Kyle Busch No. 54 Phoenix Nationwide Series Preview

Kyle Busch enters this week’s ServiceMaster 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) event as the returning race winner at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway (PIR). In the spring event Busch captured the pole-qualifying position, led 142 of 200 laps and secured the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 54 team’s first victory of 2013. Prior to this year’s initial win, Busch last secured victory on the one-mile low-banked tri-oval in the spring of 2011 and spring of 2008, in both cases also from the pole-qualifying position.

Historically Busch and the now 11-time Monster Energy team winners, have been successful at PIR in the Nationwide Series. Busch is the track’s youngest pole winner in 2004, at the age of 19 years, six months and four days and holds the record for all-time performer in laps led, 935, poles and wins with five each. The Las Vegas, Nev. native also maintains the track’s Nationwide Series qualifying record set in 2011 at 134.298 mph.

Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Adam Stevens’ success with this team includes two wins back to back, this event in the fall of 2012 with then JGR driver Joey Logano, from the pole-qualifying position, and again in the 2013 spring event with Busch. In total, the company’s four-car Nationwide Series operation has 49 starts at PIR. JGR entries have led 1,205 laps and completed 9,333 of 9,823 (95 percent) laps in those events. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nationwide Series wins at Phoenix total five, with 15 top-five finishes and 31 top-10 finishes. Expectations are therefore high that team, driver and crew chief records will be improved once again. The No. 54 team targets their 12th win of the year and hopes to cut a deficit in the Owner’s Championship points battle, now standing 26 markers behind the No. 22 Penske Ford team.

KBM PR