Jason Keller (35) slams into Erin Crocker near the halfway point of Friday's Emerson Radio 250. Credit: Autostock

Crocker gets rude intro to Busch Series

Just past halfway, crash ends first race of NBS career

Erin Crocker's introduction to the Busch Series could have been a little more polite.

First, she crashed in Turn 2 on her first qualifying lap, then had to start at the back after making the field on car owner points.

	Rough startCrocker's Busch debut comes to an early end at RIR Spinning wheelsCrocker spins during her qualifying run at Richmond Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Saturday's Emerson Radio 250 started benignly enough, as she was simply trying to make laps. But on Lap 125, her first foray into the Busch Series came to an abrupt end.

"I have no idea what happened," she said. "I felt like I got a little loose and then I overcorrected, and that's what sent me down the track. I feel bad. I apologize to the guys who were racing me."

Crocker spun off Turn 2 and collected both Kenny Wallace and Jason Keller. The crash ended Keller's night and cost Wallace a bunch of laps making repairs. Crocker's spinning Dodge was up high in the groove when Wallace tried to duck under. He didn't make it, clipping Crocker and continuing on to the inside retaining wall. Keller had no place to go and slammed head-on into Crocker's right front wheel.

"I made a mistake and I feel bad that I took some other drivers out," she said. "I'm just trying to learn, and sometimes it is hard to learn out here. We'll be back at Dover and I'll have my head up high again there."

In all, Crocker was nonplussed in assessing her first Busch Series event.

"We started in the back and went a lap down pretty early," she said. "Then we got shuffled back in those restarts, just trying not to get in the way of the lead cars. I felt like it was getting better and our lap times were improving. I could get behind some leaders and follow them and we could stay with them.

"I was feeling pretty comfortable."

"I really don't know what to say," she said. "I feel bad. I wish it didn't happen and that I was still out there. There's nothing I can do but learn from what happened and go on to Dover."

Crocker will drive the No. 6 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports full-time on the Busch Series circuit beginning next season.

Team owner Ray Evernham said he knew going in that Crocker faced a steep learning curve.

"We all knew she had a lot to learn about racing," he said. "She could drive the car at speed, she ran in her own line and when she wasn't in traffic she could run top-15 speeds.

"We know it's going to be a learning process. I hate that she got crashed, but there's lots of crashes on the short tracks.

"All in all, I thought she gained a lot, and I expect that every time we see her she will get better and better."