Kyle Busch looking for success for KBM at Watkins Glen

KYLE BUSCH
Looking for Road-Course Success with Own No. 54 Team

Kyle Busch

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - One year ago, Las Vegas native and current Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver Kurt Busch took home victory at the Zippo 200 at The Glen, while younger brother Kyle Busch completed the same event in the fourth position. This year the KBM team owner-driver will make his sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road-course, from the seat of his own Monster Energy machine.

Busch has piloted his new Nationwide Series car 11 times this season, yielding two top-five and three top-10 finishes, but has yet to try his hand on a road-course in the No. 54 Toyota. Earlier this year, the older Busch brother traveled with the KBM team to their first non-oval event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. where they accomplished an eighth-place result, their ninth top-10 finish of the season. The KBM team hopes to improve on that finish, this time working together with their boss.

This week's chassis is the same Camry used in Wisconsin, but with improvements. Crew Chief Mike Beam admits they were 'okay' on their first road-course effort, but acknowledges the team has grown and is ready to master the New York track with the help of their versatile driver-owner Busch.

Kyle Busch, Driver of the No. 54 NASCAR Nationwide Series Monster Energy Camry:

This is the first chance to compete on a road-course in your own car, how do you feel about taking the No. 54 to The Glen?

"Kurt got to drive this car at Road America and had a top-10 with it. I'll get to drive the other road courses on the schedule, this week at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) and next week in Montreal (Can.). I like road-course racing because it changes things up from the norm, making things a little more interesting with the left and right turns. In five Nationwide Series races here I've pulled off a few good runs, but it has been in the Cup Series that I've had more success at 'The Glen' with a win and a pole. I'd like to do well here in the Nationwide car this week and build momentum for us going into the Canada race too."

Mike Beam, Crew Chief of the No. 54 NASCAR Nationwide Series Monster Energy Camry:

Describe how you feel taking car #001 to Watkins Glen with Kyle?

"I look forward to racing 'The Glen' with Kyle. He is a great road racer. We ran this car at Road America and it was okay, but we have really worked hard on some testing of components and shocks to prepare for the next two weekends. So, it should be exciting and hopefully we can get Kyle and Monster Energy a win. Like I always say, we have to limit our mistakes."

Kyle Busch's No. 54 Monster Energy Camry:

Chassis KBM-001: KBM will unload car #001, first raced at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway with team owner Kyle Busch, then at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. with brother Kurt Busch, who yielded an 11th and eighth-place finish respectively. The backup machine is Chassis KBM-002, originally run in Bristol, but now prepared for the Montreal (Can.) road-course event next week.

Source: Kyle Busch Racing