Fourth Consecutive Top-10 for Busch, Team Lowe’s

FONTANA, Calif. (Sept. 4, 2004) – Kyle Busch and the No. 5 Team Lowe’s Racing crew posted their fourth top-10 finish in as many events, rallying from a late-race incident to finish ninth in Saturday’s 300-mile NASCAR Busch Series contest at California Speedway. Starting from the fourth position, Busch and his No. 5 Lowe’s/Shop-Vac Chevrolet remained in and around the top-10 throughout the 150-lap showdown. A late caution period allowed Busch to pit for new tires with less than 15 laps remaining, setting the stage for what would have been the 12th top-five finish of 2004 for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew. The opportunity for a top-five result evaporated shortly after the race returned to green-flag conditions when Busch attempted to pass the No. 25 car of Mike McLaughlin on the high side of the two-mile track. "I got up to (McLaughlin’s) outside, and then he was trying to get on the outside of somebody else and there just wasn't room to go four or five wide, or however wide we were coming up out of the corner,” Busch said. “I think I got too far underneath the (No.) 25 car and he lost his air and squeezed us in the fence." The contact with the wall pushed in the right-front fender on the Team Lowe’s Racing Chevy, which made it difficult for Busch to get the car to turn going into the corners. Fortunately, a caution flag with five laps remaining allowed Busch to come to pit road so his crew could pull out the car’s fender for the dash to the finish. Restarting the race in 15th position, Busch drove his way back into the top-10 in the final three laps, crossing the finish line in ninth position. The finish marked the 16th top-10 result of 2004 for Busch and his Team Lowe’s Racing crew. In spite of the strong performance, Busch and the No. 5 team lost ground in the Busch Series championship standings to Martin Truex Jr., who finished sixth on Saturday. With nine races remaining, Busch now sits just 95 points out of the lead. Busch was named Raybestos Rookie of the Race for the 18th time in 25 races this season, expanding his lead over Paul Menard (312-175) in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition. The No. 5 Team Lowe’s Racing crew now heads back to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, where Busch claimed the first win of his Busch Series career in May of this year. The 250-lap event will air live from Richmond on Friday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and MRN Radio affiliates.