Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Busch posts top speed in LVMS Winston Cup test

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002 | 10:09 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Call it the home-track advantage. Las Vegas native Kurt Busch posted the fastest lap Tuesday among the 32 NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series drivers taking part in the second day of a four-day test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Speeds, as reported by each team, for the 25 Winston Cup drivers taking part in Tuesday's test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

Busch, a Durango High School graduate who is starting his second season driving the No. 97 Roush Racing Ford, posted a lap of 169.705 mph in qualifying trim.

Dale Jarrett won the pole for last year's Winston Cup race at LVMS with a speed of 172.106 mph.

Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth, also driving Fords, had the fastest laps in race trim at 167.338 mph.

"This test, for us, showed a lot of potential on the speed we have; now it's just a matter of doing it for 500 miles and it's a matter of doing it when it comes time for qualifying," Busch said.

"I'd say this was a 90-percent effort and that last little 10 percent is me getting a little more track time. (This test) gives me a little bit more confidence on what I was doing last year versus what I think I need to change this season."

Busch qualified ninth for last year's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at LVMS with a speed of 171.130 mph.

Although the Winston Cup season starts in 10 days with qualifying for the Daytona 500, Harvick said it was worth the cross-country trip to test in Las Vegas.

"There's not a whole lot of places you can go right now where the weather's good," Harvick said. "Usually the (race) weather is somewhat close to how it is right now, if not just a little bit warmer, so it's a good place to come test.

"We're really good right now in race trim but we've got a little bit of work left in qualifying trim but it's good just to get back in the groove and get going again."