Kyle Busch says "it certainly is" frustrating to get out-run by Truex

Asked if it was frustrating his Joe Gibbs Racing organization is fighting to get to the level of Martin Truex Jr. this season, Kyle Busch didn’t mince words: “Yes, it certainly is.”

It’s understandable. Busch and his three JGR teammates in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suarez – have yet to earn a points-paying win this season.

Meanwhile, Truex – whose Furniture Row Racing team utilizes JGR chassis and technical information – has three wins, is the series points leader and one of the fastest cars this season.

“Each week, we go to the race track hoping that we have prepared the best possible car we can, that it is the No. 1 car, that it is going to be half a second faster than the field, but in all reality when you get out there and you get to the race track, you know, your (expectations) kind of get slapped in the face a little bit, you know?” Busch said.

“So, we’ve just got to mind our own business and do what we’re doing and hopefully we can continue to evolve and get better. I feel like our set-ups are really close. The thing that’s most frustrating is when your car balance is okay, but your speed is off.”

Busch, who is still in the 16-driver playoff field on points even without a victory, said when a car has speed but the balance is off, there are things his crew chief, Dave Rogers, can do to make adjustments to the car.

When the balance on the car is good but it has a lack of speed, the options for fixes become much more difficult to come by.

“Right now … it’s just that’s as fast as I can make it go. It won’t go any faster, so we’re just limited a little bit and we’ve just got to continue to work on speed and see what we’re missing,” he said.

Why the No. 78 is superior

“Obviously it’s the biggest question of the universe right now probably which is why the No. 78 is outperforming the ‘house’ cars, so we’re just as confused and disgruntled by it as probably others.”

Asked if he had a theory as to where the performance difference was coming from, Busch said, “I don’t have a theory. I wish I had a theory. I’ve had probably 10 theories since they’ve joined us and none of them are true, so I’m done with theories.”

Truex, who dominated last weekend’s race at Kentucky, has been fast again this weekend at New Hampshire. He earned the pole for Sunday’s Overton’s 301 after Kyle Larson’s qualifying speed was disallowed and he was fastest in Saturday’s first Cup practice.

Busch’s No. 18 Toyota has shown speed – he will start seventh on Sunday and led final practice – but past success at the track isn’t necessarily a good predictor.

“I think it’s challenging just because the effect of traffic and sometimes not being able to get through traffic as well as you want to and being challenging with the aspect of being able to pass here,” Busch said.

“You know, there are some times where the guys that do have really, really fast race cars can pass and get through traffic okay and get back to the front, but that doesn’t seem to happen year after year.”