In addition to the two champions in the Cup series, Bush has 102 career wins in the Xfinity series and 61 in the Trucks, but his list of achievements is outrageous omission – he is still looking for his first victory in the Daytona 500.
Could the introduction of the next-generation revolutionary race car in the Cup Series open the door to Bush’s first 500 victory this season?
“I don’t know if this year or not, but we’ll all have to find out together. It’s been a long time, obviously. I’ve been doing this for a long time, “said Bush, 36. “This is the last trophy to be removed.
“Of course, I was there several times, and other times I was far away. I feel like Super Speedway hasn’t been my ability in the last few years for some reason. I tried to learn from it and watch movies, and in such situations I got better. “
If he needed more motivation, 2022 will also be the last year that M&M’s is the main sponsor of Toyota № 18 Bush at Joe Gibbs Racing – a sponsorship he enjoyed after joining JGR in 2008.
“You can be the leader by going down the stretch and having someone drill you behind and smash you, so it will never end until it’s all over and you won’t be able to get to the finish line and finally put our M&M’s Camry to Victory Lane, ”he said.
“Our friends from M&M’s have also tried for years, and I also hope we can do it for them as well as for ourselves.”
Learn a lot in a short amount of time
Bush said there will be a lot to learn for himself and every driver once the Cup cars hit the track at Dayton International Speedway on Tuesday the first day of training.
Several teams also got two days on the track in early January when NASCAR tested the Superspeedway air package it planned to use this season. On the Dayton and Toladega (and Atlanta) Super Speedways, the Cup teams will run with 510 horsepower and a 7-inch spoiler.
Bush said he plans to lower his expectations as to what to expect from the next-generation car in Dayton before Sunday’s race, which he believes will be a real test of the car.
“You have the opportunity to practice and run in duel races, so you can get your feet a little wet to understand how it happens in the draft,” he said. “Until you get a pack of 40 cars, you really won’t have a full understanding of what it takes and what its limitations are.
“I think you’re going to learn that, and it’s going to be endless.”
Joey Lagana, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Shell Pennzoil, Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry M & M’s
Photo: John Harrelson / NKP / Drawings of motorsport
The start of the 2022 season with the first victory in the next generation car, as well as the victory on his first Daytona 500, will certainly be another notable milestone in the career of the Las Vegas native.
“Winning the Daytona 500 would be huge,” he said. “The Daytona 500 is the one that slipped away from me and many others. I would certainly like to think that I could remove this race from my list before everything is said and done, and be known as the Daytona 500 champion in addition to my championship and other race victories. ”
Asked why winning the 500 distance was so hard to secure, Bush said: “Because everyone else wants to win it, and it’s on all their lists, and of course it’s a race where 40 people have a chance to get out and win.
“I wouldn’t say the same for a race like Vegas. You’re going to Vegas, and obviously it’s a race where probably 10, 12 guys will get a chance to win, but if you show up in Dayton, all 40 people will believe they have a chance to win. “