Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Crash prevents Kyle Busch from making big points gain

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004 | 9:55 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 missed a golden opportunity to gain some ground on NASCAR Busch Series points leader Martin Truex Jr. during Saturday's race at Kansas Speedway.

Busch, a Las Vegas native, entered the race trailing Truex by 152 points but couldn't capitalize on a third-lap accident that knocked Truex out of the race for 43 laps while repairs were made on his car. Busch, meanwhile, had driven into the top 10 before he was involved in a multi-car crash that put him in the garage for 27 laps.

Both Truex (30th) and Busch (29th) posted their worst Busch Series finishes of the season and Busch was able to gain only three points on the leader. With six races remaining in the 2004 season, Busch trails Truex by 149 points.

"It really could have been (a) great (points day), but we missed out on a great opportunity," Busch said. "The 8 car had a little bit of trouble there in the beginning. We always seem to be able to equal out; we never seem to be able to get ahead of him and we never fall too far behind him, either.

"It's a shame that we did get caught up in that mess. All in all, you can only do what you can do and what the guy upstairs will let you do. We'll see what happens (Friday) at Lowe's Motor Speedway."

Busch, 19, will be looking to close the gap on Truex in Friday night's The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Busch won the spring Busch race at Lowe's and finished second to Nextel Cup veteran Matt Kenseth in his Busch Series debut last year at the track.

KERRY EARNHARDT FOURTH: Kerry Earnhardt led 91 of 150 laps in Saturday's NASCAR West Series race at Colorado National Speedway, but had to settle for a fourth-place finish after scraping the wall while leading near the halfway point in the race.

"We should have won the race, but I got up into the loose stuff on the top of the track and hit the wall," Earnhardt said. "It bent the rear-end housing and the truck arm, but the car still absolutely flew. I made my way all the way back to fourth and was getting reading to pass the guys running second and third and the caution came out (on the final lap) and froze the field."

Earnhardt matched his best finish in six starts in the West Series while driving for team owner Bill McAnally. Series points leader Mike Duncan earned his first victory of the season and Las Vegas resident Scott Lynch, the defending series champion, finished 12th.

LYNCH IS 'HUNGRY': Lynch will be making his second of three NASCAR Busch Series starts this season in Friday's night's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway as part of Tommy Baldwin's "Hungry Drivers" program.

Lynch, 24, is one of four drivers tabbed by Baldwin to make three starts each in the No. 6 Dodge. The driver with the best overall performance will receive a full-time Busch Series ride in 2005.

"This program is a great opportunity," Lynch said. "Coming from the West Coast, I've never seen most of these tracks. Even though you're not competing every week, it gives you a good opportunity to learn. Anything and everything I'm able to learn, especially from Tommy Baldwin, will help further my career."

Lynch, who was involved in a multi-car crash in his first Busch Series start at Richmond International Raceway and finished 39th, tested last week in the No. 6 Country Crock Dodge at Lowe's.

"It's an awesome feeling," Lynch said of testing at the Charlotte track. "Now I can say I've turned laps at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- and there aren't many people where I come from who can say that.

"There's definitely nothing like it when you come here and experience the banking in the turns. It's different from any track I've ever raced on."

ASH WINS NATIONAL TITLE: Local track champion Dustin Ash of Las Vegas was crowned the national Semi-Pro Legends Cars champion Saturday night at the 13th annual Legends Cars and fourth annual Thunder Roadsters Asphalt Nationals at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Ash, the 2004 Bullring Semi-Pro Legends Cars champion, won the national Semi-Pro Legends Cars championship by posting the fastest qualifying time, winning the Race of Champions and winning the Championship A-main event Saturday night.

Dave Green of Henderson, the 2004 Bullring Thunder Roadsters champion, had his victory in Saturday's 40-lap Thunder Roadsters A-main disallowed after a post-race technical inspection revealed an unapproved suspension modification had been made on his car.