Catchfence

“Seeking Three-Peat at Chicagoland Speedway”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 13, 2011) – Being a Chicago Bulls fan, Kyle Busch is very familiar with the term three-peat. Busch’s beloved Bulls made the term prevalent in the 90′s after they won three consecutive NBA Championships from 1990 to 1993 and then repeated the feat from 1995 to 1997.

Busch will be looking to make like “Da Bulls” and three-peat as the winner of Friday’s Fast Five 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The 26-year-old has breezed through the competition in each of the first two Truck Series races held in the Windy City. He led 121 of the 154 laps in last year’s race and 79 of the 150 laps in the inaugural Truck Series race at the 1.5-mile D-Shaped oval.

The Bulls three-peat was led by Michael Jordan, viewed by many as one of the most talented players in the history of the NBA, but equally as important to Chicago’s success was the supporting cast of players and coaches the team built around their superstar. Busch, viewed by many as one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR, has assembled a strong supporting cast on the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra team, including two of the most successful crew chiefs in the history of the Truck Series.

General Manager Rick Ren, from Tilton, Ill, is the winningest crew chief in the history of the Truck Series. As a crew chief, Ren led his drivers to 27 wins before moving into a managerial role at Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in 2010. Since moving into his role at KBM, Ren has help guide the team to 14 wins in just 52 races. Crew chief Eric Phillips, from Canton, Ill., is the Truck Series’ active leader in wins with 24 trips to Victory Lane in his career.

Not only does Busch have a strong team behind him, the Las Vegas native will have a strong Toyota Tundra underneath him. The No. 18 Dollar General Racing team will be unloading chassis KBM-4, which has been to Victory Lane seven times in 11 starts since making its debut at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May of 2010. KBM-4 is the same Tundra that Busch drove to victory lane in last year’s Truck Series race at Chicagoland.

Kyle Busch, Driver of the No. 18 Dollar General NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra:

Are you looking forward to racing at Chicago?

“Chicago is a great city, one that I always enjoy when I visit. Chicago fans are very passionate about their sports and with this weekend being the first race of the Chase, I think it will be a great atmosphere. I’m definitely looking forward to not only the racing at Chicago, but all the festivities going on Wednesday and Thursday to promote the start of the Chase. Once all the off-track festivities are over, it will be like any other race weekend and my focus will switch to the action on the track. We had a strong Toyota last year and we’re confident that we can get the Dollar General Tundra back in Victory Lane Friday night.”

Do the track conditions change a lot from day to night at Chicagoland?

“The track conditions at Chicagoland don’t seem to change much from day to night. You gain some grip when the temperatures get cooler, but the balance of your truck remains pretty consistent. At Atlanta, it was really hot during practice, the track was very slick and as practiced progressed we weren’t able to get a feel for the changes we were making. Once you reached a certain point in practice, you were just out there making laps. This weekend, we’ll be able to use the practice time in the morning to make quality laps and really dial in our Dollar General Tundra for the race.”

Eric Phillips, Crew Chief of the No. 18 Dollar General NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota Tundra:

Being from Illinois, is the Chicagoland race one that you look forward to?

“I grew up about two and a half hours from the track and spent a lot of time in the Chicago area, so this is a race I look forward to each year. With Samantha (Busch) being from the area as well, I know this is a race that Kyle and Samantha would like to win. We’ve changed a few things around on our setup since Atlanta and feel like we’re bringing an improved Dollar General Tundra this weekend. We’re putting our best foot forward and ready to get on the track Friday to see the results.”

Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra:

Chassis KBM-4: Since making its debut at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May of 2010, the Tundra has been to Victory Lane seven times in 11 starts, including three times this season (Darlington, Nashville, Kentucky). The Toyota has posted an amazing average finish of 2.0 over its 11 starts. KBM-4 is the same Toyota that Busch drove to victory in last year’s NCWTS race at Chicagoland.

Notes of Interest:

Kyle Busch @ Chicagoland:

- Has won both NCWTS races at Chicagoland (8/28/09 and 8/27/10) and led 200 of the 304 total laps available.

- Ranks first among NCWTS drivers in Driver Rating (148.2), Average Finish (1.0), Laps Led (200), Fastest Laps (88), Laps in the Top 15 (304),

- Fastest Early in Run (169.521 mph), Fastest Late in Run (167.670 mph), Fastest on Restarts (158.957 mph), Green Flag Speed (168.443 mph) and Speed in Traffic (167.728 mph)

- Captured the pole and led 165 laps en route to victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2008 LifeLock.com 400 (7/12/08)

- Two-time winner of the Dollar General 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race (7/11/08 and 7/7/10)

Kyle Busch 2011 Camping World Truck Series:

- In 12 starts this season, has won a series-leading five races (Phoenix, Nashville, Dover, Charlotte, Kentucky) and registered a series-leading nine top-five finishes

- Ranks first among NCWTS drivers in Laps Led (528), Miles Led (592.84), Fastest Laps Run (260), Fastest Early in a Run (3.50 rank), Fastest Late in a Run (3.30 rank) and Green Flag Speed (2.60 rank)

Kyle Busch Camping World Truck Series Career:

- Has won 29.9% of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 48.5%

- 103 All-Time Combined NASCAR National Series wins rank third all-time (Petty 200, Pearson 106)

- Ranks second in NCWTS history in wins (29), fourth in laps led (4,035), tied for sixth in poles (11) and 10th in top fives (57)

- One of 10 drivers in NASCAR history to lead over 20,000 laps among the top three series

- Reached 25th win in NCWTS faster than any driver in the history of NASCAR’s top three series, attaining the milestone in just his 87th career start

- Youngest driver (20 years, 18 days) in NCWTS history to win a race (Quaker Steak & Lube 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on 5/20/05)

- Has at least one NCWTS victory in each of the last seven seasons and multiple victories in each of the last five

- 119.6 career driver rating entering the 2011 season is the highest accumulated by a NCWTS driver since the stat was introduced in 2005

- Average career finish of 7.3 ranks first among active drivers with 10 or more career starts in the NCWTS

Kyle Busch Motorsports and the No. 18 Toyota Tundra:

- Trail KHI’s No. 2 by 36 points in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) owners’ point standings

- Rank first in the NCWTS in wins (6) and laps led (623)

- Crew chief Eric Phillips ranks first among active crew chiefs with 24 career NCWTS wins and General Manager Rick Ren’s 27 wins as a crew chief are the most in the history of the NCWTS

- In 2010 became the first team since the NCWTS originated in 1995 to win the owners’ championship in its inaugural season

“Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” Essay Contest Winner Honors Friend Who Beat Leukemia:

10-year-old Claire Winiarski from Naperville, Ill., was selected the winner of the “Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest for Chicagoland Speedway. Winiarski, per a request in her essay, will use the unique opportunity of having her name on Kyle Busch’s Tundra to honor her friend, Varsha Jayasundar, who recently beat leukemia. Jayasundar’s name and a picture of the two friends together will adorn the area above the passenger side window of the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra for the Fast Five 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, Sept. 16. Both girls will have the opportunity to attend the race compliments of Chicagoland Speedway.

KBM has Already Proven “Eight is Enough”:

With 17 of 25 races completed this season, Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 team trails Kevin Harvick Inc.’s No. 2 team by 36 points in the NCWTS owners’ point standings. With eight races remaining last season, the No. 18 team found themselves trailing Steve Germain’s No. 30 team by 48 points. Over the final eight races, the No. 18 Tundra went to victory lane four times, finished second twice and registered an average finish of 2.8 en route to becoming the first team since the Truck Series originated in 1995 to capture the NCWTS owners’ championship in its inaugural season.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release