BRISTOL, Tenn. — It’s race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway and one driver who will not be in attendance is Kyle Busch, currently recuperating from injuries sustained in a horrific wreck at Daytona International Speedway in February.
The five-time winner at B.M.S is expected to return behind the wheel sometime in July.
For those who have to put their racing support for Busch on-the-shelf until then, his elder brother may be a worthwhile alternative in the meantime.
In fact, Kurt Busch, currently driving the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing, has also won five races at this storied track. But his last victory came in March of 2006. He is anxious to get back to a track that seems to bring out the best in him.
“Bristol is one of those tracks that I get a little extra pumped up for,” Busch said. “For me, I think that feeling gets a little stronger when you’re talking about the night race.
“Bristol is a place that gives you a big adrenaline rush. You can literally feel the energy around the track from the competitors and fans who are just excited for 500 laps of racing at Bristol. There’s really nothing quite like it.”
Busch’s five career victories at Bristol put him in a four-way tie for third on the all-time winner’s list at the track. The elite group of drivers ahead of him on that list includes Darrell Waltrip with 12 wins and Cale Yarborough, the late Dale Earnhardt, and Rusty Wallace, each with nine wins.
This weekend, Busch would like nothing more than to add another win to his already impressive stats at Bristol. Not only would a win move him ahead of David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle into third place all by himself on the all-time win list at the track, it would also virtually lock Busch into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
The task sounds simple for a driver with such an impressive B.M.S. resume’, but he knows his preferred outcome won’t be easy.
“For me, the most challenging aspect is getting into those long, green-flag runs,” Busch said. “It’s about being able to settle into a steady groove and making the best lap time you can.
“It’s tough at that place because it’s so fast for a short track and you can get dizzy there pretty quickly. It’s a physical track, but it’s also mentally taxing. You have to be on your game when it comes to the concentration required to run well at Bristol.”
While brother Kyle patiently waits for a leg to heal, Kurt Busch hopes to get a leg up on the third-place all-time Bristol win list logjam with his sixth career Bristol victory on Sunday in the Food City 500.
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