With the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup beginning Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, NASCAR star Kurt Busch, one of 12 drivers eligible to compete for the NASCAR championship, appeared on multiple ESPN platforms Wednesday during a visit to ESPN’s campus in Bristol, Conn.
Busch, driver of the Miller Lite Dodge owned by Roger Penske, appeared on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take and ESPNEWS while at ESPN. He also conducted a live chat with fans on ESPN.com and co-hosted NASCAR Now on ESPN2 with Mike Massaro.
During the First Take interview, Busch was asked by host Jay Crawford about the emotions of winning the first Chase in 2004, not qualifying last year and then being back in this year.
“What it’s all about is like making the playoffs,” Busch said. “You can be a good football team all year, end up finishing 8-8 and you’re not going to make it. And then there’s the good years that you have when you’re 12-4, then you go in as the favorites and you’re the guys to beat.
“So sometimes you make the playoffs, sometimes you don’t, but all it takes nowadays is to get locked into the Chase, and now we have a perfect shot at the championship, we’re 30 points behind.”
Crawford also asked Busch about his brother Kyle not making the Chase after winning four races this season.
“I was devastated for him, I couldn’t believe it that he didn’t make it,” he said, “He won four races so far this year, and the way that their team has been running. They just didn’t put that consistency together throughout the summer run. And so him outside looking in right now is tough. But hey, I’ll be the Busch brother to carry the banner for this year’s Chase.”
Later, during the live chat on ESPN.com, Busch discussed his team’s strategy for the Chase.
“The mentality changes to where every point counts,” he said. “When you’re in the race to the Chase, you are racing and trying to get in position, but now every point counts. We’re going to try to win Loudon and the rest of the way.”
NASCAR Now Previews Chase in 90-Minute Expanded Episode
As the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, ESPN2’s NASCAR Now will report from Chase Media Day in New York and from historic Fenway Park in Boston in an expanded 90-minute episode on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 5 p.m.
Host Mike Massaro will be joined in the studio by NASCAR driver Jeff Burton to preview the Chase and talk to some of the participating drivers, while ESPN’s Jamie Little will have additional driver interviews from New York. Allen Bestwick will be at Fenway Park for interviews with members of the Roush Fenway Racing team and guests from the Boston Red Sox. Live coverage of the race airs Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. on ABC.
While on ESPN’s campus on Thursday, Burton also will appear on ESPNEWS and conduct a live chat on ESPN.com. In addition, NASCAR star Tony Stewart will appear on Thursday’s 6 p.m. SportsCenter.
Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.
About NASCAR on ESPN
ESPN and ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in high definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.
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