(Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
It's been a tough last couple of weeks for the Shrub.
After missing the Chase for the Sprint Cup by just eight points back in Richmond, the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota was penalized 25 owner and driver points, and crew chief Steve Addington was placed on probation for the rest of year and fined $25,000.
“The situation was caused when the left front spring became dislodged," Joe Gibbs Racing said in a statement. "This resulted in the left front corner of the car to be lower and resulted in a change to the car’s handling which had to be compensated for during the race. Consequently, the car measured low during post race inspection.’’
Looking to put all the trouble behind him, Busch and the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota headed into Dover International Speedway... and if Busch was looking to rebound, Dover wasn't the ideal place to do it.
While Shrub does have a Dover victory under his belt, his average Cup finish was 15.3 coming into the weekend.
“I'm always confident we have the car capable of going to Victory Lane,” Busch said before the green flag of the Dover 200 Nationwide race. The No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota practiced in the top ten in both practice sessions, and qualified on pole.
There was no doubt Busch had a right to be confident—he finished the Nationwide Series practice sessions fifth and eighth, respectively. But could he get the car into Victory Lane?
With storms brewing just a few miles away, Rowdy led the field to the green of the Dover 200...with no ability to talk to his crew.
“The radio may not work, but Kyle has been shot out of cannon,” ESPN announcer Marty Reid said, as Busch shot ahead of the pack. Within six laps Busch had built a second lead of second place car Carl Edwards.
Busch hit lap traffic early, jumping to the high side or diving low to put cars down a lap, and by lap 20 laps just 24 cars sat on the lead lap. By lap 42, the Nationwide Series points leader had padded his lead to nearly four seconds.
On lap 56, Busch became just the second driver in Nationwide history to lead 2,000 laps in a season, the first of course being Series great Sam Ard, who did it in 1984 by leading 2,127.
Sixty three laps into the Dover 200 just 15 cars sat on the lead lap as Busch continued on his blistering pace. Erasing the five second lead on lap 82, Busch came down pit road for a 14.1 second four tire stop stop before heading back on track.
Busch cycled back to the lead on lap 91, and would continue to lead—and put cars laps down—by the time the field hit the halfway mark on lap 100.
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