LAS VEGAS, Nev. – With two triple-header weekends confirmed at his hometown track for the 2018 NASCAR season, Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch would consider running in all three-national series, something he’s never accomplished in a career that spans nearly two decades.
“Possibly,” said Busch Friday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when asked about potentially running the triple header. “I haven’t driven in the Trucks in quite some time, even the XFINITY cars, but Vegas would do that for me.”
Earlier this week, Speedway Motorsports Inc., the parent company of Las Vegas Motor Speedway announced a realignment of their races from New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway respectively to give Las Vegas two triple-headers weekends beginning next year.
With expected races in the spring and fall of 2018, new participation guidelines prevent Busch from competing in the fall triple-header, as any Monster Energy Cup Series driver with more than five years’ experience is ineligible to participate in any lower division playoff races.
Restrictions in place, Busch, himself said though he would want to run the spring races with an emphasis in the fall focused on only the Monster Energy Cup Series playoffs with Stewart-Haas Racing.
“I would do it for Vegas, to come out and try to run the triple-headers, so we’ll see how it pans out,” Busch said. “It might make more sense to do it next spring, and that way the focus once we come back for the playoffs in the fall of 2018 is just on the Cup car.”
Before making the jump to the Cup Series in 2001, the 38-year-old Busch spent one season in Trucks for Roush Fenway Racing winning four races and finishing second in the driver standings to teammate Greg Biffle. He hasn’t competed in a Truck Series race since 2012 at Talladega Superspeedway driving for brother Kyle Busch.
His XFINITY Series presence is mimic of trucks. With just 30 career XFINITY Series starts, Busch last raced at Daytona International Speedway in July 2013 driving for James Finch.
Stewart-Haas Racing started a XFINITY Series program this season with Cole Custer running full-time and a part-time effort with Kevin Harvick. Should sponsorship fall in place, Busch would likely drive for them.
As for trucks? It’s not that easy.
Ford Performance doesn’t have a strong existence in trucks with just two full-time trucks spearheaded by Brad Keselowski Racing currently in play.
With a relationship with Ford, it’s more likely than not Busch would have to drive a Ford truck in order to become the 32nd different driver to have at least one start in all three series in the same weekend.
While it may be a new bucket list item for Busch, the perimeters around him may never make it an actual reality.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
