Winn-Dixie 250 pres. by PepsiCo. - Kyle Busch Notes

KYLE BUSCH
NO. 5 LOWE’S / SPECTRACIDE CHEVROLET
DAYTONA PREVIEW

Kyle Busch makes his fifth appearance in the No. 5 Lowe’s / Spectracide Chevrolet Friday night in the Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The last time Kyle drove the No. 5 he visited Victory Lane at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May. Kyle hopes to break his recent run of bad luck at restrictor plate races.

Q&A WITH DRIVER KYLE BUSCH:

You’re not a big fan of the restrictor-plate racing, are you? “Well, I might like it better if I didn’t end up in ‘The Big One’ most of the time. I haven’t had a lot of luck at Daytona or Talladega in Busch or Cup this year. We got wrecked in the Cup car at both places, and I got wrecked in the Busch car at Talladega, too. We at least managed to finish the Busch race here in February on the lead lap, but a couple of problems kept us from finishing well. I mean, (restrictor-plate racing) is fun in some ways, but I’d like it a lot better if I could at least get a top-10. Talk to me after this weekend. Hopefully, I’ll get good finishes in both races and I’ll have a new perspective on it.”

Does your recent success in the NEXTEL Cup Series (four top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes in his past six Cup races) give you more confidence heading into this weekend’s Busch Series race? “No, not really. I think every driver in the garage is confident in their abilities. You have to be if you’re going to make it in this sport. What I hope those finishes do is to give the other drivers more confidence in racing with me and around me. I’m still kind of new at this, and there are some guys who probably still aren’t sure how I’m going to race them. Every time we get a top-10 or a top-five or run up front, hopefully it demonstrates that maybe I do have some talent and ability, and I’m doing my best not to do anything stupid.

“In my first Busch race at Daytona, I couldn’t get anyone to draft with me. Well, they would for a little while, but then they’d hang me out to dry. I don’t blame them. You never know how a rookie is going to handle himself in the draft. Now that I’ve gotten some restrictor-plate races under my belt and I haven’t wrecked the field in any of them, I’m hoping I’ll have some guys who will stick with me and we can work together to get us up front.”

How much can you learn in a restrictor-plate race? “You can learn a lot about how other drivers are going to react in the draft. You find out who you want to be around and who you want to stay away from. I’ve also learned a lot about side-drafting and how you can use that to get by a guy. I’ve still got a lot to learn about restrictor-plate racing, which is why I’m in the Busch car this weekend. I love the Busch Series and the level of competition you find in this series, but I also can always use more seat time. I can still count my total number of restrictor-plate races on both hands. I’ve still only done eight or nine of these at this point.”

CHASSIS INFORMATION- Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 315- Chassis No. 315 is the same car Kyle Busch qualified on the outside of the front row for the February Busch Series event at Daytona. After being penalized for passing below the yellow line, Busch was credited with a 32nd-place finish in that race. Most recently, Busch qualified eighth with this chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in April, but a huge accident on lap 17 left Busch with a 40th-place finish.

KYLE BUSCH’S HISTORY AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: In his very first race at Daytona, Kyle Busch won the 200-mile ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) event on Feb. 7, 2004. In last year’s February Busch Series event, an overheating engine gave Busch and the No. 5 team their only DNF (Did Not Finish) of the 2004 season. One year ago in this race, Busch started eighth and finished 11th.

In the February Busch race at Daytona, Busch started on the outside of the front row and was running in the top-five before the right-side window insert on his No. 5 entry came loose and fell on the track.

After his team replaced the window, Busch moved from 37th up to 14th position before being penalized for passing below the yellow line. Busch and the No. 5 team were credited with a 32nd-place finish.

In his lone Daytona NEXTEL Cup start, Busch was caught up in an early accident and finished 38th in this year’s Daytona 500.

KYLE’S 2005 BUSCH SEASON

No. 5 - In his previous starts in the No. 5, Busch finished 32nd at Daytona International Speedway in February, 11th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, 40th at Talladega Superspeedway in April, and won at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May.

No. 57 - Busch has also driven the No. 57 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in two Busch events this season, finishing 23rd at Richmond International Raceway and 36th at Dover International Speedway.

STATS & FACTS

Rick Hendrick, owner of the No. 5 Lowe’s / Spectracide entry, now sits 25th in the NASCAR Busch Series owners’ points standings after 17 events of the 35-race season.

The No. 5 Team Lowe’s Racing Chevy will carry the Spectracide logo on its quarter panels this weekend. Spectracide is a product of Spectrum Brands, a leading manufacturer and marketer of value-oriented consumer lawn and garden products and household insecticides in the United States. Spectracide, Sta-Green and Hitachi Power Tools join returning Lowe’s vendor partners, Briggs & Stratton, Shop Vac and Pella as sponsors of the No. 5 team this season.