Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), turned in another solid effort by finishing sixth in the Good Sam 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. It was Busch’s fourth top-10 finish in the first four races of the 2016 season.
Photo: stewarthaasracing.com
“It was a good run, it wasn’t a great run,” Busch said. “Thanks to all my guys. We tried hard, we worked hard, and it’s just a matter of getting that grip later in the day. Kevin Harvick is a master here at Phoenix, congrats to him. We were close. We will keep chipping away at it.”
Busch started fourth in the 39-car field and reported early that his racecar was loose entering and exiting the turns, but tight in the center. Those problems persisted for the entire race but were manageable. Crew chief Tony Gibson called for wedge and air pressure adjustments throughout the race, which improved the handling of the car. As the laps clicked off Busch reported that, while the issues persisted, the team had made progress in fine-tuning the Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet to his liking.
With each pit stop, Gibson called for adjustments that kept the No. 41 Chevrolet in the running for a top-10 finish. The team’s hard work was rewarded when the checkered flag waved with Busch in sixth place.
There were five caution periods for 30 laps, with four drivers failing to finish the 313-lap race, which went into overtime and was extended by one lap.
With round four of 36 complete, Harvick leads SHR in the championship point standings. He is the new series leader with 154 points, the same amount of points as second-place Kyle Busch. Harvick, however, wins the tiebreaker with his one win to Busch’s none. Kurt Busch is fourth with 137 points, 17 out of first. Patrick is 24th with 69 points, 85 out of first.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 20, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX.
