Friday, May 23, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas native to make Busch debut

Kyle Busch guaranteed spot in Saturday's race

By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Kyle Busch, the 18-year-old brother of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch, will compete in Saturday's Carquest Auto Parts 300 Busch Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Photo by Associated Press

Kyle Busch will participate in the biggest qualifying session of his young career today when he takes his first official laps in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Busch, an 18-year-old Durango High School graduate, is ensured a spot in the starting field for Saturday's Carquest Auto Parts 300, based on points his team earned in previous Busch races this year.

Qualifying will begin at 10:30 a.m., with the race scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday.

"I'm excited for it because it's really my first big-time race in NASCAR," Busch said. "It's a neat deal, but with that being said, I'm also looking at it like just another race to get out there and be competitive, knowing the caliber of the competition is going to be that much greater."

Under the tutelage of brother Kurt Busch, a force in the premier Winston Cup Series, and father Tom Busch, Kyle honed his skills on Las Vegas Motor Speedway's short tracks before getting a taste of racing's major leagues two years ago. His stint in the NASCAR Truck Series was cut short after six races when NASCAR raised the minimum age for its touring series drivers from 16 to 18.

Busch has won both of his starts in the ARCA stock-car series since signing with Hendrick Motorsports early this year. He will make his Busch Series debut this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., after turning 18 on May 2.

He will compete in seven Busch races in a car provided by Hendrick teammate Joe Nemechek's NEMCO Motorsports operation. Nemechek has won two Busch races in the same No. 87 Chevy.

"I feel that everybody is going to be looking at me and wanting to see how I'm going to perform in the NASCAR Busch Series after we've had some success in the ARCA Series," Busch said.

Busch, a Las Vegas native now living with his father in the Charlotte area, was to compete in an ARCA race Thursday at Lowe's, but heavy rain washed out all track activities, including Cup qualifying. ...

Cup driver Jerry Nadeau regained consciousness and began speaking again Tuesday, almost three weeks after he crashed in practice at Richmond International Raceway.

Nadeau sustained head, lung, rib and shoulder injuries and is undergoing physical rehabilitation and speech therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, a team official said. ...

NASCAR this week fined crew chief Lee McCall $10,000 for having unapproved weights in Sterling Marlin's No. 40 Dodge during the Cup series' The Winston all-star race. ... Cup officials also confiscated the engine in Dale Jarrett's Ford because the team changed engines at the all-star event without NASCAR's permission.

• OPEN WHEEL -- Kenny Brack was fastest Thursday in the final practice session for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. Brack, the 1999 Indy 500 winner and 1998 Indy Racing League champion, posted a top lap at an average speed of 228.707 mph in his No. 15 Dallara/Honda.

NASCAR stock-car regular Robby Gordon was second fastest, followed by Gil de Ferran, Greg Ray and Scott Dixon.

• DRAG RACING -- Fitted with a brace that immobilizes his neck and upper back, Brandon Bernstein got out of his hospital bed briefly Wednesday and walked around his room. But he remains in pain after fracturing a vertebra when his Top Fuel dragster crashed Sunday in Englishtown, N.J.

Bernstein will miss at least two months in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series. His father, six-time Top Fuel champion Kenny Bernstein, has ended a five-month retirement and will drive Brandon's car beginning with this weekend's NHRA event in Topeka, Kan.

• MISCELLANEOUS -- A special outdoor car show and racing festival will be Sunday at Eldorado Park in North Las Vegas.

Bob & Mike's Birthday Bash is expected to draw about 400 hot rods, street rods and race cars.

Admission is free, and the event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the park, north of Craig Road on Camino El Norte. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. ...

The Fast Lap Indoor Kart Racing facility at 4288 South Polaris St. officially opens today. The 40,000-square-foot facility utilizes go-karts powered by 200cc Honda engines that can produce speeds of up to 35 mph, a representative of the facility said.

For more information, call 736-8113.