Sunday, April 20 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico City, Mexico

Kyle Busch leads en route to the victory - his first on a road course - and third straight Nationwide Series win.

Kyle Busch Wins in Mexico For Third Straight Series Victory

MEXICO CITY (April 20, 2008) - Kyle Busch got on his radio and advised anyone who was listening that Scott Pruett would get dumped if he kept blocking Busch as they battled for the lead Sunday in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Pruett didn’t need to hear those words. He already had been there, done that.

Having been tapped by teammate Juan Pablo Montoya battling for the lead last year, Pruett let Busch by with nine laps remaining and Busch sprinted to his third consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

A few laps before the pass for the win, Busch had been hammering hard on Pruett’s bumper.

“He was just blocking a little bit too much, I believe,” said Busch, who had never won a NASCAR race on a road course. “Now I understand why he got dumped last year. And if it came down to it, it was going to be again. He smoked the tires, and I was able to get by him.”


Marcus Ambrose finished a career high second in spit of having to come from the back of the pack twice.

Pruett ended up also getting passed by Marcos Ambrose for second and settled for third.

“(Busch) shoved me a few times, telling me he was getting anxious to go,” said Pruett, who led 36 of the 80 laps. “Instead of getting turned around and my car tore up like last year, I gave him (room) and thought I could hold on and Marcos came up as well.

“It was a good run, not a great run.”

Ambrose scored his career-best finish while also annoying several drivers, including Busch and Boris Said.

No champagne in Victory Lane for the Corona Mexico 200! Kyle Busch celebrates his win with what else - a giant bottle of Corona.

After an accident knocked Said out of the race with 28 laps remaining, Said pointed angrily at Ambrose.

“It’s going to cost him a car one day -- I’m going to go over and apologize to his team (now for that),” Said explained afterward. “He either made a mistake or he’s incredibly stupid, and I don’t think he’d make a big mistake like that. I wouldn’t expect it from him.

“I’m not going to get mad, I’m just going to get even.”

Ambrose publicly apologized for the accident with Said. “If I could take it back, I would,” Ambrose said. “I didn’t mean to get into Boris. He’s a great racer. I’ve idolized him in the past and still do. If I could turn the clock back, I would. It’s just hard racing up there.”

Carl Edwards finished fourth, Patrick Carpentier was fifth and points leader Clint Bowyer sixth. Bowyer leads Edwards by nine points and Busch by 66.

Busch had not planned to run the entire season but now has won three consecutive events.

“The consideration is there, but still it’s one round and a race-by-race deal,” Busch said. “I’m not going to let anything out of the bag quite yet -- I’m not even sure if there’s anything left in the bag to let out.”

Complete Race Results click here

Post-Race Driver Point Standings click here


Rookie Colin Braun won his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole award.

Qualifying Notes

Colin Braun won the pole award for the Corona Mexico 200, lapping the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 88.217 seconds at 102.756 mph.

• This is Braun’s first pole in just three career NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
• This is Braun’s second top-10 start in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2008.
• This is Braun’s first start at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.
• Last year’s Coors Light Pole Award winner Scott Pruett posted the second-fastest lap at 88.307 seconds, 102.651 mph and will join Braun on the front row.
• Carl Edwards (third) posted his eighth top-10 start this season. He has started from the top-10 in all three of his starts at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
• Marcos Ambrose (fourth) was the highest-qualifying NASCAR Nationwide Series regular.
• Drivers that failed to qualify: Brett Rowe, Morgan Shepherd and Derrike Cope.

Sunday's Starting Lineup click here

Schedule/Broadcast Times - AT*

Final Practice: Friday, April 18 (ESPN2 at 5 p.m.)

Qualifying: Saturday, April 19 (ESPN2 & TSN-alt at Noon)

Pre-Race: Sunday, April 20 (ESPN at 2:30 p.m.)

Race: Sunday, April 20 (ESPN & TSN-HD at 3 p.m.)

*AT is one hour ahead of ET, i.e. if it's 2 p.m./AT - it's 1 p.m./ET...


Kyle Busch had fast time in Friday's first practice session.

Stats

Year-To-Date Race Results & Point Standings: click here

Friday First Practice click here Busch fastest at 101.101 mph

Friday Final Practice click here Pruett fastest at 102.896 mph

Saturday's Qualifying Order click here

Pre-Race Pit Stops

History

• Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was built in a public park in 1962.
• The NASCAR Nationwide Series started racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 2005.

Notebook

• There have been three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
• 89 drivers have competed at Mexico City.
• Jorge Goeters won the inaugural pole at Mexico City.
• Three drivers have posted poles at Mexico City: Jorge Goeters, Boris Said and Scott Pruett.
• Martin Truex Jr. won the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide race at Mexico City (March 6, 2005).
• Three drivers have posted victories: Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya.
• All three of the races at Mexico City have been won from a top-five starting position; the pole once and third twice. Additionally, more than half of the top-10 finishes at Mexico City also qualified in the top 10: 2007 (six), 2006 (eight) and 2005 (four). Two of the pole winners have finished in the top five; the third (Jorge Goeters in 2005) finished 38th.
• There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Mexico City: 2007 (82/80 Laps).

The Local Flavor

• There have been three NASCAR Nationwide Series races in Mexico, all at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (2005-2007).
• 14 NASCAR drivers have their home country recorded as Mexico.
• There have been no race winners from Mexico in NASCAR’s three national series.

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Data

• Race # 9 of 35 (4-20-08)
• Track Size: 2.518 miles
• Race Length: 80 laps/201.44 miles

Qualifying/Race Data

• 2007 pole winner: Scott Pruett (103.674 mph, 67.458 seconds)
• 2007 race winner: Juan Pablo Montoya (74.969 mph, 3-4-07)
• Track qualifying record: Scott Pruett (103.674 mph, 67.458 seconds, 3-2-07)
• Track race record: Martin Truex Jr. (67.591 mph, 3-6-05)

Track Map



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