Kyle Busch Won’t Drive In Richmond Nationwide Race; So What’s He Going To Do Instead?

Think about this: When’s the last time Kyle Busch didn’t run a Nationwide Series race that was run on a Sprint Cup companion weekend?

“Probably never, to be honest with you,” Busch replied.

It sounded correct, until Busch’s ace public relations man Bill Janitz reminded the driver – and the media – of one other time – Michigan in 2008, when Joey Logano ran the 18 car instead of Busch.

“That’s the only one I can remember,” Busch said.

Clearly, it doesn’t happen very often. But it’s happening tonight, when Busch will step aside in favor of Kelly Bires, who is driving the 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing at Richmond International Raceway.

When Busch misses a Nationwide race, it’s usually a standalone event where he doesn’t travel back and forth. But when Cup and Nationwide are at the same track? It’s almost unheard of not to have Busch in the race and, much of the time, winning it.

At Michigan that day in 2008, Busch said he went up on the spotters’ stand and listened to the team radio. As for tonight?

“Ask Samantha,” he said.

Busch said going out to dinner with his wife was a possibility, but his veteran experience told him it would be a “pain in the ass” to try and get back into the track after the race was over. You know, traffic patterns and all that.

“You’re better off just staying put,” he said with a smile. “There are strategies to everything. There’s a method to the madness.”

Earlier in the week, Busch said it would be good for everyone that he wasn’t in the race because “it actually might be nice for you (media) guys to have something else to write about.”

“Except I think Carl (Edwards)...is still in it, so maybe not,” he said.

So will Busch sit in the stands? Hang out in his motorhome and watch it on TV? Bring his laptop to the media center and type up a race recap?

No one is sure. But we do know this: It’s going to be weird when Busch isn’t in the 18 car tonight.