Busch Title Challenge Back On The Road

Kyle Busch gave us an indication of how complete a racer he is with victory at the Sonoma road course.

The last few weeks have left question marks over Busch’s championship challenge. His attempt at the Triple Crown two weeks ago saw him come home last at Pocono. He followed that up with a top-15 at Michigan. After last week’s event, Busch announced he would give up his pursuit of the three championships.
If this is Kyle Busch focused on one championship, the rest of the field better beware!

I’ve never hidden my admiration for Kyle’s racing this year. When we have seen him, the Las Vegas native has given us a bucketful of excitement. People have criticized him for his pursuit of three championships. Why do that? Here is a guy who wants the race. It wasn’t about the money; it was about that winning feeling. That sort of attitude is waning these days in international motorsport.

When was the last time you saw a drive compete in four races in five days, all in different parts of the country? Sure, it didn’t work out, but his attempt was something to behold. His attention firmly back on the Sprint Cup, Busch made his way up from 30th on the grid to take the lead, cashing in on pitting at the right time. The yellow mixed the field up, pushing the early front-runners down the pack. It was a position that Busch would not relinquish for the rest of the day.

Behind him saw a number of great drives on the day. Australian Marcus Ambrose, who runs in the Nationwide series, took over the #21. He former V8 racer qualified seventh and ran strongly all day long. A move late in the race on McMurray into the turn 11 saw him out-brake the #26 and tag the rear end of Montoya. The Columbian was less than impressed with Ambrose afterwards. Maybe Juan should take it with a grain of salt. He nerfed his team-mate out of the way at Mexico in the Busch series last year.

The last section of the race saw a spate of yellow flags as cars jockeyed for position. David Gilliland came out smiling from it all, finishing second. It’s a fantastic result for the Yates team, who are still out looking for long term sponsorship. Sonoma native Jeff Gordon, who struggled with the car all day, came away with third. Casey Mears brought the #5 Hendricks car home in fifth. It was a strong day for Mears, but according to rumours his good run has come too late. He is expected to vacate the #5 at the end of the year

The race for the Chase is heating up. Matt Kenseth continues his impressive drive to the Chase. His eight place finish saw him slide into the coveted 12th spot. Kevin Harvick slips out, but finds himself only two points outside it. From 12th to 17th, there is just over 100 points separating those who want in the championship challenge.