Kyle Busch still bummed after Earnhardt accident at Kansas Speedway
NEW YORK - Dale Earnhardt Jr. left Kyle Busch a message this week, presumably to apologize for wrecking him last week at Kansas Speedway. The two have yet to connect, but it's little consolation to Kyle Busch, anyway.
He was in the thick of the race for the Nextel Cup title before the accident, but now sits sixth in the standings after his 41st-place finish.
"He left me a message, but his number is blocked and he didn't tell me how to get in touch with him," Kyle Busch said. "It's pretty hard to swallow to be totally wrecked like that by the guy who is taking your job next season, and it really hurt us in the Chase. It's done now, nothing you can do, but I don't feel real good about it."
In New York City to unveil sponsor M&M's for his new ride at Joe Gibbs Racing on Wednesday morning, Busch was bustling with anticipation for his fresh start with a new team.
But he couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness over the events of last Sunday. He had a strong car early in the race when Earnhardt came barrelling behind him in an attempt to pass. Earnhardt had a huge run on Busch, and when Kyle Busch didn't move out of his way, he slammed directly into the back of him to send Kyle Busch spiralling down the track.
Kyle Busch then shot back across the track and into the wall in a devastating hit to his title chances. He had started the day just 10 points out of first in the Nextel Cup standings, but now sits 136 out.
"To be wrecked like that just 28 laps into a race is pretty unbelievable," Kyle Busch said. "There's not a doubt in my mind we had a top-three car, and we had it totally taken away from us by another driver. It hurts. It's going to be tough to come back from."
Earnhardt has acknowledged he was at fault for the accident, but aside from a voice mail left early this week, he's yet to speak to Kyle Busch about it.
"I'm really sorry about that - I was running the high line as we came off turn two and he kind of made a move to the inside like he was giving me the high line," Earnhardt said after the race. "I was committed to my line, so when he came up, I was there and was hard into him before I could do anything. I don't blame him for being upset because I ran into him."
Kyle Busch is being let go from Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season as the team makes way for Earnhardt in a decision that was announced in June. But Kyle Busch remained committed to his No. 5 team despite the impending breakup, and they are a legitimate title contender.
Earnhardt, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the Chase in his final season driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
New boss Rick Hendrick said Earnhardt called him during a lengthy rain delay in Sunday's race to discuss the accident.
"He said he was sorry, and that he never did it to wreck him," Hendrick said. "He thought he was going one way and he said 'I just had so much momentum, I couldn't stop.'
"I hate what happened, it was just one of those racing deals, and it does make it a little bit tougher because it was with Junior.'
Kyle Busch can't afford to harbour a grudge about it, though. With just seven races left to decide the championship, he's got to focus on putting together a comeback if he's to have a shot at winning the title.
He thought he was a serious contender last year, but wrecked in the Chase-opening race and left New Hampshire 10th in the points. He never recovered and finished last in the Chase standings.
That experience left him discouraged on Sunday after the accident, but as Chase contenders later struggled in the race, he was able to leave Kansas with some hope that he can recover.
"When the accident first happened, I figured we were done, there was no way we could climb back in it," Kyle Busch said. "But as those other guys started to have trouble, we didn't fall as far back as we probably were going to. So now it looks like we've still got a chance.
"It's going to be awfully hard, and we'll really need some of the guys in front of us to have a bad race or two. But I feel a lot better about it now then I did right after it happened."
His next chance to salvage his title hopes comes this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, where Kyle Busch doesn't believe he's ever had a clean race. He scored a career-best finish of 11th last season, but has also had an engine failure and two accidents - including a hard hit there this spring.
"I don't have a good track record there, at all," he said. "I can't think of a single race that's been good for us. But if we're going to get back in this, then I need to turn it around at Talladega starting this weekend."
See more at http://canadianpress.google.com
