Getty Kurt Busch crashed at Pocono Raceway during qualifying.
The driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Camry will have to bounce back from some early issues at Pocono Raceway. Kurt Busch crashed during qualifying, forcing the team to go to a reserve car.
Busch appeared to be in contention for the Busch Light Pole. He posted one of the top five times during the first round of Cup qualifying, advancing to the final round with teammate Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin. Busch went out on his second qualifying lap, but lost control in Turn 3 and crashed hard into the wall.
That collision destroyed the rear of the #45 and forced track crews to tow the Toyota Camry back to the garage. Meanwhile, the 23XI Racing crew immediately headed to the carrier to bring out the safety car. This ensured that Busch would drop to the back of the field for the start of the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 on July 24 instead of starting tenth overall.
Busch will join two other drivers who had to drop to the back after qualifying. Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain both spun during practice and slightly damaged their respective cars. Both teams had to make repairs, which count as unapproved adjustments.
ALL the latest NASCAR news straight to your inbox! Sign up for the Heavy on NASCAR newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on NASCAR newsletter!
Busch has great success at Pocono Raceway
GettyKurt Busch has previous wins at Pocono Raceway.
Busch won’t get the start he wants at Pocono Raceway after his hard crash in qualifying. However, he has shown in the past that he can recover from a difficult starting position. Two examples are the 2002 and 2004 seasons when he started outside the top 20 and finished in the top five.
Busch also has three career wins at the Triangle Triangle. Although he started in a much better place for all three races. Two of his wins (2005 and 2007) came after finishing second on the grid. The third win (2016) came after Busch lined up ninth overall.
Busch has not made it to Victory Lane in 11 races at Pocono Raceway, but will aim to snap that streak on July 24. He’ll line up at the back of the field and have to navigate the competition at a track where he’s led 596 laps and posted 21 top-10 finishes.
The rating indicates that Busch will bounce back
GettyKurt Busch (left) and Bubba Wallace (right) put in fast laps at Pocono Raceway.
Although Busch will start behind the rest of his teammates, he will have 160 laps around the 2.5-mile track to get back to the front. There is no guarantee that it will achieve this goal, but the rating indicates that it will perform well.
Busch posted the fourth fastest lap time during the first round of Group B qualifying. He was one of five Toyota Racing Development drivers to make the final round. Christopher Bell just missed the cut by posting the sixth fastest time in Group B.
Two TRD drivers will lead the field to the green flag on July 24. Denny Hamlin won the Busch Light Pole while Kyle Busch posted the second fastest time. Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr., the other two TRD drivers in the final round, will line up on the fourth row. Bell will round out the Toyota driver lineup as he lines up alongside Aric Almirola on the sixth row.
READ NEXT: The Camping World Truck Series playoff field has been set
Learn more at NASCAR News
Loading more stories