASCAR nation found out last year at Richmond, he will use his bumper -- even at the expense of Earnhardt, the sport's most popular driver.

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In this Saturday, May 2, 2009, photo, Ryan Newman is greeted by members of the Virginia Army National Guard during driver introductions for the Crown Royal 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va. Newman is 10th in points, surging after a slow start to climb 23 spots in seven weeks. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

In this photograph taken on Satuday, April 25, 2009, NASCAR truck driver Ricky Carmichael talks with a crew member after qualifying for the NASCAR Trucks series O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 auto race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. Carmichael was running out of challenges on a motorcycle. Earn the nickname "Greatest of All Time" and the chances are there isn't going to be much left to accomplish. All it took was one trip to the Daytona 500 for Carmichael to figure out his next test: racing on four wheels instead of two. (AP Photo/Denny Medley)

FILE - In this April 17, 2009 file photo, driver Mark Martin sits outside his car after qualifying for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Avondale, Ariz. M Martin will drive a full Sprint Cup schedule for Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. The 50-year-old Martin signed a two-year contract with Hendrick last summer, but the second year originally was to be a partial schedule. It will be Martin's 22nd full season at NASCAR's top level. (AP Photo/Ken Sklute, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2009 file photo, NASCAR Trucks driver Ricky Carmichael heads to his pit dragging the back end of his truck after he was involved in a crash in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 auto race at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Carmichael was running out of challenges on a motorcycle. All it took was one trip to the Daytona 500 for Carmichael to figure out his next test: racing on four wheels instead of two. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2007 file photoo, Ricky Carmichael of Havana, Fla., poses next to his motorcycle after practice for the Moto X racing competition at the X Games at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Carmichael was running out of challenges on a motorcycle. All it took was one trip to the Daytona 500 for Carmichael to figure out his next test: racing on four wheels instead of two. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

FILE - In this April 3, 2009 file photo, driver Ryan Newman walks down pit road with teammates before qualifying for the NASCAR Samsung 500 auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Newman joined Tony Stewart in his new racing venture last season motivated by his desire to have fun again and contend for a championship. So far, he's having that fun _ and again making noise on the track. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2008 file photo, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch drives through the esses during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Centurion Boats auto race at the Glen auto race in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Watkins Glen International is holding its own after securing a new title sponsor for the NASCAR Cup race in early August. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, File)

FILE - In this March 29, 2009 file photo, driver Ryan Newman signs autographs prior to the start of the Goody's 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. Newman joined Tony Stewart in his new racing venture last season motivated by his desire to have fun again and contend for a championship. So far, he's having that fun _ and again making noise on the track. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

NEW YORK - MAY 04: NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon (R) and wife Ingrid Vandebosch attends "The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Ingrid Vandebosch

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Former champ Darrell Waltrip, who competed against Petty, David Pearson, Earnhardt Sr. and Cale Yarborough in their primes, compared that Hall of Fame lineup with Busch, then boldly declared this week in his FOX Sports column, "I appreciate talent. ... and I have to tell you that none of them were as good as Kyle.''

Busch's Richmond win -- the 15th of his five-year Cup career -- ties him with Gordon for the most wins before the age of 25. The record could belong solely to Busch by Sunday. He's still got a whole year to rewrite that one.

"At some point I'd like to be able to win 200 races over all three series,'' said Busch, who is already the youngest pole winner and the youngest race winner in Cup history. "I think that would be a good number. It's a pretty big number. ... I've got plenty of years ahead of me and we'll see if we can't give it a shot.''

Since the 2008 season, Busch has won 27 percent of the races he has entered (29 of 107 races in three series) -- or one out of every four starts.

He already has 24 Nationwide Series wins -- exactly half of Mark Martin's all-time record total. He has 11 Camping World Truck series victories -- well within reach of Ron Hornaday's record 39 wins. And Busch has never even run a full truck season.

He's among only two or three drivers that you can expect to win any week on any track. In any series.

And if he can refine his late-season playoff effort, there's no reason he isn't a favorite to win multiple championships. That is why this season is pivotal to his career. He's proven he can win races, but he hasn't won a championship since he raced Legends Cars as a teenager.

He currently leads the Nationwide championship and is ranked fifth in the Cup standings.

As he racks up trophy after trophy (he earned three last weekend at Richmond, counting a late-model charity race and Friday's Nationwide event, in addition the Cup race), he is winning over the hearts and minds of naysayers and grudge-keepers.

Busch is the latest greatest thing for this series. He's exceptionally talented, unpredictable and not afraid to ruffle the feathers of the establishment. He's what you call "good TV". He's the reality check for a sport that leans toward becoming too polished.

And right now he's the last guy a driver wants to see in the mirror behind him.

Fans can and do boo him mercilessly. But in this sport, that just means you're winning too much.

Kyle Busch Is 'Rowdy' Real Thing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 06 May 2009 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Numbers: Shrub's Richmond B-Day Bash

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Sprint Cup Numbers

Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday Saturday night with his third win in Richmond. Here's a look at it from a feature we like to call Sprint Cup Numbers:

2.751 - Kyle Busch's margin of victory in seconds over Tony Stewart, the largest of the 2009 season

3 - Wins Kyle Busch had over the weekend after also taking the Nationwide Series race and a Denny Hamlin charity race

4.895 - Average running position, behind Jeff Gordon (4.198) and teammate Denny Hamlin (3.510)

9.4 - Kyle Busch's career winning percentage (wins vs. races ran) in Sprint Cup

15 - Busch's career wins in Sprint Cup

23.9 - Busch's winning percentage since coming to Joe Gibbs Racing to start 2008

30 - Laps that Kyle Busch was the fastest on the track, behind brother Kurt with 47 and Denny Hamlin with 43

50 - Career wins in all of NASCAR (Cup, Nationwide, Trucks)

53 - Laps led Saturday night by the No. 18, second to teammate Denny Hamlin with 148

160 - Busch's number of career starts at age 24. In comparison, Jeff Gordon had 80 starts at his 24th birthday with 7 wins

300 - First lap that Kyle Busch led of the 400-lap event

Numbers: Shrub's Richmond B-Day Bash originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Logano Gets Nashville Confidence Boost

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:17:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Nationwide Series, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

On the Nationwide Series' first venture of 2009 away from the shadow of the Sprint Cup Series, Joey Logano spoiled the show.

Logano, a full-time driver in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series, won Saturday's Nashville 300 at Gladeville, Tenn.'s 1.5-mile Nashville Superspeedway after passing teammate Kyle Busch with just 8 laps to go.

While the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates dominated much of the day, the biggest story might be a restoration of Logano's confidence in a race car.

The 18-year-old Logano moved up to a full-time role in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009 to fill in a seat at JGR vacated by the departing Tony Stewart. Seven races into that campaign, it's quite easy to see that his venture to the top ranks of NASCAR has been a bumpy ride -- including a hard head-on crash in the season-opening Daytona 500 after a frustrating speedweeks.

Since then, Logano has nearly fallen from the Top-35 automatic start line with his best finish in the Sprint Cup Series a 13th-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

His Nationwide campaign, however, has been much more successful. Logano has completed every lap in 2009 with a worst finish of 20th at Daytona. Saturday afternoon, Logano led a race-high 95 laps of the 225 lap event (teammate Kyle Busch led 77) and made the winning move on his teammate as the checkered flag neared.

"It's been way too long since we've been here," said Logano after the race, referring to victory lane.

But the drive to that checkered flag stopped momentarily after a scary crash on the frontstretch saw Joe Nemechek's No. 87 get clipped in the right rear, spin sideways, and flip on his roof before bouncing arond to land back on all four wheels. Nemechek actually kept driving the car as the caution came out. However, Nemechek brought the car to pit road under the ensuing red flag and NASCAR wouldn't let him return to the track in fear that the car couldn't adequately protect Nemechek in another crash.

Oddly enough, Nemechek wasn't required to report to the infield hospital after flipping his car because he didn't stop on the track and actually drove it back to the pit area. NASCAR rules mandate any car that stops on track after an incident see the driver report to the infield care center.

The wreck didn't stop Logano, though, and the No. 20 jumped quickly out to a multiple car length lead over Busch to cruise to his first win of 2009. Logano's first career win in the Nationwide Series came last year at Kentucky Speedway.

Brad Keselowski (third) and Kelly Bires (fourth) led the brigade of Nationwide Series regulars, while Carl Edwards finished 5th. After the race, Edwards was very high on the work put in by Bires after the Kevin Harvick Inc. driver passed him in the final laps. Bires doesn't have a full-time ride in the Nationwide Series.

Jason Leffler, David Ragan, Mike Bliss, Steve Wallace and Scott Lagasse Jr. rounded out the Top-10.

Logano Gets Nashville Confidence Boost originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Busch Bond Can Lead to Broken Records

Holly Cain — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip, Penske Racing, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

Gaye Busch has a very reasonable explanation for the simultaneous success of both her sons -- NASCAR's reigning super siblings Kurt and Kyle.

"We did everything as a family when they were growing up," Gaye Busch. "We just did things together."

And they still are. Only now the Busch family gatherings are happening every week in victory lane.

With his dominating performance Sunday at Bristol, Tenn., Kyle Busch (pictured above left) has now visited victory lane every week of the season with wins in each of NASCAR's three premier series.

He and older brother Kurt (above right) have won the last three Sprint Cup races. And NASCAR old-schoolers, you better sit down for this: If this pace keeps up, the Busch brothers could challenge the Allisons (94 wins) and the Waltrips (88) to become the winningest sibling combination in NASCAR history.

It's not as far-fetched as it may seem. They're already two-thirds of the way there in only five years of trying together.

Unlike the top of the win list with brothers Bobby (84 wins) and Donnie Allison (11 wins) or Darrell (88 wins) and Michael Waltrip (four wins), the Busch brothers results are more evenly distributed. Kurt, the 2004 Cup champion, has 19, while Kyle added his 14th Sunday at Bristol.

Kurt, who drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, joked after winning at Atlanta earlier this month that he was finally "holding up his end" of the brotherly bargain. He may need to crank it up another notch to match his brother's winning tear. But if they can both maintain multiple win seasons, they have a great shot at re-writing the record book.

This is the fifth year both Buschs have been competing in the Sprint Cup Series, and they've won 21 races in that time (Kurt had 12 victories before Kyle's rookie year). Even using conservative projections, if they combined for an average of five wins a year for the next 15 years they'd be within one victory of the Allisons' mark.

They've both won races every year they've been competing together.

Factor in Kyle's current winning pace in the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota and it becomes a realistic expectation.

And remember, Kurt is only 30 years old. Kyle is 23.

"I'm just pinching myself," Gaye Busch said by telephone from her home outside Charlotte, N.C. "I told Kyle last year, let's just not wake up. It is so special and I hope they con continue what they're doing. I don't know how any parent could be prouder."

These family ties are strong, competition-tested as kids playing Candyland, baseball and then as precocious teenagers behind the wheel of race cars. When one does well, the other answers and it's always been like that.

They were both standout baseball players growing up in Las Vegas and played the same position: catcher, both highly-regarded for a rocket arm to second base. In high school they both got their best grades in science, and both considered physics their favorite subject.

When it came to careers, they have enjoyed similarly successful paths, winning early and often.

Latest NASCAR Images

** FILE ** In this Sept. 19, 2008, file photo, Denny Hamlin, left, and teammate Kyle Busch talk in the garage during practice for a NASCAR auto race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. Busch had to settle for second place, behind Busch, on Sunday, March 22, at Bristol. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Jr., File)

BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, leads Martin Truex Jr., driver of the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and Scott Speed, driver of the #82 Red Bull Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Gordon;Martin Truex Jr.;Scott Speed

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Kyle Busch (18) leads Kevin Harvick (29) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn., Sunday, March 22, 2009. Busch won the race. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Kyle Busch leads the field just after taking the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Food City 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn., Sunday, March 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, celebrates winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, does a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, races Joey Logano, driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Joey Logano

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BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch (2L), driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, poses with his girlfriend Samantha Sarcinella (3L) and crew in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch;Samantha Sarcinella

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BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 22: Kyle Busch (L), driver of the #18 Snickers Toyota, celebrates with his crew in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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This month at Las Vegas, they became the first brother combination to sweep the front row in qualifying since 2000. Twice they've won back-to-back races.

They're on a string of three consecutive wins right now, in alternating order, which means Kurt's due next -- and he is a former winner at Sunday's stop, Martinsville, Va.

Only one set of brothers, Terry (1984, 1996) and Bobby (2000) Labonte, have won Cup championships.

Kyle was well on his way to making the tandem a two-title clan when he was derailed during the Chase last year -- his eight wins still a series best. Conversely, 2008 was Kurt's worst championship showing (18th) since his rookie year and he still won a race.

Both are early championship contenders this year -- accounting for more than half the wins through five races. Kurt is second to Jeff Gordon in the championship standings, 76 points back. Kyle is fourth, 85 points out.
And with the exception of a dust-up in the All-Star race at Chalotte two years ago, the Buschs have been good sports on-track and genuinely pleased for one another's success.

Kyle was the first to his big brother's car with congratulations when Kurt clinched the 2004 championship. Kurt's been especially busy stopping by victory lane to pat Kyle's back.

And for now, at least, they are both each other's greatest cheerleader. And keenest competition.

Busch Bond Can Lead to Broken Records originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Bristol Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing

It's been a long time coming for Joe Gibbs Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, but Sunday afternoon driver Kyle Busch dusted off a tough run of bad luck for the team at the track to score his second victory of 2009 in the Food City 500.

Seeing a car from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable up front at NASCAR's most infamous short track is nothing new.

Pit road problems, late-race crashes, fuel pick-up issues and Carl Edwards all haunted the JGR organization for the past two years has allowed another team to find victory lane at the east Tennessee half-mile.

Busch scored his second win of the season -- one that's just five races old -- by not only leading some 378 of 503 laps, but by easily holding off teammate Denny Hamlin on a green-white-checkered restart after the pair's other teammate Joey Logano lost an engine with less than 10 laps to go.

The caution forced the race to go extra distance to ensure a green flag finish, and the two-lap dash wasn't even close as Busch crossed the finish line four-tenths of a second ahead of Hamlin.

"You can never ask a race track to pay you back," said Busch in victory lane.

The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson (third) and Jeff Gordon (fourth) followed closely behind the Gibbs bunch with Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne taking fifth. Pole-sitter Mark Martin struggled early but made gains throughout the race to solidify his spot in the coveted Top-35 with a sixth-place finish.

Martin now heads to next week's race in Martinsville, Va., with a guaranteed starting spot.

Ryan Newman led 25 laps early and finished seventh, Jeff Burton was eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya picked up his second-career short track Top-10 in ninth and Australian Marcos Ambrose was a consistent fixture in the Top-10 until a slight engine problem slowed his advance. Regardless, Ambrose ended up 10th.

"I just feel like I'm breaking through -- got the shackles off," said Ambrose, in his first full Sprint Cup season.

Roush Fenway Racing's day at Bristol was quite a struggle with Carl Edwards -- second in last season's point standings by a narrow margin -- the only driver to finish in the Top-25 with a 15th-place finish.

Stay with FanHouse for more updates from NASCAR's day on the high banks of Bristol.

Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back-to-Front Drive Earns Kyle Busch Hometown Win in Las Vegas

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:26:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

The record will show that Kyle Busch started first and finished first in Sunday's Sprint Cup Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But thanks to an engine problem early in the race weekend, it wasn't quite that easy for Busch to score his first win of 2009.

Shelby 427 Roundup: Final Leaderboard | Sprint Cup Standings | Statistics

Regardless, the Las Vegas native also earned his first trip to victory lane on the 1.5-miler that sits just outside the catchfence of a half-mile short track that both Kyle and his older brother Kurt cut their teeth on while growing up.

"I tell you what, this is pretty cool," Busch said. "I didn't know exactly what it would mean, but coming to the checkered flag, there were knots in my stomach. It's bigger than winning the Daytona 500. I said it wasn't going to be, but it is."

OK, OK, perhaps Kyle got caught up in the moment of winning, but his drive to the front certainly wasn't easy.

Busch was relegated to the 39th-place start after being one of five drivers to suffer an engine problem related to a bad batch of lubricated parts on Toyota teams. Throughout the day, the No. 18 team used pit strategy to get the Toyota towards the front, and Busch finally took the lead on lap 229 after passing Jeff Burton.

On a late restart with three laps to go, Busch scooted away from the field to take an easy victory.

The race win meant so much to Busch and his family, that his brother Kurt -- they haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye at several points over the years -- gave his brother a big hug in victory lane.

The Richard Childress Racing duo of Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton also had reason to celebrate after making dramatic gains from their runs a week at California's Auto Club Speedway. Respectively, they finished second and third.

Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann scored his career-best finish in fourth, while Bobby Labonte earned an impressive fifth-place finish in just his third outing with his new Hall of Fame racing team.

Jeff Gordon looked to be equally as strong as he was a week ago at Auto Club Speedway -- he finished second there -- before locking up the left front tire while trying to and then missing pit lane under green flag conditions. The flat-spotted tire exploded in turn 2, bringing out a caution as debris from his left-front fender scattered on the track.

The team put a large piece over the gaping hole to bring back some downforce to the nose of the car and with the help of a fuel-only last pit stop, Gordon managed a sixth-place finish.

Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top 10.

Back-to-Front Drive Earns Kyle Busch Hometown Win in Las Vegas originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch on Facing Tony Stewart and Learning From Past Mistakes

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing

After getting a hold of Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano earlier in the week to discuss his rise to NASCAR stardom, it's now time to hear from one of the drivers who just missed out on the season championship in 2009.

Latest NASCAR Photos

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: David Ragan, driver of the #6 UPS Ford, spins into a gravel pit during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** David Ragan

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: A view of cars racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, races Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Dale Earnhardt Jr.;Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #82 Red Bull Toyota, driven by Scott Speed, in the garage are during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Scott Speed

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #18 M&M's Toyota, driven by Kyle Busch, on pit road during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Crew members work on the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, driven by Kevin Harvick, on pit road during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, sits in his car on the grid prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota, sits in his car on the grid prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Brian Vickers

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Denny Hamlin (R), driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, talks with his crew chief Mike Ford on the grid prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mike Ford;Denny Hamlin

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NASCAR driver David Ragan talks with reporters as he leaves the infield care center after he was involved in an accident during the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Kyle Busch -- a teammate to Logano at Joe Gibbs Racing -- took a few minutes in between stops in southern California to chat with me about his relaxing offseason, the new NASCAR Kart Racing game and how he feels coming into the 2009 season.

Geoffrey Miller: First up, Kyle thanks for the time today. How's life been been with NASCAR's testing ban? I saw you won a Super Late Model race down in Georgia a few weeks ago.

Kyle Busch: Yeah we did, and I definitely had a lot of fun with that. That was the first time I've been back in a car since Homestead so it was real nice to go out there and win when I was trying to brush all the cobwebs off after the winter. Besides that, it's been a lot of fun. I've been doing some work, but I've also had a chance to do some relaxing -- anything and everything you can think of over the off-season. It's been nice.

GM: I assume, then, you've had a chance to dust off the Wii and check out EA Sports' new NASCAR Kart Racing game. Thoughts?

KB: Yeah I have had a chance to play it actually and it's pretty cool. Of course, its the only NASCAR game for the Nintendo Wii, so that's kind of special in itself right there. And it's kart racing, so it's not necessarily NASCAR racing and its always fun to have something different. You can slide sideways and grind it -- get physical on the race track.

GM: Seems to be right up your alley. I was noticing on the game's web site that Jeff Gordon looked a lot like Sen. John Kerry. As for you, you've got your trademark sunglasses on. Do you think the game designers got your look right?

KB: [Laughs] Yeah, I think they did a pretty good job, or at least, it looks pretty good to me. And you know, there's a couple of mystery NASCAR drivers you can unlock there too. We can't completely let that cat out of the bag, though.

GM: Any chance, you know, you'll be using the game to blow some steam after the race? NASCAR might like it better if you spin Carl Edwards or Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the game instead of the on the track.

KB: Yeah, that's always fun to do. You can definitely go make yourself feel better in the motor home without having to do it out on the real track.

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GM: Getting back to the real racing a little bit, has the testing ban affected your team? Do you think it was good for the sport? Good for you team?

KB: Well, it would have been nice to hit some of the NASCAR tracks, but I think it's been fine the way it is. We've all been able to relax a little bit more and spend some time at home. That's probably the best part about it. But as far as being able to test, you can go test at other places and certain things -- you don't necessarily have to test at the track to learn stuff about brakes, or to learn stuff about rear springs.

GM: It's hard to believe NASCAR's already back in Daytona. How have the offseason preparations at Joe Gibbs Racing been going and how do you think you'll perform during Speedweeks?

KB: I think our cars [at Daytona] last year were pretty good and we've definitely improved on them for this time around. And to answer a little bit more about your previous question, we've got a chance to do a little bit of testing at New Smyrna in Florida and Rockingham, N.C. to do some brake testing and some short-track stuff just trying to learn a little bit more and get better for the flat tracks. Hopefully, we've learned something there.

GM: Tony Stewart left a big hole at Joe Gibbs Racing by moving on to own his team. Has the shop felt any different without him around? Are you looking forward to banging fenders with him in 2009 as a rival instead of a teammate?

KB: I'd say I'm looking forward to that. Tony's always been a been a great asset to Joe Gibbs Racing and has been for many years and with him leaving this year there's been a little bit of a void there. But I have no doubt with Joey [Logano] coming in that he'll fill that void and do a great job for us. Hopefully, he'll be able to bring that No. 20 team back to what it was with Tony.

GM: Finally, after a months to take in some of the trouble you saw last year in the Chase after such a dominating regular season, is there anything that you'll be doing differently in 2009?

KB: Obviously, I feel like we've got a good program underneath us but there are some areas for improvement of course. But with the stuff we learned this year, with what happened at Loudon, Dover and Kansas, we should definitely be able to capitalize on those mistakes and not let them happen again.

Kyle Busch on Facing Tony Stewart and Learning From Past Mistakes originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anxious, Nervous, Excited: Joey Logano Preps for NASCAR's Biggest Stage

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:08:00 EST

Filed under: Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano

Joey Logano should be getting ready to graduate from high school, be filling out college applications or otherwise doing things a typical 18-year-old kid does at this point in life. But Logano isn't exactly any other kid.

Instead of worrying about homework, Logano has his eyes set on becoming the youngest driver in history to start the Daytona 500 on Sunday after taking over the reigns left vacant by Tony Stewart of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. 2009 will mark Logano's first full season in the highest form of NASCAR racing.

Last week, I had a chance to catch up Logano to talk about the upcoming season, the new NASCAR Kart Racing game for Nintendo Wii and a little on-track skirmish he had in January.

FanHouse: Hey Joey, thanks for chatting with us. First off, you made some headlines a few weeks back during the Toyota All-Star Challenge at Irwindale Speedway when you wrecked the leader Peyton Sellars on the last lap. NASCAR penalized you for the move, taking away the victory. What did you think about the call and would you do it again?

Joey Logano: You know, I really did hate for all those guys behind me who got caught up in that mess and wrecked their race cars, but it was an All-Star race and I just made a move I thought could win it. We had the lead just a few laps before and was just trying to get it back by driving it down in there and it didn't stick like I thought it would.

FH: After the race, the driver you ran into, Peyton Sellars, stopped by your car to have a few words. What did you talk about?

JL: Oh, well, you know, he just stopped to talk about going to dinner sometime or something like that -- if you know what I mean. [laughs] It was definitely just to make some plans for dinner later and how to unlock my character on the new NASCAR Kart Racing game.

FH: Oh yeah? I've heard some things about EA Sports' NASCAR Kart Racing for Wii. Have you had a chance to play it?

JL: Actually, I just got a chance to play it for the first time the other night and it was a lot of fun. It's a lot like Mario Kart because you can shoot things at people to spin them out to crash them and things like that. Plus, if you play it enough you can unlock more tracks and drivers like me in my Gamestop car. I haven't had enough time to get there yet, though.

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FH: Well, if you did have time for that, you probably wouldn't be getting ready for Daytona right now. What would Joey Logano be doing if this racing thing hadn't taken off?

JL: I'd probably be back home in Connecticut hauling garbage because that's what my dad used to do. Of course, I'd be driving the truck. Even if I wasn't racing, I'd have to be driving something.

FH: Knowing that, it's a probably been a very good thing for Mark Martin to have called you "the real deal" before anyone had ever heard of your name, right?

JL: When he said that, I was 14 and no one had ever heard of me and after that, all the big teams knew my name. It was a big deal to have a driver like Mark Martin say something that nice about me and it definitely helped get me on the map and to where I am today in NASCAR. He really was responsible for helping me get into stock car racing.

FH: You've certainly come a long way from that point. Are you nervous at all about taking over Tony Stewart's old ride that has won two championships in the past 7 years?

JL: I'm definitely anxious to get the season started, and yeah, a little nervous at the same time. Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing has been helping me get ready and I really think Zippi [crew chief Greg Zipadelli] and I will work great together. Getting in No. 20 Home Depot car is a big honor and I've obviously get some big shoes to fill after Tony left, but I think we're heading in the right direction. I'm definitely looking forward to getting in the car at Daytona.

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FH: You had a handful of Sprint Cup starts toward the end of 2008 and none of them went too well. What will be different in 2009?

JL: I think a big difference will be getting in full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing and getting to be in the car each weekend. I know I'll be in the same car each weekend and having Zippy (Zipadelli) there will really help bring some consistency. Just being in the car week-in and week-out will certainly make things a little easier.

FH: Finally, you've earned the nickname "Sliced Bread" in the garage area thanks to your rising star status. What's your thoughts on that and would you change it?

JL: Oh, I don't really care what names people have for me, but that one actually has a story behind it. It actually came from [former NASCAR driver] Randy LaJoie last season and it has just kind of stuck. I guess its a good thing that everybody at least knows who I am, right?

FH: Certainly. Thanks Joey and best of luck for 2009.

JL: Thanks.

Anxious, Nervous, Excited: Joey Logano Preps for NASCAR's Biggest Stage originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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