CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - Kyle Busch can’t get enough racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also can’t seem to finish on top in the track’s Sprint Cup event.
Busch has won six times here in the Nationwide Series and five times when the trucks race at Charlotte, the last one coming a week ago. Busch has also finished in the top 10 in 10 of the past 11 Sprint Cup races at the 1.5-mile long track. Still, he’s yet to capture the checkered flag in a Cup race.
Busch’s next chance comes Sunday night at the Coca-Cola 600, when he’ll start eighth for the series’ longest race.
Busch doesn’t fully understand the hole in his Charlotte resume of success.
“It’s my favorite race track,” Busch said. “Maybe that’s what it is, just trying too hard. I don’t know.”
Busch has had some dominant cars at Charlotte. In six of the past 10 Sprint Cup races at the speedway, he’s led at least 55 laps. He’s finished second here twice before, in October 2010 after leading 217 laps and then a year later when he led 111 laps.
Busch was third behind Kasey Kahne in last spring’s Coca-Cola 600. He’s had three third-places in the past five Memorial Day weekend races.
“We’ve always had really good speed here,” Busch said. “We’ve been fast the last few times, especially having good runs and being up front, finishing second, finishing third, just not being able to quite have enough when it counts.”
Busch has had his typical strong start to the Sprint Cup season. He’s won at Fontana, Calif., and at Texas and stands eighth overall in the points race. He had the strongest car at Darlington Raceway two weeks ago, leading 265 of the 367 laps. But Busch cut a tire near the end and got passed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth and fell to sixth.
Busch has also raced strongly at Charlotte. Besides the truck victory _ his fifth in eight attempts here _ Busch was third behind Jimmie Johnson in the All-Star race a week ago.
Busch was the first qualifier Thursday night to break the track speed record, a mark that was surpassed seven more times during the session, including by JGR teammate Denny Hamlin, who’ll start on the pole for Saturday’s race.
Busch isn’t concerned about starting on the fourth row, saying in a 600 mile race it’s easier to make up position during long green-flag runs if you have the speed. “The same speed that we had here last week, I feel like we have this week, too,” he said.
Busch hopes that means he’ll be strong at the finish and take the checkered flag in a Sprint Cup race here for the first time. “I think come race time, we’ll be good,” he said.
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