{"id":63192,"date":"2021-05-11T16:47:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T23:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/?p=63192"},"modified":"2021-05-11T16:47:51","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T23:47:51","slug":"kybu-mixing-it-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/11\/kybu-mixing-it-up\/","title":{"rendered":"KyBu “Mixing” It Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\"Kyle<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A quick peek at the current string of racetracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule leaves no doubt there\u2019s more of a \u201cMix\u201d<\/strong> of different shapes and sizes that have kept competitors in NASCAR\u2019s top series on their toes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the month of April and into May, NASCAR goes from the Virginia short tracks of Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway on to NASCAR\u2019s largest track at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, then to the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, and last weekend to one of NASCAR\u2019s most historic and unique tracks at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through it all, Kyle Busch,<\/strong> driver of the No. 18 M&M\u2019S MIX Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing <\/strong>(JGR), has started to hit his stride as the series heads to yet another unique track this weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway for Sunday\u2019s Drydene 400<\/strong> on the concrete mile oval. The recent mixture of tracks has certainly helped Busch and first-year crew chief Ben Beshore <\/strong>gain a lot of momentum, including their first win together two weekends ago at Kansas, along with a strong third-place finish last weekend at the tricky Darlington egg-shaped oval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the high banks of Dover, affectionately known as the \u201cMonster Mile,\u201d<\/strong> Busch and his M&M\u2019S MIX team have a strong resume with his third career and most recent Cup Series win there coming in October 2017 on a dramatic, late-race pass of Chase Elliott.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his three career wins at Dover, Busch and his M&M\u2019S MIX team have some impressive stats to bolster their confidence this weekend. Along with the wins in NASCAR\u2019s top series, Busch has scored five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins. He\u2019s led 1,213 laps in his previous 32 Cup Series starts there, an average of almost 40 laps led per race. Busch has also scored 13 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s at the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Busch will return to Dover with the M&M\u2019S MIX scheme that went to victory lane at Kansas in its first appearance this season. M&M\u2019S MIX combines three different flavors of M&M\u2019S in one bag. There are two different types: Classic Mix, which features Milk Chocolate, Peanut and Peanut Butter, and the Peanut MIX, which combines Milk Chocolate Peanut, Dark Chocolate Peanut and White Chocolate Peanut. Race fans can pick up M&M\u2019S MIX at local retailers and see the No. 18 M&M\u2019S MIX Camry this weekend at Dover and next weekend at the Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as Busch and his M&M\u2019S MIX team look to \u201cMix\u201d it up at Dover, the two-time Cup Series champion hopes the final outcome nets his second win of the season and fourth Cup Series trip to victory lane on the Delmarva Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S MIX Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it about Dover that seems to suit your style?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to think I was one of the better guys that could run the bottom but, ever since we\u2019ve run there with this body style, you really don\u2019t wrap the bottom as much as you did in years prior to that. It\u2019s kind of moved around and it\u2019s a little bit different and you kind of diamond the corners a bit now, so I feel like that\u2019s a bit easier for the whole field to kind of understand. The tires change every single year, and how the rubber goes down on the track at Dover makes it one of those really big, tire-sensitive tracks where, as the rubber goes down and the grip changes, you search around and try to find other grooves to run in. So there\u2019s a lot going on at Dover that you have to try to figure out. We\u2019ll do our best this weekend to make sense of all that during the race and have another strong run with our M&M\u2019S MIX Toyota.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve had a lot of fans back in the stands in recent races. Dover this weekend is another one where there were no fans last year but they\u2019re welcoming fans back for this race. What does it mean to have more and more fans back each week?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are an entertainment sport and an entertainment business, so having fans in the stands is what it\u2019s all about, having people enjoy pulling for their favorite driver, whoever that may be. It\u2019s important to have that comradery between the athletes and the fans. The last several weekends, at Talladega the infield was jamming, we had a great crowd and great weather on Mother\u2019s Day at Darlington. They\u2019ve been able to get to the sell-out most places as far as what each state allows, so we\u2019ll look forward to having those folks back in the stands this weekend at Dover, as well. NASCAR has been doing a good job of getting more fans back in the stands and also keeping people safe, and I\u2019m looking forward to more and more fans coming back to the track going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now heading into the 13th race of the season with your crew chief Ben Beshore, how do you think you are meshing as a team?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like we are definitely growing and getting better \u2013 the things we are going to the race track with \u2013 and we come back to the shop after and talk about it, and then we go to the next race we are even better. That\u2019s important and that\u2019s good. I feel like we are able to fine-tune our setups and our cars to get the speed that we need in order to go to the track better prepared the next race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have said that you feel like your team is starting to mesh. How would you assess your team overall right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think things are going good. We\u2019re talking a lot \u2013 Ben (Beshore, crew chief) and myself and the group. We\u2019re clicking a little bit and we\u2019re trying to get everybody on the same page about what I like to feel in the car, how I drive the car, that sort of stuff. We\u2019ll keep working on it each week and I think, the more races we get under our belt, the better we\u2019ll be. We are starting to have our setups closer to what we need right off the truck early in the race and that\u2019s very encouraging because we can stay up there and get more stage points and not have to work all race to get the car where we need it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does Dover rank among your favorite tracks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDover is definitely high up there. It\u2019s one of my favorite racetracks, and how it actually drives, too. Bristol is my favorite with the half-mile concrete racetrack where Dover is a mile concrete track, and there are a lot of similarities in those two places. A lot of things that I\u2019ve been able to learn and do at Dover over the course of my career, we\u2019ve had a lot of wins and strong finishes in every series I\u2019ve run there. Would love nothing more than to figure out the magic stuff that helps get me back to victory lane again there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Event Overview:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Event: Drydene 400<\/strong> (Round 13 of 36)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Time\/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Location: Dover (Del.) International Speedway<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Layout: 1-mile concrete oval<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Laps\/Miles: 400 laps\/400 miles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 120 laps \/ Stage 2: 120 laps \/ Final Stage: 160 laps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf TV\/Radio: FS1 \/ PRN \/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet the No. 18 M&M\u2019S MIX \/ Joe Gibbs Racing Team<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Primary Team Members:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driver: Kyle Busch<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Las Vegas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: York, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car Chief: Nate Bellows<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotter: Tony Hirschman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Front Tire Changer: Blake Houston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Enochville, North Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackman: T.J. Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Salem, Connecticut<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Road Crew Members:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truck Driver: Chris Miko<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Bronx, New York<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truck Driver: Tom McCrimmon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Spicer, Minnesota<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanic\/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notes of Interest:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Recent Dover Success:<\/strong>The Las Vegas native found success at Dover in his first three seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing, as Busch brought home Cup Series wins there in 2008 and 2010. Busch went seven years without a victory at Dover from his 2010 win until he made a dramatic late-race pass of Chase Elliott in the 2017 playoff race at Dover. He had nine top-five finishes between his Dover victories and has had many strong runs at the concrete mile oval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf All in the Stats:<\/strong>Busch has three wins, 13 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s and has led a total of 1,213 laps in 32 career Cup Series starts at Dover. Busch\u2019s average Dover finish is 13.8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Looking for (more than) One:<\/strong> After leading nine laps early at Darlington last weekend, Busch is just 11 laps shy of leading 18,000 laps in NASCAR\u2019s top series. At least 11 laps led this weekend at Dover will help Busch eclipse the 18,000-laps-led mark. Busch has the most laps led among active drivers as his next-closest active competitor \u2013 Kevin Harvick \u2013 has led 15,604 laps led in his career at Dover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf 216 and Counting: <\/strong>Busch will be aiming to add to his record 216 overall wins among NASCAR\u2019s top three series this weekend at Dover. Busch has 58 Cup Series wins, 97 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series. Most recently, he swept the Truck Series and Cup Series races at Kansas two weekends ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf In the Loop: <\/strong>Busch leads all active drivers in several statistical categories at Dover, including quality passes, laps in the top-15, and driver rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A quick peek at the current string of racetracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule leaves no doubt there\u2019s more of a \u201cMix\u201d of different shapes and sizes that have … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":63193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2345,2346,2342,1443],"tags":[583,5489,55],"class_list":["post-63192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cup-press-release","category-cup-preview","category-cup-series","category-nascar","tag-dover-international-speedway","tag-drydene-400","tag-joe-gibbs-racing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pyPEW-gre","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/49050941603_c18a42fc5a_w.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63195,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63192\/revisions\/63195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/workingonmyredneck.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}