Brothers Busch enjoy being home
Las Vegas natives reminisce about past, those who helped
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Busch brothers grew up racing on the 3/8-mile bullring that now sits in the shadow of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, many miles north of the glittering lights of the Strip.
In a town where precious few residents have deep roots, Kurt and his kid brother, Kyle, grew up in the game on the Vegas track and eventually blossomed into NASCAR stars.
Even after moving away for their racing careers, the Durango High School graduates still get a charge from coming back for today’s annual race.
“Every time I come out here, it reminds me of all the people that helped Kyle and I, especially our dad, Tom,” Kurt Busch said.
“The different late-model teams, modified teams, the Legends car races and all the competitors, the dwarf car days, it’s just fun to come back and to reminisce. Ultimately, you’ve got to strap on the helmet, focus on the task at hand, but it’s always special in Vegas.”
Fans in other cities don’t always embrace the Busch brothers, to put it politely. In Vegas, the hometown guys see their colors and numbers around every corner on autograph-seekers and old friends alike.
“I like the love, the camaraderie, just the overall family-and-friend aspect,” Kurt Busch said. “I mean, walking from Victory Lane, getting the pole, I saw three old crew members and one of the lead track crew safety guys.”
The trip evokes memories for Kurt Busch, who volunteered for the Vegas track safety crew in the 1990s “just so I could be closer to the action.”
Kurt Busch would love to add a bit more success to his happy homecoming: He has yet to win the annual NASCAR race on the Vegas track. Kyle, the defending Sprint Cup Series champion, has just one win, back in 2009, and he missed last season’s race with his broken leg .
Kurt Busch is in position for a big Sunday after winning the pole and setting the track speed record this weekend.
He also claimed the pole last week in Atlanta with a team that has taken full advantage of NASCAR’s new low-downforce package and tire setup.
High winds are expected at the track today ahead of a desert storm. While the rain should miss the racers, wind gusts of 40 mph won’t be surprising during the competition.
“Looking at the forecast, it looks pretty gnarly for the wind,” Kurt Busch said, immediately adding: “That’s a West Coast term, gnarly.”
Joey Logano, who starts up front alongside Kurt Busch, predicts the track will be “dangerous, treacherous for sure.”
XFINITY: Kyle Busch led all but one of the 200 laps Saturday to earn his first career series race at his home track.
Busch scored a Cup victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2009, but was 0-for-11 in his previous starts in NASCAR’s second tier series.
The victory for Busch was his 78th in the Xfinity Series, and second consecutive this season. He also won last weekend at Atlanta.
“It feels really good for as good as this car was,” said Busch. “It was really, really fast. This is 2-for-2 and that’s pretty cool, and to check this one off the box is awesome, too.”