Kyle Busch overcame a Lap 3 encounter with the Turn 6 tire barrier to score a top five finish in Chicago. (Photo: Kevin Bowman | The Podium Finish)
CHICAGO – After a rough start in Sunday’s Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course, Kyle Busch put on quite the show with a determined drive.
When Round 18 of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season was underway, drivers fought for grip around the damp streets of “The Windy City.” While Aric Almirola spun off the get go, Noah Gragson, Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski tangled in Turn 6 by the tire barrier.
Despite the eventful opening two laps, Busch bided his time in his No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. However, Busch crashed into the Turn 6 tire barrier to prompt the race’s first caution on Lap 3.
With some towing help, the two-time Cup champion was able to rejoin the fight with relatively minor cosmetic damage. Considering the hard impact into the Turn 6 tire barrier, the Las Vegas native emerged from the corner like a prized boxer rising back up with just a black eye.
As the streets began to gradually dry throughout the race, Busch slowly fought his way up the leaderboard, placing 33rd in Stage and 30th in Stage 2.
The tide began to turn for Busch and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team heading into Stage 3. Due to darkness approaching sooner than the field’s chances of reaching the originally scheduled 100-lap distance, NASCAR shortened the race to 75 laps.
This forced the hand of many lead lap contenders who had not pitted in the latter portion of Stage 2. Meanwhile, Busch leapfrogged several of his competitors, restarting inside the top 10.
For the first time in the shortened Grant Park 220, Busch had favorable track position. Besides that, he had some luck by his side as he was well ahead of a Lap 50, Turn 11 tangle involving eight drivers such as Kyle Larson, William Byron and Michael McDowell.
Once the race resumed green flag action, Busch kept himself inside the top five running order. Despite lacking race winning speed, he was able to mix it up with those who pitted prior to the first green flag laps of Stage 3, including the No. 91 of Shane van Gisbergen.
All things considered, Busch overcame his frustrating Lap 3, Turn 6 incident with a respectable effort at the 2.14-mile, 12-turn street course, tallying a fifth-place result.
Like those raced around van Gisbergen, Busch was in awe of the New Zealander’s remarkable winning drive. Still, he kept focused on making the best of a race that started in frustrating fashion.
No matter the weather, Busch was not going to let a rainy Sunday deter him from giving it a meaningful go in Chicago. (Photo: Kevin Bowman | The Podium Finish)
“The No. 91 passed me there towards the end of the race,” Busch said. “Just finding a rhythm… I just couldn’t find that middle all day long. So when you see someone else do it, and you’re like ‘I’ll trust him, I’ll do it.’
“We gave everything we had for the 3CHI Chevy. A good top-five finish. Solid run. I wanted more, obviously. I felt like I could’ve got the next two, at least. Just trying to maintain and come home with a good top five at the end.”
Busch’s top five effort proved most impressive especially given the conditions that he and his peers faced on the street course. Namely, those in a northern city like Chicago can appreciate his recollection of driving, much less, racing in damp roadways.
“Just slick,” he said. “Just ice to start. You’re trying to brake as hard as you can, as deep as you can, into these turn; but yet as soft as you can so you don’t lock up tires.
“That was my issue there getting into Turn 6. I just overstepped it a little bit and got the rears locked up. Just could never get it back under control the whole way in. Just was sliding.”
Overall, it was not an instant classic for the future NASCAR Hall of Fame racer. Then again, it was a case of teamwork and a cool head paying off on a Sunday afternoon race near Grant Park.
“I mean we put it in the tire barriers there early in the race,” Busch said. “Didn’t do us any favors. Trying to get all you can in those icy conditions. It was a bit treacherous, but I just got locked up and couldn’t get it back. Just slid off the track into the tires. Thankfully, we didn’t have too much damage. We were able to come in and fix it; get back rolling, get back out there and work on passing some guys.
“Really wasn’t going too far forward, so we were able to pull a different card on strategy being back there, being back in traffic, and just thinking – maybe, just maybe the race would get cut short for darkness. We played that option and it worked in our favor.”
