Kyle Busch Captures Third NCTS Win of 2005

Victory Clinches Sixth NCTS Manufacturers Title for Chevrolet Silverado

With Kyle Busch's victory today in the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chevrolet Silverado clinched their sixth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturers Championship.  The title makes a clean sweep for the Bowtie Brand in 2005 NASCAR competition.

The win is Busch's third NCTS victory in 2005 in just eight starts. His record included six top-five and seven top-10 finishes with three races remaining on the schedule.

Kyle Busch, No 15 Earl Small's Harley Davidson/Krud Kutter Silverado, Qualified 5th, Finished 1st: "It was pretty wild there at the end.  I am not sure exactly how I squeezed through it but we did and I saw the hole to make it to the start finish line so I kept going for it.

"The first part of the race was pretty uneventful.  I was battling back and forth there with Mike Skinner having a good time there up. It stayed pretty calm there for a while but then later on in the race everybody started leaning on each other a little and dicing back and forth so it got a little more exciting.

"Then that last lap is one that no one will forget for the rest of the year. It is a shame to see my favorite Chevy Silverado torn up and the guys will have to fix it for Texas.  I am hoping they are able to do that.

"I think that last lap pass by Jack Sprague was a little rough out there.  He knew he didn't have a shot to win because with my fresh tires, I got up to him that quickly and I still had one more corner. There was no way he was going to be able to hold me off for one more corner. I faked going to his inside through the corner which drove him a little bit low and then I was going to go around the outside of him. He got a little bit loose and started sliding up the race track, then he drove up the race track and right into my door. By then it was too late for me to turn back underneath him and to his inside.  I had already committed to the topside; he forced us up into the outside wall.  It bent up a pretty good truck there.  I looked in my mirror and saw all the stuff happening and I saw that there was no one around me, that I was going to come across first and that was all that mattered at that point in time.

"I figured more guys would come with me when we came in for that last stop.  I think there was eight or ten and I thought there would be at least 12 or maybe even 14 of them coming with me down pit road so I was going to restart possibly about fifth or sixth at the worst. I figured some of the guys that were struggling there farther back would come so they could try and come up and get some track position there at the end.  I really did expect more guys to come with.

"I think for tomorrow's Cup race, it will really depend on how many are on the lead lap, how many laps are left in the race.  But since we had one more lap than a green white checkered and I went from ninth to first, I think tomorrow you could see pretty much the same thing.  With the tire allotment there in the Cup series, I think pretty much everyone would come to pit road.  In the Truck Series, we only had one set left.  There were probably some guys that didn't have any left because they used them up in practice is probably why some didn't come.

"I do have to go to the NASCAR trailer because I unplugged my radio before they could tell me they wanted me to go straight to victory lane because of the wreck on the front straight, they didn't want me to do a burn out. But I did a burnout, so I will go and plead my case and whatever happens will happen.

"I will be in the No. 15 for the rest of this season but next year I am committed to Hendrick Motorsports for more Busch races, and that will be my total focus.

"We didn't have any issues with the mandated tire pressures.  And on that last run we ended up bumping them up there because you wanted to make sure you had the tires up there at the last second.  The right rear wore out during the race, not a problem with air pressure, just being hard on it."

Mike Bliss, No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet Silverado, Qualified  26th:  Note: Bliss was involved in a multi-truck accident on lap two. He was transported to the infield care center, examined and released.  The Chevy Trucks Silverado was too severely damaged to continue and retired from the event.

"I am ok.  I have pains but they aren't physical.  It was barely the second lap of the race.  This Xpress Motorsports team really needs a break.  They have had so much bad luck this year. I was looking forward to this race.  We had a really good Chevy Trucks Silverado and thought we could do something with them today in the race.

"I am not sure what happened out there.  I was flat footed headed in to turn one and by the time my spotter said something I saw a truck sliding backwards up the track and I hit it really hard.  I didn't have time to think about what to do, I was there.  Other than that, I just don't know what happened, who started it or anything. Just so disappointing for this team.

"We will just go on to Texas and see if we can change our luck there."

Carl Hand, Catch Can Man For No. 75 Spears Silverado: Note: Hand was injured in an accident on pit road during a caution flag pit stops when he was hit by a competitor leaving pit road.  Hand was transported to Atlanta Medical Center for further evaluation.

Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Chevrolet Econo Lodge/Rodeway Inn All Star Silverado, Qualified 10th, Finished 5th: Note: After pitting under caution on lap 124 for four tires and a splash of fuel.  He rejoined the field in 10th place with four laps to go when the green flag flew.  Labonte was involved in a multi-truck accident coming out of turn four to the checkered flag.  He was examined in the infield medical center and released. 

"We pitted on that last yellow on lap 124 for four tires and a splash of fuel to make a run to the front.  We were running hard toward the front.  The 60 truck got a little loose and I tried to go underneath him. He caught me in the right front and we wrecked.  I spun and hit the wall and then the 50 truck hit us. It was a pretty good hit but I am fine.

"I was going for it, it was the last lap of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race.  Randy Goss and the guys gave me a great truck. I wanted to do all I could to get them the win."

David Starr, No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet Silverado, Qualified 17th, Finished 11th: Starr was involved in a multi-truck accident coming out of turn four to the checkered flag.  He was examined in the infield medical center and released. 

"Some of those guys behind us made great calls coming in for tires on that last caution.  I was just going for it to get as much as I could on the old tires. We were all running wide open and as hard as we could, nobody lifted and when they started wrecking in front of us, the track got blocked and we had no where to go.  We were ok today, not great but ok. I hope we pulled out a decent finish but I hate we wrecked on the last lap but that is NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing."

Ron Hornaday, No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Silverado, Qualified 16th, Finished 21st: "It was just an off day for the GM Goodwrench team.  We started out tight going into the turns and it was loose getting out. We made several adjustments and the truck continued to free up even more. The nose was floating up the track and it was hard to hang onto. Obviously we are pretty upset with the finish, so now we are going to focus on Texas and getting the No. 6 Silverado back out front."

Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado, Qualified 6th, Finished 13th:  "We gained a few points today but we didn't have the kind of performance we would have liked to have had. We just missed the chassis setup and in this NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with the level of competition, you can't afford to be off even a little bit.

"We should have had a better catching up day in the points with Ted having a little off day but we will just regroup and take this Chevrolet Silverado to Texas and give it a run there.

"We are proud that with Kyle's (Busch) win, Chevrolet clinched the Manufacturer Championship in the NCTS.  That gives them the title in all three NASCAR divisions.  That is quite an accomplish and I am thrilled to be a part of it."