Busch Brothers Bring Sibling Rivalry To Trucks

Busch Brothers Bring Sibling Rivalry To Trucks

Hard to believe but Kurt and Kyle Busch, sibling rivals in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, never have faced each other on the race track in the truck series.

They’ll finally do so in Friday night’s Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch will be behind the wheel of his familiar No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, in which his elder sibling finished ninth earlier this month in Michigan. A four-time series winner in Atlanta (and third place a year ago), Busch will make his initial 2012 NCWTS appearance.

Interestingly, Kurt Busch will team with his brother’s previous owner, Atlanta-area resident Billy Ballew, who sold his team at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Ballew and Kyle Busch won 16 times as a team – including the 2005 and 2007-09 Atlanta races. Ballew returns to the series with the No. 51 Chevrolet in association with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing and crew chief Nick Harrison.

“We've been able to race against each other a few times this year in the Nationwide Series, but it's been mostly working together in the tandem draft on the superspeedways,” said Kyle of racing with his older brother. “How exciting would it be to see things come down to a battle of me versus Kurt for the win on Friday night?"

Kurt, the series’ 2000 rookie of the year and a four-time winner, is excited to get back in a truck – especially after having led the most laps at Michigan. 

“The fun factor was definitely through the roof,” he said. “It’s just another element of going out there and having fun.”

‘Intermediate’ Wins Crucial Beginning With Atlanta

Any fears that Timothy Peters had lost his momentum were erased last week at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the NCWTS points leader became the first driver since 1997 to lead every lap of a race. Peters heads to Atlanta with a 17-point lead over chief rival James Buescher.

Momentum is one thing. Success on an intermediate track is another.

Peters has yet to win either at the 1.54-mile Atlanta track or a similar layout. Buescher’s three 2012 victories all have come on the intermediates – Kansas, Kentucky and Chicagoland. Rival Justin Lofton won at 1.5-mile Charlotte earlier in the year.

Beginning with Atlanta, five of the remaining nine races are on intermediate tracks. Being able to win there means picking up bonus points, which virtually all of the contenders believe will be crucial to winning this year’s championship.

“We had to start from the rear of the field at Chicago and I was able to drive all the way up to the lead and eventually finish third with the same Toyota Tundra we'll have at Atlanta," said Peters. "I feel like we're ready to take it to the next level and get that [intermediate] win."

Kligerman, Gale Eye First-Time Winner List

Red Horse Racing claimed its second one-two finish of the season at Bristol with Parker Kligerman following his teammate Peters across the stripe. Is a one-two-three result in the near future? It could happen – especially with the team’s third driver, Todd Bodine, in the mix. Bodine has won 12 times on intermediate tracks. He was the Atlanta winner in 2006.

Kligerman has finished second and fourth since taking over the seat in the No. 7 Toyota. He ranks fifth in the standings, 31 points behind Peters. 

Cale Gale, who picked up his first Keystone Light Pole at Bristol, is another driver to consider as a first-time winner. Sponsored by Atlanta-based Rheem, the Eddie Sharp Racing driver finished sixth at Chicagoland Speedway July 21 for his career-best finish on a 1.5-mile track.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.

 Atlanta winners in the field are Bodine, Busch and 2011 winner Ron Hornaday Jr. The trio has been the series’ most dominant on intermediate tracks. Busch has won 14 times with Bodine and Hornaday counting 12 victories apiece. … NASCAR Drive For Diversity product Kyle Larson, who finished 10th in his NCWTS debut at Kentucky Speedway earlier this summer, returns at Atlanta in Turner Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet. … Ross Chastain’s third-place finish at Bristol was his best in his 18th career NCWTS start. The Alva, Fla., driver ranks third in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points behind Ty Dillon and Gale. … Max Gresham, whose hometown of Griffin, Ga., is a stone’s throw from Atlanta Motor Speedway, will make his first of five starts Friday in Eddie Sharp Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet. … Aric Almirola has been tapped to drive Richie Wauters’ No. 5 Ford this week.