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 The No. 18 Toyota driver has won the past two NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series races and three of the last four. His three wins in a mere
eight starts since returning from a broken right leg and fractured
left foot rank second in the series to Jimmie Johnson, who has
accumulated four checkered flags in 19 starts.
"It's been cool," Busch said. "I just can't say enough about this
group of guys behind me -- everyone on this team and Adam Stevens
(crew chief) and my pit crew."
Busch will attempt to become the first driver since Johnson in 2007
to take the checkered flag in three consecutive races when he takes
control of the wheel Sunday for the Crown Royal presents the Jeff
Kyle 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m.
ET on NBC Sports Network). In 2007, Johnson won four straight races
during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup en route to his second
career premier series championship.
"I think the biggest thing about the Brickyard is the prestige, the
track's history and quality of racing -- all the historic finishes
it's had over the years, whether it has been IndyCar or NASCAR,"
Busch said. "To me, it's a special place to go to because of its
heritage of being Indianapolis.
"Getting our Skittles Camry to Victory Lane there would be special
for a lot of reasons."
Busch has been strong at Indianapolis, finishing second last season
and in 2012, but he's still searching for his first checkered flag
at the 2.5-mile track. In 10 Brickyard starts, he has posted three
top-five finishes and eight top-10s. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has
been able to produce quality finishes even though he has started
within the top 10 only once at the track known for being hard to
pass.
"If you are back in traffic, it's a little more frustrating because
it can be hard to pass (at Indianapolis)," Busch said. "But, if you
have a fast race car, being able to cut the middle and get down the
long, fast straightaways is important there. We've run well there
the past couple of times. We haven't qualified well, though, and I
think we need to focus on qualifying when we get there; and, if we
can do that, we will be a heck of a lot better off for the race."
DILLON DRIVES FOR INDY REPEAT
Ty Dillon had a day to remember at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last
year, holding off elite drivers Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Kevin
Harvick as his fuel cell neared empty to win his first XFINITY
Series race. Once Dillon got out of his car, he participated in the
historic ritual of "Kissing the Bricks" along with his family
members on the finish line of the 2.5-mile track.
On top of that, as the highest finisher among the four eligible
XFINITY Dash 4 Cash drivers, Dillon earned an extra $100,000.
"It was one of the best moments of my racing career, one that I'll
never forget," Dillon said. "I think the best part of that afternoon
was having my family with me to enjoy the moment. They were all so
excited and happy for our team. It was a great day all around; we
won the race, the Dash 4 Cash bonus and we had a heck of a race
car."
Dillon will drive to defend his Brickyard title Saturday in the
Lilly Diabetes 250 (3:30 p.m. ET on NBC). This time he will not
compete for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. Teammate Brendan Gaughan, Chase
Elliott, Regan Smith and XFINITY Series points leader Chris Buescher
will vie for the $100,000 bonus -- they were the top four finishers
at Dover among eligible drivers.
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"Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of my favorite places to race,
and we as a company have had a lot of success at this track," said
Dillon, who finished third in his Brickyard debut in 2012. "I think
the biggest success factor is we bring the best horsepower to the
race track with ECR Engines under the hood. Last season when we won
the race, the horsepower we had on that final restart put me out
front, and we were able to take the checkered flag."
NASCAR RACE WEEKEND GUIDE
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Race: Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Date and Time: Sunday, July 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 miles (160 laps)
On the Air: NBC Sports Network, 3 p.m. ET, IMS Radio Network,
SiriusXM Ch. 90
What to Watch For: Kyle Busch goes for third straight win. ... Track
wins record holder Jeff Gordon tries to defend 2014 victory at
Brickyard in likely his final start there. ... A track-specific
high-drag rule package will be used at Indianapolis this weekend.
... Both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will
use the superspeedway qualifying format. ... Active drivers who grew
up in Indianapolis have logged eight wins at the Brickyard (Jeff
Gordon five, Tony Stewart two, and Ryan Newman one). ... Chevrolet's
12-race winning streak at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the longest
active string of victories at any track.
NASCAR XFINITY Series
Race: Lilly Diabetes 250
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Date and Time: Saturday, July 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 250 miles (100 laps)
On the Air: NBC, 3 p.m. ET, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM Ch. 90
What to Watch For: The highest finisher among Chris Buescher, Regan
Smith, Brendan Gaughan and Chase Elliott will earn a $100,000 bonus
as part of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash program. ... Ty
Dillon will attempt to win his second straight at the Brickyard. ...
Daniel Suarez looks to extend his three-point lead over Darrell
Wallace Jr. in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race.
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