Kyle Busch: Federated Auto Parts 300 preview

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- With two laps remaining in the April 10 race at Nashville Superspeedway, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer were battling for the lead. Bowyer and Busch made contact, sending both drivers spinning into the infield grass. Johnny Benson and Robby Gordon, running third and fourth at the time, were also collected in the accident.

Bowyer was credited with a fourth-place finish, while Busch finished sixth. Bowyer was named the Raybestos Rookie of the Race. Ironically, this marks the only time Busch has not won that honor this season.

YOU WON AT NASHVILLE IN YOUR ARCA DEBUT, AND YOU CAME CLOSE TO WINNING IN APRIL. HOW DISAPPOINTED WERE YOU NOT TO GET THE WIN?

"I was pretty frustrated at the time, but Lance (crew chief Lance McGrew) came over the radio and put things in perspective. He just said, 'Hey, we got a top-10 finish out of the deal and got a lot of points,' and that the other guy was just doing everything he could to try and win the race. He said he would have expected me to do the same thing if I was in the same situation, and it's hard to argue with that. Still, I wasn't happy about it, and I really hope we don't see a repeat of it this time around."

YOU HAD WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD DAY IN DOVER, BUT YOU MANAGED A TOP-FIVE FINISH. WHAT DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THAT?

"Well, it gives me a lot of confidence in my team and how they respond to a negative situation. I mean, I've known all along that they're a championship-caliber team, because obviously they've won a championship, but they really stepped it up in Dover and turned around what could have been a horrible day. They just don't give up, and that's what it's going to take to stay in the hunt for the championship. Hopefully, we don't ever have another day like that, but if we do, I know we'll still end up with a good finish if we keep our heads together and keep digging like we did that day."

DO YOU FEEL LIKE NASHVILLE "OWES YOU ONE" AFTER NEARLY WINNING THE APRIL RACE?

"I still want another guitar, that's for sure. I mean, the No. 21 car was dominant all day, but we all know that the best car doesn't always win. Had we not gotten wrecked, yeah, I'm confident that we would have won that race, but you can 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' all day long. I know that I'm really looking forward to getting back there and continuing our streak of top-10 finishes, and if the breaks fall our way, I think we've got a very good shot of bringing home a guitar."