Saturday, March 02, 2013

Qualifying Crash Forces Busch To Backup Car

After a solid first qualifying lap at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway yesterday, Kurt Busch's No. 78 Furniture Row/Beautyrest Chevrolet SS scraped the wall during the second lap, due to a malfunction in the coolant system.  

The culprit for the loss of grip was a parts breakage in the coolant system that sprayed water under the tires, causing Busch to wiggle and eventually lose control of the car. “Kurt did a great job saving the car from further damage,” said team crew chief Todd Berrier. 

The car was sufficiently damaged on its right side to force the team to go to a backup car for Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 Sprint Cup Series race.  

"The Furniture Row/Beautyrest Chevy steered to the right, brushed the wall and we'll be in a backup car come Sunday,” said Busch. “You would think after Daytona we would fare a little better. But right now we need to suck it up and battle through this adversity.” 

Going to a backup car will result in Busch starting Sunday’s race from the rear of the field. 

He was credited with the 25th fastest speed based on his first lap; turning the one-mile oval in 26.618 seconds at 135.247 miles per hour. The first lap is usually the slower of the two.  

Mark Martin won the pole position for Sunday’s race at 138.074 mph. Rounding out the Top-10 were Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.
Photo: Jerry Markland/Getty Images

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