Drivers support decision to make Busch Chase eligible
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NASCAR competitors testing at Dover International Speedway on Wednesday said they have no qualms with NASCAR granting fellow Kyle Busch a waiver that keeps his Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup eligibility intact.
"We don't have sick days in our sport," six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson said during a lunch break at the 1-mile track. "If you get injured in our industry, the repercussions are so big.
"Even though he is granted a waiver, you just look at what the team has been through – a couple of different drivers trying to develop the equipment and get it going, missed opportunities to win races. It's a huge penalty to have an injury. If you can come back and win a race, you deserve to be in the Chase."
Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota, missed the first 11 points races after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot in a crash in the season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
On Wednesday, NASCAR announced its decision to allow Busch to remain eligible, as long as he is in the top 30 in championship driver points standings following the season's 26th race.
Busch announced on Tuesday that he would be back in the Sprint Cup car this weekend for Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR).
MORE: Busch says All-Star event is 'perfect' for return
Under the rules, to be eligible for the Chase drivers must attempt to complete in the 26 points races leading up to the Chase. The 16-team field is comprised of the season's winners and, if fewer than 16 drivers win at least one race, those highest in the points standings following the cutoff race.
Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano (Team Penske) said, "It's not like he chose to skip races … that's the difference.
"They don't want to see someone win a race and say 'alright, I'm good, I'm going to take four or five weeks off and enjoy it and not drive a race car.' …
"Kyle is getting back in the car as soon as he possibly can to try to make the Chase. I think letting him do it is fine … that's the way it should be. It's not his fault he got hurt in the first place."
The possibility that Busch wins one of the remaining 15 "regular-season" races isn't far-fetched. He has 29 career victories and has won one or more races for 10 consecutive seasons.
Climbing his way into the top 30 in points is another matter. Busch would likely need an average finish of at least 16th or to find himself in the top 30 after 26 races.
"I don't know what he has to do to get in the top 30," Logano said. "… I think it's well deserved; he's worked hard to get back in the race car and if we race him for a championship at the end of the year, great. I'm not going to say it he shouldn't have won it or something like that.
"Those are the rules that we've got … with the Chase, that you're able to recover if something like that happens."
David Ragan, who filled in for Busch in nine races, said the NASCAR announcement simply provided Busch an avenue to attempt to qualify. The rest will be up to the driver and the team, led by crew chief Adam Stevens.
Ragan took over the reins of the car after Daytona (two-time Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton stepped in at DIS) while 18-year-old Erik Jones made his Sprint Cup debut last weekend at Kansas with the team.
"He's just eligible, obviously," Ragan said of Busch. "He's still got to have a great season to make the Chase. He's got to win a race, which isn't easy to do, there are still a lot of good guys that haven't won a race in quite some time; he's got to score some pretty good points to get in the top 30.
"I think NASCAR made the right call and Kyle should be happy with that; if he can meet that criteria and make the Chase, he deserves to be in.
"If he can score those kind of points, be in the top 30 and win a race, (that's) a chase team and (he's) a Chase driver."
• Johnson, Logano and Ragan were among 12 drivers taking part in the open test at Dover. Also on hand were Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), Danica Patrick (Stewart-Haas Racing), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Casey Mears (Germain Racing), Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing), Jeb Burton (BK Racing), Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports) and AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty Racing).
Logano, Hamlin, Patrick and Allmendinger took part in a two-day Goodyear tire test at Dover prior to Wednesday's team test.
• Johnson said while Dover and Charlotte appear vastly different, there are things his Hendrick Motorsports team could pick up during the Wednesday test that might be beneficial at CMS.
"We might not be able to learn and have the speed on the track today, but we'll go home with some ideas … some things that didn't work or did work and let our group at home stew on it," he said.
"It'll help actually this weekend leading into Charlotte. Charlotte and Dover, oddly enough, do have very common sensations and loads and things through the race car. So this test … comes at a good time for us and we should be able to apply things to Charlotte."