KYLE BUSCH
NO. 5 LOWE’S / SHOP-VAC CHEVROLET
DAYTONA PREVIEW

After competing in last weekend’s Budweiser Shootout Nextel Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway, Kyle Busch kicks off a very long season of Busch Series competition in this weekend’s 300-mile race at Daytona. Busch is hoping to contend for championships in both the Busch Series and the Nextel Cup Series by competing in a combined total of 71 NASCAR points events in 2006.

Q&A WITH DRIVER KYLE BUSCH:

ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF COMPETING FULL-TIME IN BOTH THE CUP AND BUSCH SERIES? – “Yes, I’m excited about it. The logistics of getting back and forth between tracks when the Busch Series runs stand alone events is going to be the toughest thing, I think. We’ve got some great folks at Hendrick who are managing all that for me, so all I really need to do is focus on driving the car. I’m sure I’ll be worn out by Homestead, but we plan on having a lot of fun this year.

“When we’re at companion races, the toughest thing is just getting to the right place at the right time. I don’t have a whole lot of time between final Cup practice and driver intro’s for the Busch race on Saturdays, so I just have to debrief with Alan (Gustafson, Busch’s Nextel Cup crew chief) fairly quickly and wolf down some food before I get in the Busch car. It definitely keeps things exciting. I like it. I get bored just sitting around waiting to race, so I’m looking forward to having a full plate all year.”

YOU WERE IN THE TOP-FIVE IN ALL BUT ONE OF THE SESSIONS DURING PRESEASON TESTING AT DAYTONA. HOW MUCH DOES THAT HELP YOUR CONFIDENCE? – “Well, that’s awesome that we did so well, but you can’t look at it and predict how you’re going to do in a restrictor-place race here at all. When you’re top-five in testing at Las Vegas or Lowe’s Motor Speedway, it sure makes you think you can get a good finish.

“At Daytona and Talladega, it’s just such a ‘luck of the draw’ thing. I always seem to qualify pretty well, but other than an ARCA win, I don’t have a top-10 here. I’m looking forward to the day I come out of here with a top-five. My luck’s got to change at some point at this place. I’m hoping this weekend starts a new trend.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO CONTEND FOR THE BUSCH SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP? – “It’s very important to me. After all, it’s called the ‘Busch’ Series, right? I really want to win a championship in this series, for myself of course, but also for Lowe’s and especially Mr. Hendrick. You know, we were in the hunt right up until the end of the season back in 2004, but a couple of mistakes here and there cost us a chance.

“I don’t think anyone really expected us to be as strong as we were, just because I was a rookie driver, but I think we surprised some people. Lance (McGrew, Busch’s crew chief in 2004) and the team were really firing on all cylinders coming off of winning the championship with Brian (Vickers) the year before, so that really made things a lot easier on me.

“Now that I’ve gotten more experience on the track and I have a better idea of how to deal with things off the track, I think we’ll be in a lot better position to maybe win the championship this year. Chad Walter is an amazingly talented crew chief, and he’s gone through our team from top to bottom and made sure we have the right people in the right positions to make us contenders. I’m hoping for big things this year.

“As long as the weather cooperates and we don’t have to miss a Busch start because of rain or something like that, I think we’ll be fine.”

CHASSIS INFORMATION- Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 315- Chassis No. 315 is the same car Kyle Busch qualified on the outside of the front row in this race one year ago. After being penalized for passing below the yellow line, Busch was credited with a 32nd-place finish.

Busch qualified eighth with this chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in April, 2005, but a huge accident on lap 17 left him with a 40th-place finish.

In the July, 2005, Busch Series race at Daytona, Busch qualified seventh with this chassis. Running three-wide, Busch was involved in an incident on lap 13, damaging the nose of his car. Busch finished the race in 27th position, two laps down.

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 the February Busch Series event that year, an overheating engine gave Busch and the No. 5 team the only DNF the team suffered that season. In July, 2004, Busch started eighth and finished 11th in the No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet.

Last February, Busch started on the outside of the front row in the Busch Series race 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 July of last year, Busch qualified seventh, but was involved in an incident just 13 laps into the race that damaged the nose of his No. 5 Chevy. Busch finished 27th, two laps down to the leaders.

In the 2005 Daytona 500, Busch was caught up in an early accident and finished 38th in the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet. In the July, 2005, Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race, Busch qualified 32nd and finished 31st.

SPONSORS
The No. 5 Team Lowe’s Racing Chevy will carry the Shop-Vac logo on its quarter panels this weekend. Shop-Vac is the recognized world leader in wet/dry vacs. Along with Lowe’s, Shop-Vac is sharing sponsorship of the No. 5 with Spectracide, Sta-Green, Hitachi Power Tools, Pella and Kobalt Tools this season.