RACE: Kentucky 225
TRACK: Kentucky Speedway
TRUCK: No. 51 Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra
TEAM: Kyle Busch Motorsports
PRIMARY CHASSIS: KBM-3
BACKUP CHASSIS: KBM-2
MOTOR: Triad Racing Technologies
BROADCAST: Saturday, October 1; 8:00 p.m. ET. SPEED/PRN/Sirius NASCAR 90
NOTES AND QUOTES:
Josh Richards made his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Kentucky Speedway in July. On Saturday, Richards will pilot the No. 51 Joy Mining Machinery Tundra in his sixth NCWTS start this season. In his first race at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval, Richards started 24th and finished 29th when his night came to an abrupt end after the Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra was collected in a spin involving series veteran Ron Hornaday just past the midway point of the race. Although the night didn’t end the way Richards would have wanted, the 23-year-old driver felt like he learned a lot in his first series start.
Partner Joy Mining Machinery will have more than 200 guests in attendance at Saturday’s race.
In addition to his debut race in the NCWTS at Kentucky, Richards also has two career starts on the speedway’s 1.5-mile oval in the ARCA Racing Series.
Driver Josh Richards on his second start at Kentucky Speedway:
“I’m glad we get to return Kentucky (Speedway) this season. The first race was definitely a learning experience but also disappointing since we didn’t get to finish the race. To have the opportunity to come back this quickly I think will be helpful. KBM is bringing the same truck back to the track that I raced at the first race at Kentucky and my last race in Atlanta, and with the added experience I’m really looking forward to this race. Joy Mining Machinery has invited over 200 employees and family members to the race, so it will be cool once again to have that support in the stands from such a great partner.”
Crew Chief Rick Ren:
It’s the first time Josh is returning to a track he’s raced in the truck series this year, will that help him a lot at Kentucky?
“Yeah, I think anytime a driver goes back to a track he has experience on, it gives a him a shot at having a much better performance. More importantly I think that in our last few races he’s improved a lot. We had a really good run at Atlanta, Josh and his race ability was far greater at Atlanta than the previous races, so I’m really looking forward to returning to Kentucky and getting him back to where he’s already raced. I think with what he’s learned since then and the Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra we’ve prepared to bring to the track this weekend, I expect better results for our second go round.”
Having raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway, on what’s considered one of the faster, more difficult 1.5 mile tracks where he did well in practice and qualifying, and raced well; do you think the confidence he gained there will help him at Kentucky, a 1.5 mile track that’s considered not as difficult?
“Yeah, I put some pressure on him going into Atlanta about how difficult that place was going to be. I’ve been trying to get him to be more aggressive and attack the racetrack as soon as he gets in the truck for practice. He really showed that in Atlanta. If he can go to Kentucky and unload and immediately attack the track, we ultimately get a lot better feedback and a lot better results; and he’ll go there with a lot better state of mind and confidence. If a driver is able to immediately attack the track then he’ll start having confidence in the equipment and his ability, and it just makes things progress a lot faster. If he can do that, I think it will speed up everything and I really think we’ll be pretty fast when we unload there.”
CHASSIS SELECTION
Primary Chassis: KBM-3: Chassis 3 was the Toyota Tundra Richards raced at the July Kentucky Speedway race in his NCWTS debut. Richards also drove KBM-3 in his last NCWTS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he started ninth and finished 21st.
ABOUT JOY MINING MACHINERY
Joy Mining Machinery has over 90 years of experience as a global leader in the development, manufacture, distribution and service of underground mining machinery for the extraction of coal and other bedded materials. Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, Joy Mining Machinery employs over 8,000 employees worldwide. For additional information visit www.joy.com.
ABOUT KBM
NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch added a second career within NASCAR in December 2009 when he announced his Kyle Busch Motorsports team would compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010. KBM is a leader on and off the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, becoming the first team since the series originated in 1995 to capture the owners’ championship in their inaugural season. In October of 2010, the team moved into a brand new 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which boasts state-of-the-art equipment and its pending LEED certification make it unmatched among its peers. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.kylebuschmotorsports.com, by liking the team on facebook (www.facebook.com/KyleBuschMS) and following the team on Twitter (@KyleBuschMS).
