While his little brother stole the show Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, Kurt Busch had his own reasons to smile.
Kurt was fifth in the closing laps and looked to be in line to score his third top five of the season ,the only Chevy driver to do so. He was passed on the last lap however and had to settle for sixth behind Ryan Blaney.
“I was just hoping to get a top 5 and came home just a bit short,” he said. “But the growth rate of us at Ganassi and the adjustments we’re making, I couldn’t be happier. I’m smiling as I’m driving the car. It’s so much fun to toss it down in there with all this downforce and the horsepower, you just pitch it sideways and see if it’s going to stick. But, we know we’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s awesome to run up front. I’m smiling. But, we know at our growth rate, we’re not on a plateau yet. I’ve got to keep going.”
His thoughts turned to victory lane nearby where his brother was celebrating the race win, and his 200th win across all three of NASCAR’s top touring circuits.
“But, this is a big day. For my little brother to have 200 wins, they’re all added up through his hard work and his dedication to perfection,” he said. “Not bad for two kids with an attitude from Vegas.”
The elder Busch hopes to keep up the family tradition of winning like his younger brother is doing.
“As far as attitudes and winning? I’ve got to hold up my end of the bargain,” he said. “I’ve gotten too nice and I’m not winning enough; but I’m having fun. I love the Ganassi guys. Matt McCall (crew chief) wants more. I know he does. I want more. I was hoping for a top 5 today but we’ll take it. All in all, we’re running where we need to be running.”
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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