Early Race Accident Dampens Busch’s Day at Michigan

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), made contact with the outside SAFER Barrier in turn four on just the fourth lap of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. After spending significant time in the garage for repairs to the right side of his racecar, Busch returned to the track on lap 28. The accident and time in the garage resulted in a disappointing 39th-place finish.

“I felt so good about my car those first few laps running the bottom, but then I was getting hung out on the straightaways,” said Busch, who won the 2011 Pure Michigan 400. “Then I just tried going to the top in (turns) three and four right away, and I got loose all the way through three and four. Every time I touched the gas it wanted to spin out, and finally it was too much gas and not enough save, and I wrecked. I just hate it for these Interstate Batteries guys. I was really optimistic about our car there in the opening laps, and we didn’t get to see what we were capable of.”

While the accident caused him to finish the race 41 laps down, there was a piece of good news for Busch and the Interstate Batteries team as he clinched his spot in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming that Busch attempts to qualify for the final three races before the Chase Grid is set.

Busch’s JGR teammates – Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry, and Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry – finished seventh and 38th, respectively.

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