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M&M's Team Finishes 43rd at Pocono
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LONG POND, PA (June 8, 2008) – On the heels of last weekend’s victory at Dover International Speedway, Sprint Cup points leader Kyle Busch looked to continue his season domination at Pocono Raceway. But this weekend, NASCAR’s hottest driver proved that even he isn’t invincible. After his involvement in an early race incident, Busch and the No. 18 M&M’S® Team finished in the 43rd position in Sunday’s Pocono 500.
Busch scored the 10th starting position during Friday’s qualifying session. However, he had to start at the rear of the field after heavy damage to the primary car in Saturday morning’s practice forced the team to go to the back-up car. Though he was required to start at the tail end of the 43-car field, Busch was still very optimistic about his team’s chances for a top-10 finish in the 500-mile endurance event.
Under sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, Busch took the green flag and began his charge to the front of the field. Within 15 laps, the Las Vegas native had placed his No. 18 Toyota in the 35th position, advancing nearly ten positions at a track that is notoriously known for being difficult to pass other drivers.
The first caution of the day, on lap 22 for debris, found Busch bringing his M&M’S entry to pit road to the attention of crew chief Steve Addington and his pit crew. Fighting a tight condition through the center of the turns, Addington called for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments. Busch returned to the track to take the restart in the 28th position and would advance as high as the 17th spot before trouble struck the team on lap 46.
“I saw the 26 (Jamie McMurray) get high, get loose – and thought he faded back further than what he did when the 84 (AJ Allmendinger) passed him,” Busch said following the incident. “I didn't know he was out there still. We broke the mirror trying to adjust it there before the race and couldn't see anything out my right rear quarter panel. So I couldn't clear myself. The spotter didn't say anything so I apologize to McMurray for wrecking their day.”
The M&M’S Team worked feverishly to fix the heavy damage on the No. 18 machine in the garage area as the race continued. Unfortunately once Busch returned to the track on lap 133 he would find himself too many laps behind the next car to advance his position, relegating the team to a 43rd-place result.
Even with Sunday’s on-track difficulties, Busch retains the lead spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points standings by a margin of 21 points over second-place driver Jeff Burton.
Kasey Kahne took the victory from the pole position on Sunday posting his second points win of the season. Kahne’s victory marked the 13th time in the history of the track that the winner started from the pole. Brian Vickers was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in second place. Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Burton rounded out the top five.
Next week Busch and the M&M’S Team look to rebound in the Life Lock 400 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). TNT will provide live television coverage starting at 12:30pm EDT, with the green flag scheduled to wave at 2:00pm EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage of the race.