Rowdy doubles down at Dover

Kyle Busch led twice for 50 laps en route to his second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory this season and second consecutive win at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in NASCAR’s third division. Busch, who started the race from the fifth spot, took the lead for good on lap 169 and held serve on two late restarts to pick up his 32nd career Truck Series victory, third truck win at “The Monster Mile” and his 10th win across NASCAR’s top three divisions in 2013.

 

“This Toyota Care Tundra was awesome today,” said Busch, who picked up his 15th Truck Series win as a driver-owner for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). “Rudy (Ryan Fugle, crew chief) and the guys did a great job making really good adjustments to it and getting it to where it was less evil to drive.  They were evil — all of them were.  Ours was a little bit better there towards the end, for sure. Have to thank ToyotaCare, Flexco, All Metal Fabricators, Monster Energy, all the guys in the shop at KBM and the guys at Joe Gibbs Engines – can’t say enough about everyone that makes it possible to come out here and race in the Camping World Truck Series in front of these fans.” 

 

Busch found his No. 51 Tundra loose handling in the early stages of the race and ran just inside the top five. When the second caution of the race occurred on lap 44, he came down pit road for four tires, fuel and the insertion of a spring rubber.

 

The only multiple-race winner in the Truck Series at Dover took the lap-50 restart from the eighth spot. Despite continuing to battle a loose-handling Toyota, the 28-year-old driver slowly but surely advanced through the field. The boss was chasing down his employee, Darrell Wallace Jr. – who led the first 119 laps – when he surrendered the runner-up position to come down pit road for a regularly-scheduled stop on lap 117.

 

After the completion of a four-tire and fuel stop, KBM’s over-the-wall crew returned Busch to the track ahead of Wallace Jr. when lead-lap trucks’ pit stops had cycled through. Rowdy took the lead for the first time on lap 142 and began to set sail on the field. He had opened up a six-second lead when Fugle asked him to save fuel for several laps. The lead had narrowed to three seconds when the field was slowed for the fourth time on lap 159.

 

When pit road opened, Fugle summoned his No. 51 ToyotaCare Tundra to pit road for a four-tire and fuel stop with a wedge adjustment. The crew had an unusually-lengthy stop and when Busch returned to the track he was scored in the second position for the lap-163 restart.

 

On lap 169, the Las Vegas native worked his way around fellow Toyota driver Matt Crafton to reassume the lead. The second winningest driver in the history of NASCAR’s top three divsions would lead the final 32 laps – holding off Crafton on two late restarts –  en route to his 115th career NASCAR National Series victory.

 

Busch’s victory was the 20th Truck Series victory for KBM, and his 16th as an owner-driver in the series. Crafton finished 1.484 seconds behind in the runner-up position. Second-generation drivers Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott finished third and fourth, respectively, and Brendan Gaughan rounded out the top-five finishers. KBM drivers Joey Coulter (eighth) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (10th) both finished inside the top 10.

 

There were six caution periods for 29 laps. Seven different drivers led, exchanging the lead six times – with KBM’s Toyota pacing the field for a total of 169 of the 200 laps. Ten drivers failed to finish race number six on the 2013 Truck Series schedule.

 

With its second win and fifth top-10 finish of 2013, the No. 51 ToyotaCare Racing team moved up one position to second in the owner’s championship standings after six races. The team heads to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for next Friday’s WinStar World Casino 400. Live Television coverage on SPEED beings at 8:30 p.m. ET with the NCWTS Setup Show. The driver of the No. 51 Tundra for Texas will be officially announced on Monday.

 

KBM PR