BROOKLYN, Mich. –Fighting a loose-handling No. 18 Toyota, Kyle Busch spun off Turn 4 during final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and slid through the infield grass, destroying the front end of his car.
Busch’s team immediately rolled out a backup car, and the driver was quickly up to speed, posting the ninth fastest lap in Happy Hour. But the car change means Busch will have to give up his sixth-place starting position and drop to the rear for the start of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.
“I was just running along, everything was fine, and I was actually feeling pretty good about it,” Busch said. “Just started to get a little free up off of (Turn) 4.
“It started stepping out like it did here in the spring. I over-corrected and hit the wall, so this time around I just kind of made it keep rotating and head down towards the infield.”
Long an outspoken proponent of eliminating infield grass at race tracks, Busch couldn’t resist a sarcastic quip after the accident.
“I think at all these race tracks we need more grass – I think more grass would be beneficial,” Busch said. “I think we should have more grass, and it should be taller.”
Fighting to remain in the top 30 in the series standings and retain his eligibility for the Chase, Busch will have to overcome his recent history at the two-mile track. In his last four starts at MIS, he has finished 31st, 41st, 39th and 43rd.
Note: Martin Truex Jr. was fastest in final practice with a lap at 191.729 mph.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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