Kyle Busch TORC Series Interview

You were exciting out there.

Kyle Busch: Thank you. I hope it’s more exciting being smooth than I was out of control. It’ll get better. Just with the short amount of time you get on the track kinda makes it tough, but it’s fun, man. It’s really cool. I’m having a good time, that’s what I’m here for.

How do you adjust to the jumps?

KB: It’s fun. I enjoy going out there and going out to the sand dunes and messing around and jumping some stuff out there. Anytime you can put a big heavy vehicle up in the air like that, it’s always cool. For myself, running the Traxxas TORC Series PRO 2s, it’s fun. I’m getting some experience and kinda getting (my) feet wet at it.

What was the best advice you’ve been given so far?

KB: I would say the biggest piece of advice would be to always just try to keep it straight. Once you get out of control, you gotta figure out how to get it straightened back up. It gets pretty ugly in a hurry, so it’s always best to try to keep the throttle on sometimes, but, you know, for me, it’s getting used to everything and trying to keep going fast.

What was the process that led to you racing in the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL?

KB: I’ve always wanted to give this a try and see what it’s all about. Robby Gordon’s talked about it, Jimmie Johnson’s talked about it … but I’ve never had the opportunity to do it. I thought it would be cool to get out there and get my feet wet with it. It’s been fun. I’ve been to Crandon (Wis.) and got some experience there, just driving in the truck getting used to it and then here. I’m doing OK. There’s a lot of time for me to pick up, so hopefully I can get a little bit better. All in all, it’s pretty fun.

What experience that you have best prepared you for this?

KB: I think the sand dunes and racing dirt track stuff is probably the best preparation. Running in this stuff here, it’s always difficult to know what to expect over the next jump, you know, because you’ve got to set up right first. Then you’ve got to just keeping going through it.

Did the first time on the track give you some problems?

KB: My guys were telling me I needed to run high and kinda through the middle of the high lane and I did that and I was like ‘This ain’t right! This is wrong.’ So I went lower and ran the bottom and it was way better so I’ll be doing that for qualifying for sure, just trying to stay a little bit lower, keep the truck out of the heavy mud. It just gets so rough up there and so choppy that it’s like driving a boat through the ocean instead of driving one on the lake.

You ran within .1 seconds of PRO 2 points leader Rob MacCachren at Crandon. What did that do for your confidence?

KB: It was pretty good. I was actually faster than Rob (when he was driving) in his own truck, but he got in mine and went a tenth faster in my truck, so I was a little disappointed. It felt good over all, just to get the experience and to just kinda get going and feel it out for the first time. To be right there with Rob MacCachren out of the gate is really really cool. Today is going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy. (Ricky) Johnson’s always fast; another Johnson I’ve gotta put up with (laughs), but there you go. MacCachren, I know he’ll be good and a couple others. I’m just looking to have a good time and get some good exposure for Traxxas. To have them onboard of my (NASCAR) truck for Friday night’s race is pretty cool, too.

What’s been your biggest surprise with these trucks?

KB: I guess just how fluid they are. You can really get in trouble fast, but you can kinda recover pretty decent. I’m sure if I get too brave or too ballsy, it’ll be ugly fast. Still, right now where I’m at, I’m just trying to get out there and now work on lap times. Now that I’ve got a feel for the track, it’s about dissecting it and getting better.

What has it been like physically for you?

KB: Crandon was actually pretty simple. It was fun and it was fast, but it was easy. Not easy, but it was easier than this place for sure. Getting out there, you never have time to  catch up, you know, your breath, your truck, anything, so you’re always on the go and trying to get ready for the next jump and setting up for the next corner.

Were you breathing hard when you got out of the truck?

KB: I was breathing a little bit, yeah. You kinda hold your breath sometimes when you go over the jumps. You’re wanting to make sure you’re hitting the jumps right and you’re not sure if you did or not. These trucks always seem to kind of pull out of it OK.