THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by tonight's race winner of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. We'll kick it over to media for questions.
Q. I know how bad you've wanted to win this race; has it sunk in at all? The celebration out there, that was memorable, but after getting the Daytona 500, I knew this was absolutely tops on your list.
KURT BUSCH: This is 20 years of agony and defeat and now today with triumph, I don't know if I have any more gas left or if I just filled my tank up to go win every race that I'm going to go race next. This feeling of growing up here and watching the track get built from the desert gravel pit that it was by Richie Clyne and his group and then when Speedway Motorsports came in and bought it, I'm like, man, there's going to be a Cup race there, I hope I can make my way up through Legend cars. And just all the memories, all the memories of everybody, my mom and dad, every Saturday night, all the commitment they gave me and my little brother to make it in racing.
For me it was a hobby. I never knew I'd get this far. A guy named Craig Keough here locally here in Las Vegas, the owner of the Star Nurseries here in Las Vegas took a chance on me and let me run his late model a few times and we won a couple races and started working our way up.
It takes a village to make somebody cut through and make it, and this is my hometown and I have so many people to thank, and I couldn't be more proud and I know that they're very proud right now watching on TV, watching on NBC Sports Network and seeing their hometown boy win at the hometown track.
Q. I knew on normal weekends you would have your friends from Star Nursery, you would have the high school people you grew up with. Is it somewhat bittersweet under the pandemic that that it just wasn't -- I mean, I don't know, it just seems like it would have been a little bit different had there been your hometown crowd there to cheer you on.
KURT BUSCH: They've pierced my heart right now. My memory of everybody, I know they're thinking of me and I know they're celebrating. They're enjoying this just as much as I am. And yes, with empty grandstands, that's tough. The governor couldn't quite help make the right call to get fans in the grandstands, but everything aside, yes, it's a bit empty, but my heart is full. I won at my hometown track after 20-some odd tries.
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