Kyle Busch No. 54 NNS Advance Richmond, Va.

Friday night the No. 54 Monster Energy team looks to renew momentum for a winning race season going into week eight at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR). Two victories into the NASCAR Nationwide Series 2014 year, the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team and owner J.D. Gibbs hold first place in the series’ Owner’s Championship points, by 17 over Roger Penske’s No. 22 entry. This week they look to extend that lead, with what they hope will be their third season victory and add to the already all-top-five finishes this year

Last year Kyle Busch and the No. 54 Monster Energy team placed third in the spring Friday-night RIR event. It was their sixth top-three finish in six starts with the JGR NNS crew to begin the 2013 season. The result came from a second-place qualifying effort and through changing car and track conditions Busch talked about his Camry as both “snug and snappy.” The then 27-year-old’s 251st career start in the series brought his 135th top-five and 169th top-10 finish.

Busch, now, will tackle the Virginia short-track driving the same Monster Energy colors. He’s no stranger to success on the .75-mile oval, recording eight total wins across the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. His first series win on the Virginia track came from the pole-qualifying position, in 2004. In NASCAR’s premiere Series Busch is the 2012 winner of this spring event and of all four early-season events between 2009 and 2012 at Richmond. Likewise in the Nationwide Series, Busch has posted four victories in the 2009 and 2004 spring events and the 2011 and 2007 fall events. Busch has led a total of 1,721 laps at RIR, boasting 4 poles, 23 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.

KBM PR