By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For the first time of 2018, the 20th-place finisher was arguably the story of the race. Hey, it was Kyle Busch, good chances he was a story to watch from the start.
And he sure was. Busch entered Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops/NRA Night Race as a seven-time winner at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was also going for a third straight at the half-mile, and starting third, many expected an early lead for the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
That, however, took a turn for the worst on the race’s third lap when Busch lost the rear and spun off Turn 4, collecting about a dozen cars behind him. Busch’s damage was good enough to push him off the lead lap and out of the minds of the front-runners.
“I was trying to stay out of the glue because I knew it was going to be slick to start with,” Busch said of the early crash. “The guys on the outside were pinching you a bit. Whoever was on my outside, I hit them in the door and went around.”
Suffering damage to the nose, rear and especially driver-side door, Busch fell three laps down in the first stage. From there, it was all about that comeback.
Busch eventually got back to one lap down before winning the free pass at the end of Stage 2, putting his skills to the true test against the half-dozen drivers who led most of the race.
Driving up into third spot, Busch was racing fellow championship favorite Martin Truex Jr. for second when they made contact off Turn 4. The slight miscalculation by Busch turned Truex into the inside wall before bouncing into the path of JJ Yeley. Both drivers’ nights were toast.
Busch offered an apology following the accident.
“That was just a misjudgment on my behalf, I crashed the No. 78. That’s my bad,” he said. “Knowing there were plenty laps left I wasn’t even in a hurry. I just misjudged it by four or six inches and clipped him and sent him for a ride.
“He knows that was intentional at all. We’ve worked really, really, really good together these last three years. That shouldn’t ruin anything between us. Maybe I’ll send them a sorry kit to the race shop in Denver.”
The night continued with more than 50 laps on the board and Busch was still in the fight near the front. However, a restart with 17 laps to go led to contact with Chris Buescher as the two raced Jimmie Johnson in a lap-over-lap three-wide battle.
The contact cut Busch’s left-rear tire and spun him into the Turn 3 wall.
“If it wasn’t for getting caught up with the [Nos.] 37 and 48,” he said, “if I got clear of them I could have gotten to the front.”
Busch again fell out of contention, this time for good, crossing the checkered flag in 20th position, three laps down.
The nutty night was finally over.
“We probably finished where we should have as torn up as our racecar was,” he said. “We had a shot to come back there and win the race realistically. Monday morning quarterback also says if we inherited fourth by not pitting, we may have been ahead of all that.
“We certainly were going to overachieve tonight but we didn’t get to that.”
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch
Mid-Pack With Zach: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
For the first time of 2018, the 20th-place finisher was arguably the story of the race. Hey, it was Kyle Busch, good chances he was a story to watch from the start.
And he sure was. Busch entered Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops/NRA Night Race as a seven-time winner at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was also going for a third straight at the half-mile, and starting third, many expected an early lead for the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
That, however, took a turn for the worst on the race’s third lap when Busch lost the rear and spun off Turn 4, collecting about a dozen cars behind him. Busch’s damage was good enough to push him off the lead lap and out of the minds of the front-runners.
“I was trying to stay out of the glue because I knew it was going to be slick to start with,” Busch said of the early crash. “The guys on the outside were pinching you a bit. Whoever was on my outside, I hit them in the door and went around.”
Suffering damage to the nose, rear and especially driver-side door, Busch fell three laps down in the first stage. From there, it was all about that comeback.
Busch eventually got back to one lap down before winning the free pass at the end of Stage 2, putting his skills to the true test against the half-dozen drivers who led most of the race.
Driving up into third spot, Busch was racing fellow championship favorite Martin Truex Jr. for second when they made contact off Turn 4. The slight miscalculation by Busch turned Truex into the inside wall before bouncing into the path of JJ Yeley. Both drivers’ nights were toast.
Busch offered an apology following the accident.
“That was just a misjudgment on my behalf, I crashed the No. 78. That’s my bad,” he said. “Knowing there were plenty laps left I wasn’t even in a hurry. I just misjudged it by four or six inches and clipped him and sent him for a ride.
“He knows that was intentional at all. We’ve worked really, really, really good together these last three years. That shouldn’t ruin anything between us. Maybe I’ll send them a sorry kit to the race shop in Denver.”
The night continued with more than 50 laps on the board and Busch was still in the fight near the front. However, a restart with 17 laps to go led to contact with Chris Buescher as the two raced Jimmie Johnson in a lap-over-lap three-wide battle.
The contact cut Busch’s left-rear tire and spun him into the Turn 3 wall.
“If it wasn’t for getting caught up with the [Nos.] 37 and 48,” he said, “if I got clear of them I could have gotten to the front.”
Busch again fell out of contention, this time for good, crossing the checkered flag in 20th position, three laps down.
The nutty night was finally over.
“We probably finished where we should have as torn up as our racecar was,” he said. “We had a shot to come back there and win the race realistically. Monday morning quarterback also says if we inherited fourth by not pitting, we may have been ahead of all that.
“We certainly were going to overachieve tonight but we didn’t get to that.”
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Daytona: Trevor Bayne(3)
Kentucky: William Byron(3)
New Hampshire: Chris Buescher(2)
Pocono: Jamie McMurray
Watkins Glen: Chris Buescher (3)
Michigan: Chris Buescher (4)
Bristol: Kyle Busch