Busch still waiting to make drag-racing debut

[Schwartz Fan]

Kurt Busch still waiting to make drag-racing debut
By MARK LONG (AP) – 18 hours ago

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When Kurt Busch's wife surprised him with a spot in a drag racing school, the NASCAR driver had no idea what he was getting into.

He still doesn't really know, either.

Busch spent two days waiting to make his NHRA debut at the Gatornationals, but heavy rain and flooding forced the sanctioning body to postpone his Sportsman class until Sunday at the earliest.

It was a small setback for Busch, who has grown accustomed to delays in NASCAR. There was the pothole debacle at Daytona International Speedway last month and then he had to drive several extra laps last week to secure a victory in Atlanta.

He has waited considerably longer for this. Two years to be exact.

"Little did I know how serious that we were going to jump into it," Busch said.

Busch's venture began at the U.S. Nationals in 2008, when he watched the event with legendary drag racer Don Prudomme. About the same time, a drag strip was being built near his home in Charlotte.

"I said, 'Well, I've got to have a car,'" Busch said. "They're going to have 'NASCAR Night' and there's going to be nobody out there that's going to beat me on the NASCAR side. That's really the main objective."

Busch certainly could have the car to beat.

He bought a 1970 Dodge Challenger off eBay for $15,000 and started getting into race shape. The street-legal car puts out nearly 1,200 horsepower now.

Busch got it on a track for the first time Monday, when he took it to Rockingham Dragway and made about a dozen passes in preparation for Gainesville — the only NHRA event that coincided with an off weekend for NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.

"We're here and we're enjoying ourselves," Busch said. "It's really neat, the camaraderie with the guys, hanging out in the pit area and just being one of the group. It's just fun hanging out and having an off week and spending time with my guys and just enjoying the weekend."

But Busch is still waiting to get behind the wheel.

He spent much of Friday walking through the garage area, shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures. He also mingled with other drivers and even stood near the starting line with his fingers in his ears for several qualifying runs in other series.

His cell phone kept ringing, too. The caller? NASCAR team owner Roger Penske.

"He keeps checking in, saying, 'How you doing? How are things going? Are you being safe?'" Busch said.

Busch assured his boss there's nothing to worry, even though he keeps getting offers to jump in other rides this weekend.

"It's like an Indy driver jumping in a Sprint car or (a NASCAR driver) doing a dirt (racing) like Tony Stewart does all the time," Busch said. "The car owners know that if you've got a driver that wants to go out there and challenge himself in a new world or in something different, he knows he has the best guy behind the wheel of his Cup car."

Busch has some experience, too.

After he got the "bug" to race, his wife sent him to the famed Roy Hill drag racing school.

"When I followed him and learned more about the drag-racing world, I learned that there was quite a bit that I didn't understand," Busch said. "Roy has taken me under his wing, and when you do something wrong, he's the first one to tell you straight to your face. It reminds me a little of how my dad taught me how to drive in the oval ranks."

He teamed up with longtime friend Jesse Walker and started building a competitive car. Although Busch has struggled with his reaction times in practice, he's eager to see what it will do — assuming he gets it on the strip this weekend.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to get behind the wheel," Busch said.

But don't expect this to be a full-time venture anytime soon.

"I still hope I've got 10 or 15 years left on the Cup circuit," he said. "But the fun meter's been pegged and I'm having a great time doing it. Who knows? The opportunity could be out there to do something in NHRA racing later on."



The Associated Press: Kurt Busch still waiting to make drag-racing debut

[Blakr]

Fun is where you find it – again – Busch says

By Brant James - ThatsRacin.com Contributor
Friday, Mar. 12, 2010



GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A very new experience feels awfully familiar to Kurt Busch.

Standing under a tent and over a 1,400-horsepower Pro Stock motor on a rainy Friday afternoon at Gainesville Raceway, the 2004 Sprint Cup champion was talking shop with two generations of racers. He was asking questions and taking pointers on how not to embarrass himself with his new very public hobby of NHRA drag racing.

Busch had spent 10 minutes hunched inside Allen Johnson’s blue dragster soaking in the information, becoming envious of the power advantage it had on the Super Gas Dodge he would attempt to qualify and race sometime this weekend.

Now he, Johnson, and Johnson’s father and engine-builder, Roy, talked stock cars and dragsters. How the elder Johnson was a two-time Sportsman national champion and raced some Late Models in the 1960s. How the younger Johnson raced a few Legends cars, like Busch had when he was first entering motorsports.

Busch doesn’t get those kind of moments in 36 weeks a year as a Sprint Cup driver. His race car this weekend is a modified street car – “that we’re going to have some fun with,” he said – so much so that he plans on registering it to drive – street-legal – in North Carolina.

His crew chief, Jesse Walker, was the best man at his wedding and a drag racing enthusiast and crewman.

“Being there with the guys, the camaraderie, it reminds me of the beginning of time, when I first started out racing,” Busch said, “trailering down here.

"We’ve got the long trailer. Yeah, I’ve got the motor home and we’re staying there; nice, but it’s just the fun atmosphere of the volunteer crew members helping me out.

"At the end of the day we all go to dinner together and have fun and make fun of everybody. The whole experience reminds me exactly of when I started out racing.

"I ran into Tony Schumacher last night at the bar. When’s the last time I had a (beer) on a race weekend? Never. It reminds me of old Southwest Tour racing with my buddies.”

Allen Johnson, a Greenville, Tenn., resident who patrols the pits at Bristol Motor Speedway each time NASCAR visits and claims Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney as friends, said Busch’s association with drag racing “is a good pump in the arm for us.”

Johnson, who shares a sponsor with Busch this weekend, was pleasantly surprised with Busch’s enthusiasm during a dinner at the Gainesville Ale House on Thursday.

Busch admitted his reaction time still needs some improving.

“We sat and had a cold beer and talked about racing,” Johnson said.

“He asked me more questions than I did him. He was like, “I need help. How do you do this?” He was cool. Seemed like a really down-to-earth guy.

"I know a couple of guys over there, and they’re just like us, normal guys.”

Busch’s normal-guy project has included changing valve springs and formulating the modifications – fuel injection, turbo, transmission – to the car with Walker. Inclement weather could move qualifying back as far as Monday before he finally gets to have some fun, however.

So far he’s only made about a dozen practice runs at Rockingham Dragway in preparation for his NHRA debut.

Busch plans to run the car in other events, including jetting back from the Talladega race weekend to make some passes for the taping of a “Pinks: All Out” episode at ZMax Dragway in Charlotte.

Busch hopes to face Sprint Cup driver Greg Biffle, crew chiefs Jimmy Elledge and Jimmy Fennig (who won the 2004 Sprint Cup title with Busch) and outgoing Sprint Cup series director John Darby at an upcoming “NASCAR night” at the dragway. And he expects to rule the event.

Busch couldn’t rule during a live interview from the strip on Friday with legendary drag racer/yapper John Force. But he held his own, even when Force quipped that the married Busch was “single this weekend.”

That should count for something.

Force vetted Busch to a large grandstand of fans over the track PA with “he’s just a good old boy, talking about his hot rods. I like that.”

So does Busch.

Fun is where you find it – again – Busch says | www.thatsracin.com

[Schwartz Fan]

Kurt Busch eliminated in NHRA drag-racing debut


GAINESVILLE, FLA.(AP) —NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has lost his drag-racing debut.

Busch was sent home Sunday in the opening round of eliminations at the NHRA Gatornationals. Busch raced in the Super Gas division of the Sportsman class.

His 1970 Dodge Challenger sputtered shortly after takeoff and covered the 1,000-foot drag strip in 10.10 seconds, a bumper behind Wes Neely’s 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. Busch raced in the 9.90-second division, meaning he was a bit off the projected pace.

Busch, taking advantage off an off week in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, was the event’s star attraction. He spent much of the four-day event shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

He made only two runs: a qualifying pass Sunday morning and the elimination race nearly eight hours later.


Kurt Busch eliminated in NHRA drag-racing debut - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports