Fighting a loose-handling No. 18 Toyota, Kyle Busch spun off Turn 4 during final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and slid through the infield grass, destroying the front end of his car.
Busch’s team immediately rolled out a backup car, and the driver was quickly up to speed, posting the ninth fastest lap in Happy Hour. But the car change means Busch will have to give up his sixth-place starting position and drop to the rear for the start of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.
“I was just running along, everything was fine, and I was actually feeling pretty good about it,” Busch said. “Just started to get a little free up off of (Turn) 4.
“It started stepping out like it did here in the spring. I over-corrected and hit the wall, so this time around I just kind of made it keep rotating and head down towards the infield.”
Long an outspoken proponent of eliminating infield grass at race tracks, Busch couldn’t resist a sarcastic quip after the accident.
“I think at all these race tracks we need more grass – I think more grass would be beneficial,” Busch said. “I think we should have more grass, and it should be taller.”
Fighting to remain in the top 30 in the series standings and retain his eligibility for the Chase, Busch will have to overcome his recent history at the two-mile track. In his last four starts at MIS, he has finished 31st, 41st, 39th and 43rd.
Note: Martin Truex Jr. was fastest in final practice with a lap at 191.729 mph.
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