Kurt Busch Hopes To Regain His Mastery Of Bristol Motor Speedway In Food City 500

Kurt Busch is accustomed to being the center of attention at Bristol Motor Speedway.The 2004 Sprint Cup champion has posted five wins at BMS, including three in a row from 2003-04. Since the concrete track was resurfaced after the August 2007 race weekend, Busch has been forced to search for his old magic.

By: Allen Gregory | TriCities.com
Published: March 22, 2009

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kurt Busch is accustomed to being the center of attention at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The 2004 Sprint Cup champion has posted five wins at BMS, including three in a row from 2003-04.

Since the concrete track was resurfaced after the August 2007 race weekend, Busch has been forced to search for his old magic.
Busch offered a theory on his struggles during a Friday afternoon press conference.

“I believe it’s the fact that it’s not so cut and dried anymore,” Busch said. “ You had to race the bottom. That’s where you had to get your car to set up and work well.”

Much to the dismay of some hardcore fans, the smoother surface and variable banking at the new-look BMS has put the emphasis on finesse over force.

“Now you can run around anywhere on that racetrack,” Busch said. “It still has some small things that are Bristol, but yet it’s not as tough or as mean as it used to be.
“Maybe I just need to relax a little bit more on the driving style.”

While his brother Kyle has earned most of the headlines the past two seasons, Kurt Busch has been one of the hottest drivers through the first four races of the 2009 Sprint Cup season. He’s currently third in points with three top 10 finishes in four races.
That resumé features a victory in the March 8 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We’re definitely pumped up with how our season has started,” Busch said. “Daytona is one thing. Then to evaluate where you are in the mile-and-a-half is another.
“The third step for this season to get under our belt is short tracks – Bristol and Martinsville. But that’s going to be the big challenge. Nobody knows what to expect because we haven’t had much pre-season testing to help us with the short tracks. “

Though he qualified 32nd for today’s Food City 500, Busch is considered one of the favorites. Busch is tied with Jeff Gordon for the most Bristol wins among active drivers, a stat that provides extra for the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.

“Anytime that you’re mentioned with a four-time champion, it makes you feel good about things,” Busch said. “But you never do the same amount of things as good as Gordon, so if we can beat him on this front, that’s going to be great.
“It’s a head-to-head battle. I think whoever does better out of the two of us will definitely come away with a win or the points lead leaving Bristol.”

The essentials to success at BMS might have changed, but Gordon hopes his experience will pay dividends.

“You have to understand that this is the third different surface that I have been on at this race track,” Gordon said. “I had the opportunity to drive it when it was pavement. Then I remember when they switched over to the concrete and now the new and improved concrete track.

“It takes time to adjust any time they change the surface. But the basics of this race track have always been there. It is fast and high-banked.”

Mark Martin, a sentimental fan favorite will start from the pole today. Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne round out the top five.

Busch hopes a recent test session at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida will help him establish a short-track rhythm today.

“We feel like we’ve got our homework done,” Busch said.

agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544.