Busch’s fiancée faces ‘a challenge’

NASCAR bad-boy Kyle Busch just might have found the perfect match in fiancée Samantha Sarcinella.

They met in August 2007 at the famed Brickyard, home of the Indianapolis 500.

Sarcinella, 23, has a degree in psychology from Purdue.

And Busch admits to being a handful.

Maybe she loves a challenge, I offered.

"I am a challenge," said Busch, during their appearance Friday night at Boys Town, where he catered a Mexican dinner for the kids and handed out 75 tickets to NASCAR races this weekend.

They had just come from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he qualified fifth for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. He is the defending champion.

Busch, 24, might be a little rough around the edges as far as his detractors are concerned, but he was the perfect gentleman the night of the proposal.

They were at the Daytona 500 earlier this month and he considered proposing in Victory Lane.

"But I wasn't sure I was going to win and I wanted to get it out of the way before the season started."

He not only designed the vintage-style engagement ring but he got down on one knee to pop the question on the first night they had their new motor home.

"Our motor home is like our home away from home. She helped me build and design, it so it's kind of our first home together."

They are planning to get married in January.

He was making an appearance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the day they met. She was working as a promotions girl who handed out brochures.

While they were hanging out, he got her telephone number and they spent the next four months staying in touch by telephone.

"We waited for the season to wind down a little bit. Once we got to that point we decided to meet up and go out."

Their first date? "She came to Texas for one of my races and we went out to T.G.I. Friday's."

The relationship, he admits, has tamed him down, "a little bit."

"I've never been more of the positive-type thinker. I've been more of the realistic- type thinker. She's made me communicate a little bit more with people, fans, sponsors to have a better relationship with a lot of other people, my crew and stuff, so all around it's been really good."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Lindsay Lohan has canceled out of her appearance tonight at Pure nightclub, according to a club rep. ...

Jay Leno's image may have taken a pounding for replacing Conan O'Brien on "The Tonight Show," but he isn't ducking the issue. During an interview Friday on KMXB-94.1 with Mark and Mercedes in the Morning, Leno was asked whether he deserved the heat. His response: "If a batter strikes out, you shouldn't boo the next batter."

As for Will Ferrell's recent comment that he's in Conan's camp and would probably call in sick if booked on Leno, "It's a tough situation and I like Will a lot," said Leno. "I think Will may be mad at NBC. ... I'd like to think down the road that he'd come back on."

THE PUNCH LINE

"Another big storm is on the way to the East Coast. They're expecting up to 30 inches of snow in the next couple days. I'm pretty sure God is punishing us for 'Jersey Shore.'" -- Jimmy Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.