A hard crash minutes into practice Saturday morning has forced Kyle Busch to a backup car for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR Kansas 2013: Kyle Busch crashes in practice; will race in a backup car
A hard crash in practice has forced Kyle Busch to a backup car for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Busch lost control of his Toyota entering Turn 1 on the first lap of practice, sliding up and slapping the wall. He sustained significant damage to the rear of his car and pancaked the right side. Busch was uninjured and did not speak to reporters afterward.
It is a costly mistake for Busch, who entered the weekend third in the Sprint Cup standings, 12 points behind Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth. He had qualified 18th, but will have to forfeit his starting position and move to the rear of the grid Sunday. Compounding Busch’s problems, Kansas is a track where passing can be a challenge.
Furthermore, Busch has historically struggled at Kansas. The 1.5-mile oval is the only track on the circuit where he has failed to record a top-five finish and overall, he has just two top-10s in 12 career starts. Busch has also crashed out in his last two Cup races at Kansas.
This wasn’t the only incident in what was an eventful 50-minute practice session.
Moments after the track was cleared for Busch’s accident, his older brother Kurt Busch spun and hit the Turn 2 wall trying to avoid the slowing car of Marcos Ambrose. Kurt Busch will also have to switch to a backup car and move to the rear of the field.
Another incident saw Matt Kenseth spin harmlessly while trying to get up to speed on the apron. His No. 20 car escaped undamaged.
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