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The Hot Pass: No place like home for Busch

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Lee Spencer

Lee Spencer is the senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com. She has provided award-winning coverage of auto racing over the last 15 years. Spencer has lent her expertise to both television and radio and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM Radio and the Performance Racing Network.

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Updated Mar 2, 2009 12:07 PM ET
     
 

LAS VEGAS

Kyle Busch offered his family and hometown fans a celebration not soon to be forgotten at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Sunday's Shelby 427. Though Busch was just 11 when the speedway was completed in 1996, the trophy from his native track is one he'll always treasure.

Shelby 427 Highlights

Plaxico Kyle Busch had a big day on Sunday, driving from the back of the field to win in his hometown. Check out highlights of the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway here.
"Guys, I don't believe it," Busch said over the radio. "This is awesome." "Sometimes you don't have the best car, but you have to dig and claw at it," replied crew chief Steve Addington. Busch earned the distinction of being the first Cup driver to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the pole position — even though he didn't start there. Following an engine change on the No. 18 Toyota, Busch was relegated to the 39th starting position. He moved up to 30th position on Lap 21 and gained four additional spots 14 laps later. When green-flag pit stops began, Busch moved to the point for the first time on Lap 54 for two laps. And despite fighting a loose car that felt "like (he was) wrecking in every corner," Busch was able to take the lead on Lap 228. When NASCAR threw a debris caution on Lap 259 — the record-breaking 12th caution of the day — Addington called for right-side tires and a wedge adjustment before Busch left the pits. Busch lined up fourth for the restart on Lap 264 behind leader Clint Bowyer, who opted not to pit. Four laps later, Busch blew by Bowyer on the inside to take over the point position. "Say goodnight, Gracie," Busch's spotter Jeff Dickerson radioed. But the driver's trip to Victory Lane would be slowed by two additional cautions before the party could begin. In the lead, Busch extended his advantage over Bowyer by 0.411 of a second at the line for the win. Burton, David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top five. "We just had to battle back," Busch said. "We didn't have the best car out there today, but we kept working on it. We kept making it better. I don't know where I get credited from winning this thing — from the back or from the pole — either way we conquered both of them, that's for sure. Steve Addington, he's the leader of this team. Everyone believes in him, I believe in him and as long as you have that, everything seems to run smooth. "You never really know how special (the win) can be until you actually get it done. Today was very, very cool. The last 30 laps I was nervous as could be. I wasn't really that great at hitting my marks but I guess I was hitting them good enough. Fortunately, we ran into many caution laps at the end — that helped too." Busch ignited a celebratory burnout before grabbing the flag at the stand. He then laid down on at the start/finish line and kissed the asphalt or "the ground that this place was built on," savoring every moment of his 13th career win. "We watched it be built from the ground up. When we were racing out at the Bullring (the short track outside LVMS Where Kyle and his brother Kurt raced before graduating to NASCAR), this was nothing but a dirt lot. This was actually part of the parking lot I think for that Bullring racetrack. So it's come a long ways. I remember sitting up in the grandstands when I was younger and when Kurt and my dad were racing, turning around and looking out there and watching it. "(I) just kept turning around and watching it, watched the grandstands go up, the banking be put in, the outside retaining wall, the garages be built and stuff. Every weekend we were over at the Bullring and saw what was happening."

Looking back

Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Cup career at a glance
Starts
Wins
Top fives
Top 10s
Poles
153
13
49
74
5
The party for Busch continued in Victory Lane with his brother Kurt, who started second and finished 23rd, mother Gaye and additional family and friends sharing in the festivities. Kyle described Kurt's congratulatory message as "exactly what I would say." "'We watched this thing being built and you're the first one to conquer it ... This is really special and it's pretty cool. "I don't know if it's set in yet or not, but it feels pretty damn good right now."

Reutimann finds lady luck

 David Reutimann posted a career-high fourth-place finish after starting 42nd following an engine change. It was the first top-five in 66 career starts for the third-generation racer, who will turn 39 on Monday. The finish also vaulted him from 12th to fifth in the point standings. Reutimann said the No. 00 Aaron's Toyota was strong from the moment the team unloaded the car from the truck. Reutimann developed an oil leak early in the race that could have sidelined his car for good, but he rebounded from 20th on Lap 96. A call for two tires on the final pit stop enabled Reutimann to be in position to snatch his best career finish. "The guys came in and got that fixed," Reutimann said. "We went back out there and it put us back to 25th or 30th and we kind of ran back up through there just one at a time. "Everybody did a great job. I had great pit stops and everything we needed today to run up front and when you have those pieces in place you can actually do that on occasion." Reutimann offered additional props to crew chief Rodney Childers, who joined the team after parting ways with Gillett Evernham Motorsports at the end of last year. "My crew chief is doing a great job," Reutimann said. "The organization is doing great and the cars are exceptional. If we just keep doing this knocking on the door, we'll get ourselves in the right position.

Male bonding pays off for Bowyer

Before Clint Bowyer's Vegas second-place bonanza — in the race and the point standings — the Richard Childress racer spent some quality time with the boss at his ranch in Montana. Following RCR's California experience, where Burton and Kevin Harvick finished 32nd and 38th, respectively, the first part of the trip didn't start the way Bowyer had expected. "It took him at least a good two and a half days, probably the whole week, to get over it a little bit," Bowyer said. "I was trying to get him over it. But I stayed on the other end of the house and let him yell for a while. Then we went back to business." Bowyer had never spent time in Big Sky Country. He was in awe of the elk and mule deer outside his window each morning. But Bowyer also admired the stamina of his boss, R.C. "Richard doesn't do anything half-ass," Bowyer said. "It was first-class all the way. I've always wanted to spend time with him and this was something we've never done. "But to be his age and still do everything that he's able to do — I'm looking at him jumping around and hiking and get worried to death about him. Then I realize what we're doing and figure I ought to start worrying about myself." For Bowyer, this is his highest ranking in the standings since he led after winning the first race of the Chase at New Hampshire in 2007. While Bowyer is currently second in driver points, Bobby Ginn has the honor on the owner's list.

Labonte finds his way up front ... again

Bobby Labonte scored his first top-five finish Sunday since the fall Martinsville race in 2006 — 79 races ago. Labonte, who joined Yates Racing weeks before the season started, opted not to pit with the leaders on Lap 165 and moved into the top 10. He restarted third on Lap 187 and continued in the top five for most of the remainder of the race. "I think I said the work 'freaking' in a press conference in late January and it's pretty freaking awesome," said Labonte, who is currently 10th in points. "I can't wait to get back in it and go. We're taking it one race at a time, so I'm excited."
Tagged: Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, David Reutimann

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