Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kyle Busch to race Saturday night at LVMS

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003 | 9:28 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.

Kyle Busch will prepare for his next NASCAR Busch Series start, Sept. 20 at Dover International Speedway, by racing in the Super Late Models and Legends Cars divisions Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Busch, who is driving a limited Busch Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule this season for Hendrick Motorsports before steeping up to the Busch Series on a full-time basis in 2004, will drive in Dick Cobb-prepared Chevrolet in the 75-lap Super Late Models main event and will team pilot one of Alex Haase's cars in the 25-lap Pro/Masters Legends Car race.

That formula worked well for Busch back in July when he won the Super Late Models and Legends Cars features in car prepared by Cobb and Haase, respectively.

"Growing up in Las Vegas and racing at the Bullring for pretty much my entire life, I'm pretty excited to get back there," Busch said. "No matter what I do and where I race, I guess I could never get completely away from Super Late Model and Legends Cars racing in Las Vegas.

"We won both races on July 3 and hopefully we can do it again."

Busch, a Las Vegas native and Durango High graduate, has two victories and two poles in five ARCA starts this season and two runner-up finishes in three Busch Series starts in the No. 87 ditech.com Chevrolet.

Harvick was fined $35,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31 for hitting Rudd's car on pit road after the completion of the race and of improper language.

Todd Berrier, Harvick's crew chief, was fined $10,000 for "actions detrimental to stock car racing" because, according to NASCAR rules, the crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his or her driver, car owner and team members.

Other RCR crew members penalized were: Mike Scearce, suspended from NASCAR competition until Sept. 17, placed on probation until Dec. 31 and fined $5,000 for damaging Rudd's car and using improper language; Gene Pasquale, suspended from NASCAR competition until Sept. 17, placed on probation until Dec. 31 and fined $2,500 for throwing an object at another competitor and using improper language; Kirk Almquist, placed on probation until Dec. 31 and fined $2,500 for using improper language; and Ken Barber, placed on probation until Dec. 31 and fined $2,500 for throwing an object at another competitor and improper use of language.

Pat Tryson, Rudd's crew chief, was issued a $5,000 fine for use of improper language.

Hamilton offered no explanation for his actions and Gaughan said he had no idea what prompted the incident. Although Gaughan said his truck was destroyed, he was not injured when his truck spun and hit the outside wall nearly head-on.

"I don't know what happened there," Gaughan said. "Maybe I came up on him, I don't know. Bobby's been racing a long, long time and I can't see him doing something like that intentionally. It probably had to be an accident."...

Busch Series drivers Shane Hmiel and Jason Keller each were fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31 for their involvement in an altercation in the garage area following Friday night's race at Richmond. Gere Kennon, Hmiel's crew chief, and Steve Addington, crew chief for Keller, also were fined $10,000 each and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

In his Truck Series debut, Spencer was running second with 46 laps to go when Terry Cook hit him from behind and Spencer spun and hit the outside wall. Spencer could not continue and he finished 29th.