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| Kyle Busch is 7/1 to win his first All-Star race. |
Are you excited to get the next opportunity to win an All-Star Race this weekend? And, where is the All-Star Race on your list of things you want to accomplish?
“Winning in the Cup Series at Charlotte in general is higher up on the list right now, for sure. But certainly winning the All-Star Race would be very special, too. We’ve been very lucky to check off a lot of things on my list over the last couple of years with the championship in 2015 and wins at the Brickyard 400, Martinsville, Kansas. It’s been quite a ride. I’m looking forward to this weekend, for sure, in our debut with our M&M’S Caramel car. M&M’s worked for several years to develop Caramel, so we’re really excited to help them launch the product this weekend on the racetrack and get fans to the store to buy them and check them out.”
What are your expectations for the All-Star Race?
“I’m looking forward to it. This is always a pretty cool race and it has good atmosphere around it. The crowd gets jacked up and, of course, there is nothing important on the line besides a million bucks. You just go out there and race as hard as you can. You get some practice runs in, get some good practice in and make sure your car feels good to you. And you try to work on your speed, of course, as best you can. Qualifying – that’s certainly going to be interesting again this year. I think, all in all, it’s a fun event. We always enjoy coming to Charlotte and getting these two weeks – with the All-Star Race one of the shortest and most fun events, and then the Coca-Cola 600 with the longest event. It’s kind of two different ends of the spectrum at Charlotte and we’re hoping to finally get a win in the Cup car with our M&M’S Caramel Camry at least once over the next two weekends there.”
What driving style does it take to succeed in the All-Star Race?
“I think just being aggressive and knowing when to be aggressive and how to be aggressive is the biggest thing. It’s a race where you have to get to the front and you have to get out there and get yourself, more importantly, in clean air in order to keep yourself out front and on your own. I know they are making some tweaks to the package and the racing has certainly been good so far this year.”
What does it mean to be a part of the All-Star Race in this sport?
“It matters, especially with who your fellow competitors are. For us, being an all-star and being in the All-Star Race is one of the most fun things we get to do each year. I’d say the Clash is another one of those and, with the All-Star Race, they are certainly two fun races where we get a chance to go after just a win and bring home the checkers or the wrecker. It’s an exciting night and there’s a lot of energy there. Charlotte does a great job. I think it’s an awesome venue for that race. It gives you the opportunity to run that many qualifying laps in a row. That’s all you’re doing – you’re giving it all you’ve got every single lap. You’re definitely up on top of the wheel and your guys do the best they can to give you a good car and to make it as lightweight as possible and throw away the air conditioning unit and keep all the front fans away from you – no radiator fan. All that stuff, just try to lighten that baby up and make it fast.”
What drivers do you think are best suited for the All-Star Race?
“You look at the guys who are really good, who qualify well. I think qualifying well can always lend itself to racing the All-Star Race well because you’re running however many laps that segment is, you’re running that many qualifying laps in a row. You’re just trying to get the most you can out of your car there. It’s sometimes hard to pass because the guy in front of you is trying to get the most out of his car and so are you, so you just can’t get there.”
Notes of Interest: ·
Notes of Interest: ·
* The Monster Energy All-Star Race will mark Kyle Busch’s 11th appearance in the non-points race.
* Busch has career totals of 38 wins, 19 poles, 151 top-five finishes, 224 top-10s and 12,877 laps led in 437 career Cup Series races. His most recent Cup Series win came in July 2016 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when he brought home his second consecutive win at the historic 2.5-mile oval. Busch’s win came from the pole position, his most recent pole and the 19th of his career. ·
* ‘Bring Home the Steering Wheel or the Trophy:’ Busch has led 207 laps in his 11 previous All-Star Race starts at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, with 2011 featuring his best career finish of second in the non-points event.
Top 10 All-Star Driver Ratings
Kyle Busch............................... 101.9
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 96.5
Kyle Larson................................ 93.1
Kurt Busch................................. 88.8
Kevin Harvick............................. 85.7
Joey Logano............................... 85.3
Chase Elliott............................... 83.9
Matt Kenseth.............................. 83.7
Kasey Kahne.............................. 79.3
Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 77.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 Monster Energy All-Star races (12 total).
Top 10 All-Star Driver Ratings
Kyle Busch............................... 101.9
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 96.5
Kyle Larson................................ 93.1
Kurt Busch................................. 88.8
Kevin Harvick............................. 85.7
Joey Logano............................... 85.3
Chase Elliott............................... 83.9
Matt Kenseth.............................. 83.7
Kasey Kahne.............................. 79.3
Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 77.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 Monster Energy All-Star races (12 total).
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