Busch team encouraged by ninth-place showing

Monday, Oct. 1, 2001 | 9:56 a.m.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Kurt Busch needed a sign that he and his NASCAR Winston Cup team are making strides despite a rash of bad luck this season.

He got the message in the form of a ninth-place finish in Sunday's inaugural Protection One 400 at Kansas Speedway.

After breaking a valve during the final practice session Saturday morning, Busch wasn't sure how competitive he would be Sunday in his No. 97 Roush Racing Ford.

The 23-year-old Las Vegas native started the race in 40th position on a provisional after crashing during his qualifying lap on Friday and bringing out his backup car.

"We struggled a little bit in happy hour (Saturday) with a broken valve, so we lost our happy hour, basically," Busch said. "We spent the first hour of the race as happy hour, just throwing (spring) rubbers in and making shock adjustments.

"This car was going to finish 35th if we didn't work on it and I'm really proud of the team and the way the Sharpie/Rubbermaid guys kept their focus. Luckily, we were able to come home with a ninth-place finish, which is awesome."

The day didn't start out as well as it ended for Busch. Sixty laps into the 267-lap race, Busch spun coming out of Turn 4 and slid through the infield grass. He recovered, however, and remained on the lead lap.

Midway through the race, Busch lost a lap during a pit stop but was able to get back on the lead lap with 67 laps remaining.

"We just kept stepping out of bounds on what we were supposed to be adjusting and that's how we ended up spinning and getting that awful run off of (turn) four," Busch said.

"It was things that I learned throughout the race that helped us, yet the whole weekend was just kind of an up-and-down roller coaster -- just like our season."

It was the sixth top-10 finish in 28 races this season for Busch, who was the highest-finishing rookie in the race for the sixth time this season, but his first since a fifth-place showing in the Brickyard 400 on Aug. 5.

"We've had positive changes race in and race out; it's just a matter of being able to be consistent," Busch said. "With all the mechanical failures we've had as of late, it's good just to finally get a solid finish."

Jarrett briefly lost consciousness after hitting the wall, with the driver's side of his car, after making contact with Bobby Labonte. He had to be cut from his No. 88 Ford, but was able to walk to the ambulance under his own power.

Prior to the hijacking of the flight, the younger Dahl and his father had planned on attending the race in Kansas City in hopes of meeting Gordon. A third party arranged the meeting with Gordon and other Winston Cup drivers.

After climbing from his car, Burton waited for Nadeau to come back around the track and slammed his heat shields into Nadeau's windshield.

"I know Jerry didn't mean to do it," Burton said after being checked and released from the infield care center. "I lost my cool there for a minute.

"That's about the 11th time this year I've gotten the hell knocked out of me and it's getting frustrating ... so I vented my frustration on him."

Harvick took over in the RCR car after Dale Earnhardt's death in the Daytona 500 in February. Childress changed the car's color from black to white and the number from 3 to 29.

Harvick will continue to run the white car for the remainder of the season.