Remembering this year’s February Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway event, the No. 54 Monster Energy team unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to battle for the checkered flag, when their day ended early from an engine failure. Five months later the young team is not only eager to finish what they started at season start, on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, but they’ve proven they can take it all the way, already earning six victories and 12 top-five finishes through 15 races this year. The reunited duo of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Kyle Busch has proven to be effective.
Busch has earned two points-race victories over his career on the famed Florida track, notching victories in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2008 and the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2007. Over 41 events raced in all three of NASCAR’s top series at Daytona, Busch has earned 15 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes with no pole-starting positions, but 583 laps led, 272 of those in the Nationwide Series alone, recording Busch as the series leader in laps led.
Joe Gibbs Racing has competed in 54 races in the Nationwide Series at Daytona and posted three wins, 15 top-five finishes, 22 top-10 finishes, five poles and 429 laps led. After securing victories in both 2008 events then recently in 2011, with former driver Joey Logano, the JGR contingency looks forward to another shot at visiting the superspeedway’s famous victory lane – this time with the series’ winningest driver, Busch, their Monster Energy athlete.
JGR/KBM PR
