Funai 250 - Kyle Busch Notes

KYLE BUSCH
NO. 5 LOWE’S CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO
RICHMOND PREVIEW

Q&A WITH DRIVER KYLE BUSCH:

YOU TESTED AT THE NEWLY REPAVED RICHMOND TRACK ON MAY 6. WHAT INFORMATION DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THAT TEST? “I think it will just take a little while in order to get a second racing groove built in. You’re just going to have to be smooth and try not to do anything stupid in the early going and hang out a little bit and see what positions you can gain. You’ll just have to try to get good runs on people and pass them on the inside. Really, it’s hard to say how it’s going to play out until we get out there.”

YOU HAVE FOUR TOP-FIVE FINISHES THIS SEASON. WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET OVER THE HUMP AND GET YOUR FIRST WIN? “We’ve had a chance to win several races this year, but for whatever reason, we just haven’t put it all together yet. You’ve got to have all the luck go your way. Hopefully, this weekend or in the next couple of weeks, we can get everything to come together. Everybody says it takes top-10’s to get top-fives, and top-fives to get wins, so we’ve just got to keep doing that, and one day or another it will come around.”

ARE YOU SURPRISED AT HOW QUICKLY YOU AND YOUR CREW CHIEF, LANCE McGREW HAVE GELLED? “Yes, I am a little surprised. Lance and I are getting along really well, and I’m happy that we’re able to do that. It came together really quickly, because we only talked with each other for a few weeks or so before we were off to our first test. Lance is really knowledegable about race cars, and he also knows what he needs to give you as far as coaching during a race, reminding you to take care of your tires and not to use up your equipment. He’s also been really helping me out on his thinking as to how he wants to set up the car. He’s a laidback guy, but he’s intense when it comes to racing. He’s been awesome to work with, and I learn from him every day.” THE GUYS AROUND YOU IN THE POINTS STANDINGS ARE ALL VETERANS. HOW DO YOU THINK THEY PERCEIVE THE SUCCESS YOU’VE HAD SO FAR? “I think they know I’m in great equipment, and I’m sure some of them think that’s the only reason we’re where we are in points, but somebody still has to drive the car. The whole team works together so well that we’re able to get these results, and it’s just a matter of trying to go out there and race with the veterans and not make rookie mistakes and wreck myself or other cars like some rookies do.”

Q&A WITH CREW CHIEF LANCE MCGREW

HOW DID YOUR TEST SESSION AT RICHMOND GO? “The track was really green and didn’t have much rubber on it. I’m glad we got to test there with our Cup teams and get some rubber down on the racetrack so it would be relatively close to the conditions we’ll start with when we go back there. The track was pretty slick and it’s super smooth, and the repave job seems to be really nice.”

DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE TWO RACING GROOVES BY FRIDAY NIGHT’S RACE? “Yeah, I feel like there will be, just because there will have been so many cars on track before we race. There were six or seven cars testing the day we were there (May 6), and equally as many, if not more, the next day. Plus, we’ve got all the Busch practice, Cup practice and everything else to go when we go back. There will be a lot of cars going around that track before we get to race on it.”

STATS & FUN FACTS

CHASSIS INFORMATION- Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 273- This weekend’s event marks the second time this chassis will be used in 2004, following a sixth-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway in April. Brian Vickers drove this chassis to a win at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August, 2003.

DID YOU KNOW? –