Busch has rocky race

Monday, Oct. 2, 2000 | 10:19 a.m.

Kurt Busch's second NASCAR Winston Cup start didn't turn out nearly as well as his first.

A week after starting 10th and finishing 18th in his Winston Cup debut in Dover, Del., the 22-year-old native Las Vegan was involved in several incidents in the pits and on the track Sunday in the NAPA AutoCare 500 in Martinsville, Va.

"I made a few mistakes," Busch said after finishing 37th in the No. 97 Roush Racing Ford Taurus. "We came in the pits and didn't make the right call, then I ran into a guy trying to get by him when I'm three laps down; that's something I shouldn't be doing.

"We learned what we needed to do and just got caught up in another accident that poked a hole in the radiator, and that's something we don't need to do. We were able to make some laps at the end."

Busch, who made the race on a provisional and started 40th, lost a lap early in the race after being penalized for exceeding the pit-road speed limit, then fell another two laps off the pace when his right rear tire fell off following another pit stop.

On the track, Busch was involved in two minor accidents but still was able to finish the race, although he completed only 396 of the 500 laps.

Nonetheless, Busch called the race a learning experience.

"We gained track experience -- that was a lot to do with it," Busch said. "We kept gaining speed all weekend, from the first practice to the end of the race. I knew it was going to be a bump-and-run type deal.

"I was generous to the leaders and to the other drivers, I just have to make sure I get up on the brake pedal hard enough next time."