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Dan Peters
Sports Editor
Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Oak Park Journal
Forest Park Journal
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July
12, 2008
Happy Driver, Happy Crew, and
Fingers Up for the Wins......
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Dan Peters
Kyle Busch sweeps at Chicagoland Speedway’s
weekend under the lights. “Hail to King Kyle”
by Dan Peters
You can say that tonight’s win was fit for a “King” On a night that
Chicagoland Speedway paid tribute to the “King” Richard Petty in
pre-race ceremonies, It was Kyle Buch that reigned king this night.
Busch notched his second victory of the weekend at Chicagoland Speedway
when he took the checkered flag Saturday night in the Lifelock.com 400,
completing the first-ever weekend sweep at Chicagoland Speedway.
King Richard Petty at pre-race, along with
all 43 drivers paying
tribute to the "King" Richard Petty.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photos by Dan Peters
"This is a dream season, man," Busch said.
Busch, who started the race from the Coors Light Pole, led for the
first 43 laps, fell off the pace and then got back in front on the
121st lap and held it for 80 more laps. Johnson had gone by Busch with
17 laps remaining in the LifeLock.com 400, but on the restart after the
ninth caution, Busch went high on the track at the 1.5-mile tri-oval
and got by Johnson. Busch led for a total of 165 laps at the 1.5-mile
oval.
Busch did admit he caught a huge break when David Gilliland's
Ford began belching clouds of smoke. Creating a cloud of smoke
that spread around the track. "I did surprise myself tonight, yes,"
Busch said. "But without that caution, the race was over. Just judging
by what was in front of me and what I knew at that given point, the
race was over. Jimmie was going to lead us to the checkered flag
without that caution.
"When that caution came out, it kind of changed everything. I was just
trying on that restart, doing whatever I could to get back by him. The
car stuck on the outside. I just drove it for all it was worth and gave
it everything I had."
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photos by Dan Peters
Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson had his best chance to win
at Chicago, but that went up in smoke with the races final caution.
"I thought I had such a good car, I thought I'd get away from him
on the restart. If I could do it over again I'd play more defense on
the restart," Johnson said.
Johnson, the two-time defending Sprint Cup champion, took second and
Kevin Harvick, who entered the race in 13th in points, was third.
"When he was my teammate at Hendrick, I made a few comments that once
he learns how to win, he's going to be really tough to beat," Johnson
said. "And he's figured that out. He used to knock the right side off
the car at least four or five times a night and take himself
out of contention. And he's figured out how to stop doing that.
"I think he's done a lot of maturing from the end of last year, when
it was announced he was going to leave, through the start of this
season. I think the experience of starting over and building new
relationships has really done a lot for him."
Great Pit Crews
Keep Their Teams in the running....Biffle (top), Earnheardt Jr.
(middle) and Gordon (bottom).
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photos by Dan Peters
Greg Biffle, led for 43 laps, finished fourth. Tony Stewart, still
looking for his first win this season, finished fifth. Stewart
announced earlier this week that he would leave Joe Gibbs racing at the
end of the season to become part owner and driver with a team that will
be called Stewart-Haas Racing next season. Kyle Busch is experiencing
a degree of success that few others have enjoyed.
Jeff Gordon knows that feeling and has been here before.
"It's crazy," he said. "You're going along there and you've got a
strong car and a strong team and you're feeling like you're doing a
good job. You're winning races that you feel like you as a team
really worked hard for and earned. But then you start winning races
that you felt like you shouldn't have won and it just kind of boggles
your mind.
"That's kind of the way I've seen those guys. They're strong. They're
very good. They've done a great job. And they've put themselves in
position to win races. Some people have just given the races away. But
for the most part, they've earned everyone of them, and they're tough.
"They're very strong right now. And I think it's everybody's goal out
there to try to break that momentum that they have, especially as we
get closer and closer to the Chase. But nobody's been able to do it
yet. So we'll see."
Too close for comfort, with a near miss in the pits...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Mark Rotor
Gordon had won only four times to this point last year, not seven
like Busch. He went into the Chase facing a points deficit, something
Kyle Busch, with only seven races left until the “Chase”, should avoid,
unless bad luck strikes.
So no, a comparison to Gordon's strong run of last year isn't entirely
accurate. Maybe Gordon's season of 1998. Or the effort turned in 23
years ago by the man they should call “King.”
Racing is no different than any other sport. Just ask Joe Gibbs. Prior
to tonight’s race, Gibbs told the media “One minute you are on
top, the next, you reach the bottom. It can change in a hurry.”
Johnson gets a
little tap from Kyle Busch...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Mark Rotor
Kyle Busch gets
past and crossing the finishing line ahead of all of them...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Mark Rotor
Kyle Busch now leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 262 points and currently has
14 victories this season, spanning NASCAR's three series.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has next weekend off before they head to
Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 27.
Kyle Busch
destroys the competition, the tires and the lawn to win big....
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photos by Mark Rotor
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