Kyle Busch and Monster Energy Overtake Monster Mile in 2014

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Kyle Busch and the No. 54 Monster Energy team pulled away from week 28 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with their sixth win of the season on Saturday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team had high expectations on the concrete track, appropriately named the ‘Monster Mile,’ having been the spring winners there earlier this year. After leading a race-high 101 of 200 laps, Busch then captured the checkered flag, sweeping the 2014 events, his fifth victory in 19 races on the one-mile oval. It was the second time the Monster Energy athlete swept both Dover Nationwide Series events in a year, last accomplishing the feat in 2010. Busch is now recorded as the all-time Dover wins leader, breaking a tie with former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Joey Logano.

Busch qualified in fifth place for the 200-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series event, which wasn’t an indication of how fast the team would be for the race. In Friday’s two practice sessions, the Toyota team struggled to reach the top of the speed charts with a loose-handling car in the turns. The speed would eventually show itself, though, after the race started and Busch worked quickly to pursue the cars ahead of him. The Monster Energy athlete took over third place on lap 32, where he stood when the first event caution-flag waved.

“The car’s not bad, anyone I’m behind though I’m loose,” described Busch to his teammates who facilitated a pit stop to the black and green machine on its first visit to pit road where crew members made adjustments to affect the car’s loose-handling condition. While some teams replenished only two tires during the pit-road sequence, the No. 54 team took on four fresh Goodyear tires, but allowed Busch to remain in third place for the green-flag restart at lap 45.

Lap 58 saw progress as crew chief Adam Stevens relayed lap times to his driver, “Good laps, same as the leaders, you are catching those two.” Busch replied back, “My right-rear and right-front tires are up all over the track,” alluding to rubber buildup that was affected by the K&N Series race that occurred the night before. That didn’t stop Busch from advancing to second place, close to the event’s halfway mark at lap 90. Busch further relayed to his team, “I’m a ‘4’ tight, not sure this track is ever going to free up.”

Then a pit-road visit occurred that helped move Busch into the lead position he sought, when on lap 98 he came to his pit stall and the veteran over-the-wall pit crew members, who have been with Busch for six years, completed a fast pit stop that gave Busch the lead as he exited pit road.

The rest of the race ran pretty smoothly for the No. 54 team. Once they had that lead, the Joe Gibbs Racing unit never looked back and paced the field out front the rest of the afternoon. Busch commented at one point, “The car is real good, really fast and really comfortable.” One more pit stop transpired with 50 laps to go and the team maintained first place after replacing two right-side Goodyear tires and Sunoco Racing fuel. Busch would hold the lead another 50 laps and take his fifth checkered flag of the season.

When asked post-race about the strength of his No. 54 Monster Energy Camry, Busch described, “It was really good — this Monster Energy Toyota was awesome. I can’t say enough about the guys.  We fought, we battled hard on it — I don’t know why I just didn’t quite like what we had going on — it shows up in the race.  I’m happy about that.  Qualifying just doesn’t quite go our way.  Everybody on pit road did a great job today.  Adam Stevens (crew chief) made some really good calls.  Just to get two tires there at the end and stay out front and keep the track position that we had — I felt like that was a good call.  That was important.  We screwed up going the other way on that here before and so that helped us here today.”

When further asked why the team was forced to “tweak” on the car through the race, Busch commented, “Well, even the first half — you know I knew we had a good car and I was kind of biding my time — I was just chilling.  I was trying to pass those guys when I could.  But, the opportunity never really presented itself quick enough I thought.  And, then the second half of the race there when we beat the 22 (Joey Logano) guys off pit road — these guys here they did a great job on that pit stop to be able to do that.  It was good for us to be able to get out front like that — get out in clean air and show what this car had for speed.  This Monster Energy Toyota Camry was awesome.  It was really, really fast.  I can’t say enough about all these guys. Adam Stevens (crew chief) and everybody here on this team — they do a great job for me.  Our race setup is really good, but it doesn’t qualify very well.  I’m always — it’s just a handful in qualifying to say the least.  These guys did a good job though — I’m proud of that.  Really like what we have going on.  It’s good to be back here in victory lane again.”

The No. 54 Monster Energy team owned by J.D. Gibbs maintains second place in the Owner’s Point standings, now trailing the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford by 32 points.

Busch won the event, his 68th NASCAR Nationwide Series win in 291 races. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Elliott Sadler and Justin Boston finished fifth and 12th respectively, with Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Sadler finishing out the top-five spots. There were four caution periods for 23 laps of the race along with four lead changes across four drivers. Busch led one time for 101 laps earning him the 3M Lap Leader Award.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes again on October 4 in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, with television broadcast starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Kyle Busch will make his 22nd start behind the wheel of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Monster Energy Camry.

KBM PR

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