Kyle Busch keeps hopes alive for late Chase bid

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan.

Kyle Busch stood outside his hauler in the infield at Kansas Speedway this week, wearing shades on an overcast day. Busch looked comfortable, breezily answering questions, even though he acknowledges the stress that weighs on him.

This is supposed to be the year he finally wins a Cup title.

He’s married now and has mellowed slightly, showing more maturity on and off the track. He’s won four more times to push his career total to 30, and started the Chase as the “top seed.”

But Busch has gotten off to a mediocre start through three races coming into Kansas, where his season has gone bust his last few title runs. He’s eighth entering today’s race in the tightly bunched Chase standings, 15 points off co-leaders Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.

“There’s 43 guys out here every week that if they don’t win, they didn’t meet the potential they wanted to,” Busch said before qualifying third for today’s race.

“There’s been times we won races and we didn’t feel like we reached everything we needed to reach,” Busch said. “It’s high pressure, it’s high stakes. There’s a lot on the line and this is a performance business, and you’ve certainly got to make the most of it. We’re trying every week.”

It just hasn’t been quite good enough.

The 26-year-old Busch started the Chase with a 26th-place run at Chicago and finished 11th at New Hampshire before a sixth-place run last weekend at Dover restored some confidence.

He had hoped to get off to a better start, knowing Kansas Speedway is rarely kind to him.

Busch came to the 11/2-mile tri-oval just 10 points out of the Chase lead in 2007, his final year with Hendrick Motorsports, when he got tangled up with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Last year, Busch was sitting third in the standings when he spun David Reutimann early in the race. Busch called it unintentional contact, but it didn’t sit well with Reutimann. He got payback with 122 laps left when Busch was running seventh, hitting the outside of his car and forcing him into the wall. Busch finished 21st in the race and dropped all the way to seventh in the standings.

He’ll roll off alongside Matt Kenseth, who is just ahead of him in seventh in the Chase, with two-time Kansas winner Greg Biffle and Chase co-leader Edwards on the front row.

While Busch would be pleased to leave one of his least-favorite tracks with a decent finish, Edwards will be content with nothing short of a victory.

The native of Columbia, Mo., had a chance to take the solo lead in the Chase last week at Dover, but a pit road speeding penalty cost him an opportunity at a victory.He was furious with himself over the mental mistake, promising to his team over the radio that he would win at Kansas.