Connecticut Post (Sunday)

Busch has few obstacles

-

LONG POND, Pa. — Kyle Busch spent the week in New York City with his family, hitting the town and taking in the sights like any other tourist. His wife wore a Yankees cap as they caught a baseball game and the couple attended a theater production of “Sleep No More.”

The outings seemed fitting: Busch is enjoying his time leading the points standing while he gives the rest of the field a few restless nights.

Busch and Kevin Harvick have turned NASCAR into a two- driver show — they’ve won nine of 13 races — and the rest of the drivers are simply playing catch- up to the former champions.

The 33- year- old Busch, the 2015 Cup champ, is on course for a career year.

His four wins are four shy of matching his career best in 2008, he has three poles and eight top- five finishes, and he has racked up so many playoff points ( 25) that he could seemingly waltz into Homestead in the season finale and race for the title.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star is coming off a sensationa­l effort in the No. 18 Toyota at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He won the pole for the Coca- Cola 600, won all four stages, led 377 of 400 laps and became the only driver in NASCAR’s modern era to win a points race on every track on the schedule.

Busch won the second Pocono race last season and then romped at Charlotte to knock the last two winless tracks off his resume.

“It’s just something that has never been done, and it’s hard to find things that have never been done in this sport,” Busch said. “It’s been around for a long, long time. So it’s very meaningful and special and something that I’ve kind of strived for.”

Busch has been special in the sport since he won two races driving for Rick Hendrick in 2005 and has at least one victory every season of his career, including at least four each from 2015 to the present.

 ?? Derik Hamilton / Associated Press ?? Kyle Busch is enjoying his time leading the points standing while he gives the rest of the field a few restless nights.
Derik Hamilton / Associated Press Kyle Busch is enjoying his time leading the points standing while he gives the rest of the field a few restless nights.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States