Busch led 185 laps and caught a huge break before surviving a final restart to win Friday’s 300-mile NASCAR Xfinity Series race for his first victory on the 1.5 mile tri-oval since 2004. This was the event previous year that NASCAR experimented with the direction of lower downforce aero rules and it produced one of the best races of the season.
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It was a race Kyle Busch won with a dramatic run around the outside lane at Kentucky Speedway.
What will happen on Saturday night at Kentucky?. Hamlin, Edwards and Kyle Busch will represent Joe Gibbs Racing.
Running the race at night under cooler temperatures should also increase the speeds and the cars should slide around more than they’re used to at Kentucky.
After claiming the pole with a speed of 187.318 miles per hour, Busch set his own groove and pace on the resurfaced, reconfigured track and had all the grip he needed after a full day of Cup practice. “If we’re able to get it to where they’ll be racing side by side, then we go to the Xfinity race and all those laps will be very, very helpful so that by the time we get to the Sprint Cup race, (drivers) should have a high degree of confidence”.
Edwards cautions that Kentucky’s new look and feel might offset past performance. Keselowski has an average finish of 9.6, only missing finishing in the top ten one time in the five races at the track. Brad Keselowski finished second in the All-Star Race and fourth at MI. Austin Dillon was 2nd with Daniel Suarez rounding out the top-3. But with all of the changes that have come to Kentucky Speedway, plus the aerodynamic setup and tire changes, this race is open to whoever wants it. “Not only that – it’s just good for me to be prepared when I get in that Cup auto to be ready to go”. “So, I think that was a great move, a real smart move”.
Harvick thinks his steady results will translate into victories.
“I would say the approach is to take all of the Kentucky notes and run them through the shredder and start from scratch because what’s worked here in the past isn’t even close to what’s gonna work here this weekend”, Keselowski said”.
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“I thought the new aero package would open it up previous year”, Simendinger said, “but lo and behold Keselowski and Busch were there and I suspect it might be that way again because their organizations have been so good”.
