Busch wins Truck Series race at Charlotte

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

Busch earns first Truck Series win since 2011

CONCORD, N.C. — Winless in his last seven starts in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, Kyle Busch broke what was for him a major drought with a victory in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch, who owns his own truck, charged from the back of the field after a pit-road penalty to win in the series for the first time since Sept. 24, 2011, at New Hampshire. The victory was Busch’s fifth at Charlotte and the 31st of his career in 107 starts.

Brendan Gaughan ran second, .468 seconds behind Busch, with the race decided in an eight-lap green-flag run to the finish after the eighth caution of the night. Max Gresham finished a career-best third, followed by series leader Matt Crafton and Ty Dillon.

“It was an eternity — the starts were spread over a year and half,” Busch said of his seven-race winless streak. “It certainly was frustrating last year that (crew chief) Eric (Phillips) and I weren’t able to get to Victory Lane. We only ran three starts, and in all of those three starts, we were a really good truck and had a shot to win in all three of those.

“We’ve been fast. These guys do a good job, (crew chief) Rudy (Fugle) here, taking over for my stuff on the No. 51 with a smaller team — it’s only him and a couple of other guys that are full-time for it… These guys do a lot of work for being so small and just coming out here trying to knock out some wins.”

Busch had led 66 laps by the time Tyler Young’s spin caused the fourth caution of the race on Lap 82. On a fuel-only pit stop under yellow on Lap 84, Busch drew a penalty for dragging his gas can out of the pit stall and restarted on Lap 88 at the rear of the field.

Undeterred — and using the penalty as an opportunity to take four fresh tires — Busch carved his way through the field and had just taken over the seventh position when hard contact between the trucks of Ron Hornaday Jr. and Jake Crum — after Hornaday cut his right front tire — brought out the fifth caution on Lap 94.

After a spate of cautions, Busch finally regained the lead, passing Miguel Paludo for the top spot a lap before a pair of simultaneous wrecks caused caution No. 8 on Lap 122. A crash near the front of the field eliminated Darrell Wallace Jr. and damaged the truck of Brad Keselowski.

Notes: The victory was the first as a crew chief for Fugle … Busch now has 113 wins in NASCAR’s top three series combined … Gaughan scored his third straight top-five finish and climbed three spots to fourth in points … Crafton leads in the series standings by 22 points over polesitter Jeb Burton, who finished 13th.

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Posted on May 17, 2013 by

Busch brothers in top five; Truex wins Sprint Showdown pole

CONCORD, N.C. — Needless to say, Carl Edwards loved the new qualifying format for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Benefiting from a high-speed trip down pit road and a quick pit stop during the unique three-lap segment in Friday’s time trials, Edwards — sporting a car that paid tribute to deceased NASCAR driver Dick Trickle — won the pole for the 29th running of NASCAR’s non-points All-Star event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With the pit-road speed limit waived for the qualifying session, Edwards ran three laps — including a mandatory four-tire pit stop — in 1 minute 51.297 seconds, averaging 145.556 mph.

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The 15th of 19 drivers to make a qualifying attempt, Edwards knocked Kurt Busch (144.068 mph) off the provisional pole. Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted the second fastest average speed (144.398 mph) but drew a five-second penalty for a loose lug nut and will start 15th, leaving Busch on the front row beside Edwards.

Greg Biffle will start third, followed by Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, in an event that pays $1 million to the winner — and another potential $1 million to a driver who can win all five segments. The event will be contested in segments of 20, 20, 20, 20 and 10 laps.

“This is so unbelievable, because we tried so hard,” Edwards said. “This is such an exciting qualifying format. There’s so much pressure, and to get the pole — it’s spectacular. Our car was fast. Our pit crew was fast. It was awesome.

“This is the way we want to start this weekend. We want to win this thing. We want to win all $2 million, all the segments. It’s part of our plan … I vote we did this at every race track. It’s so cool. It’s a lot of fun.”

Defending race winner Jimmie Johnson was fourth out and first to blow the pit stop. Johnson screamed down pit road, but his No. 48 Chevrolet slid through his pit stall, forcing Johnson to back up before his crew could begin its work.

With a stop of more than 20 seconds, Johnson averaged 135.608 mph. A penalty for a loose lug nut added five seconds to his time and cut his average speed to 130.160 mph. Johnson will start 18th on Saturday night.

Kevin Harvick also slid through his pit stall, and had his time disallowed because his crew started service before the No. 29 Chevrolet was back in the box. But the miscue didn’t matter, given that an engine change after Friday’s practice will send Harvick to the rear of the field for the start of the race.

In a conventional two-lap qualifying session that preceded the Sprint All-Star Race time trials, Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for Saturday’s Sprint Showdown at 193.424 mph (27.918 seconds), edging Jamie McMurray (192.699 mph) for the top starting spot.

The top two finishers in the Showdown, which features a field of 23 cars this year, will transfer into the main event. Winless since 2007, Truex is a veteran of the Showdown, and he confessed to being envious of those who were exempt into the All-Star Race.

“I’m definitely jealous that I’m not out there tonight,” Truex said after winning the pole. “For an event like this, it’s neat to see them mix it up and do something different because it’s an All-Star race. There’s not points here. You don’t have to go by the book.

“This is the weekend where you want to throw out the rules and make new stuff up, which generally they like to do.”

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