BUSCH: Beating around the Busch, chapter 20

Beating Around The Busch: Chapter Twenty, IRP
By: Thomas Chemris

Bad luck continues for Bobby Hamilton Jr. After crashing out in Colorado, Hamilton experienced mechanical problems early, putting him out of the event and dropping him 302 points out of the championship lead.

Kyle Busch, making his second start in the series qualified forth at IRP, only to make contact with Aston Lewis on lap 126, taking both out of the event. Busch, who made his first start at Charlotte in May, finished second in his first outing.

Former Truck Series champion, and Winston cup driver Mike Skinner took the wheel of the NEMCO owned number seven, to bring it home seventh. Skinner was the only driver to pilot an entry in all three series during the brickyard weekend.

New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr, driving the family owned Seawatch Chevrolet blistered the speed charts in practice, and qualified the car in the top ten. Truex was on the fast track, but was caught up in an early wreck still managed to bring the car home twenty-first.

Truex, who has been running a partial season with his family's team, and with Dale Earnhardt Jr's S2 motorsports remains non-committal to his 2004 plans.

"I hope to be sitting down and talking soon, noted Truex, when questioned if he has discussed his future with the DEI affiliated team.