Sunday, February 22, 2009

It’s A Busch League Day In NASCAR

On the 21st February 2009, Busch made NASCAR history, becoming the first person in the history of the sport to win races in two of NASCAR's touring series in the same day by winning the San Bernardino County 200 in the afternoon and the Stater Bros 300 in the evening. Here, Kyle celebrates his win in the Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Image Credit: Kyle Busch (2009)

It’s A Busch League Day In NASCAR

Saturday, February 21, 2009 was a very historic day in racing (any racing) at the Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.

Kyle Busch won both events (Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series) held by NASCAR at the track making it the first time any driver has won two races in NASCAR’s three national touring series on the same day.

Busch will go for a weekend sweep today in the Auto Club 500 in the Sprint Cup Series. No driver has won the Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Cup races on the same weekend.

Kyle Busch accept the trophy with his Nationwide Series team for winning the Stater Bros. 300 at the Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: Kyle Busch (2009)

If Kyle Busch does happen to pull of a hat trick (three wins in three races held over the event weekend), NASCAR will just have to be labeled a “Busch League” (at least for the weekend) in the annals of auto sports racing.

This excerpted and edited from the Boston Globe –

Kyle Busch makes history with second win of the day
By David Poole / McClatchy Newspapers - Sunday, February 22, 2009

Day or night, car or truck, it didn’t matter. Nobody could touch Kyle Busch on Saturday at Auto Club Speedway.

Busch finished off an absolutely dominant day with a victory in the Stater Brothers 300, leading 143 of 150 laps for his first Nationwide Series victory of the season.

Busch picked up where he left off in the Truck Series race earlier in the day, which he won after leading 95 of 100 laps.
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"This was just a blast," Busch said. "To win here is special and to win twice in one day is even more special."

The only time Busch was challenged during Saturday evening’s race came after the final pit stop. Greg Biffle’s spin on Lap 128 gave the leaders an opportunity to make those stops under the caution, and Carl Edwards’ crew got him off pit road just ahead of Busch. That put Edwards in front for the restart on Lap 135, just 16 laps from the finish.

Busch had to fight his way past Edwards and fend off Kevin Harvick’s car as well as they battled for the lead for three turns. But coming off Turn 4, Busch’s car was on the outside and he had the momentum_and the lead, again.

He went on to finish off his 22nd Nationwide win. Busch now has won the past two Nationwide and the past two Truck series races held at this 2-mile track. He has led 287 of the past 300 Nationwide Series laps run at Fontana and 146 of the past 200 laps in the Truck Series.

The victory came as Jason Ratcliff returned as crew chief on the No. 18 Toyota owned by Joe Gibbs Racing. Ratcliff finished serving a team-imposed six-month suspension in this year’s first race at Daytona after a rules issue last season.
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

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