The Busch Brothers, Kurt and Kyle, who are two of the top competitors in the NASCAR Cup series, have teamed up in the Nationwide series to bring home the Owners Championship for 2012. Kyle,26, who two years ago formed Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) to compete in the series, signed his older brother, 33 (and incidentally the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion), to be the alternate driver for the Monster Energy sponsored No. 54Toyåota Camry. Monster Energy signed a long term contract with KBM to be the prime sponsor on the race car.
Kyle Busch, the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion, driving in his second 2012 Nationwide series event, entered the series in Phoenix, Ariz., last weekend with high expectations, but it just wasn’t to be for the hard driving Busch, sometimes referred to as, “The Wild Thing.” The newly re-configured one-mile short-track, where Kyle had done so well in the past, unfortunately wasn’t too kind this time around. The team was also still experiencing a learning curve with each other, as they battled the right car setup throughout the weekend. Busch started Saturday’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 race from the 14th position, and struggled most of the day–at one time getting as high as third during the afternoon, finishing a respectable 11th.
Elliott Sadler won his first Nationwide Series event since 1998, earning his first victory with Richard Childress Racing and car-owner DeLana Harvick. Brad Keselowski followed in the second finishing spot, where he has placed two weeks in a row. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Austin Dillon, and Kevin Harvick completed the top-five finishers. There were three caution periods for 15 laps of the race, along with eight lead changes across five drivers.
Kyle will enter this weekend’s Sam’s Town 300 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as very possibly the favorite to capture the checkered flag. Kurt Busch will sit out this one and the next race in Fontana. He will begin his alternate driving chores with Kyle, on April 13th at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle has previously won on the 1 ½ mile, high banked Las Vegas superspeedway.
NASCAR Weekend at the superspeedway kicks off on Friday, March 9, with Stratosphere Pole Day. The NASCAR Nationwide Series takes center stage on Saturday, March 10, with the annual Sam’s Town 300 at 2 p.m. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400 is scheduled to start at noon on Sunday, March 11.
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The stars of Jersey Boys, will perform a 10-minute medley at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 11, as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400 pre-race show. The hit show chronicles the journey of pop music icons, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, from a 1950s Newark, N.J. doo-wop quartet, to five Billboard Magazine No. 1 hits, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jersey Boys won a Tony Award for Best Musical of 2006, and features such Four Seasons hits as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Dawn.” Jersey Boys are now playing at their new home, the Paris Hotel & Casino, and on Broadway in New York City. The pre-race show is a star-studded affair, beginning with season 10 American Idol contestant and Interscope Records recording artist, Pia Toscano, singing the national anthem prior to the start of the Kobalt Tools 400. Popular television star, Tim Allen (“Home Improvement,” “Last Man Standing”), will give the command to start engines. The United States Air Force Thunderbirds will add to the excitement and spirit of the day with their customary flyover at the close of the national anthem.
Once again, the popular NASCAR Hauler Parade, will thunder up the world-famous Strip to kick off NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas. The 2012 edition of the NASCAR Hauler Parade will begin at 6 p.m. – under the fabulous neon lights of the city– on Thursday, March 8. The colorful 18-wheelers that carry the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars and equipment to the tracks will be staged throughout the day at the South Point Hotel & Casino on Las Vegas Blvd. South. The parade will begin from the iconic, “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign at 6 p.m. The haulers will move north on Las Vegas Blvd., and proceed approximately five miles to Sahara Avenue to enter Interstate 15 North to complete the journey to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The speedway expects 50 haulers to take part in the parade, which will conclude with the 18-wheelers arriving at LVMS in preparation for the March 11 Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Race fans will be able to watch the hauler parade from both sides of the Strip and from any of the properties along Las Vegas Boulevard.
Well, gang, that’s about it for this week. I’m outa here!