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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Keeping Pace

Busch down in dumps

Kyle Busch spins as he is hit by Tony Stewart near finish line last week at Daytona.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Kyle Busch spins as he is hit by Tony Stewart near finish line last week at Daytona. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Kyle Busch claimed Stewart “dumped him,” or caused him to wreck, and questioned if drivers should be allowed to win if they cause an accident that lets them take the lead.

Courtesy: Associated Press

Kyle Busch hasn’t mellowed following his last-lap accident at Daytona that sent him into the wall, and then the infield care center – even as points leader Tony Stewart says all is fine between the two former teammates.

Busch claimed Stewart “dumped him,” or caused him to wreck, and questioned if drivers should be allowed to win if they cause an accident that lets them take the lead.

“I think NASCAR can take a step in looking at it, and if the second-place driver bumps the leader, then black-flag (him),” Busch said Thursday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. “He doesn’t get the win.”

At Daytona, Busch took the lead on the next-to-last lap and tried to fend off a hard-charging Stewart. He successfully blocked Stewart once, but when he tried to do it again Stewart hooked Busch’s right rear fender instead, sending Busch into the wall a few hundred yards from the finish.

Busch had no problems with a driver bumping the one ahead of him out of the way if it doesn’t cause an accident.

“I gathered my stuff up and tried to block high and it was too late,” Busch said. “Tony was already alongside.”

Stewart called the accident a part of racing and said the two often-fiery drivers were on the same page following a 30-minute conversation about the circumstances of the wreck earlier this week.

Same page? Busch came out Thursday and made it seem like he wasn’t even in the same book.

Stewart declined to address Busch’s comments, and said he only was going to judge Busch’s view of the incident based on their earlier conversation. When Stewart was asked if his maneuver was considered a “dump,” he said, “I’m not biting.”

Vickers on the pole

Brian Vickers has won his fifth pole of the season, running a lap of 184.162 mph at Chicagoland Speedway. Red Bull Racing teammate Scott Speed qualified second at 182.958. Three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was third for Saturday’s LifeLock.com 400.

Mayfield might sell

Unable to find funding since his suspension for failing a random drug test, Jeremy Mayfield is considering selling his race team.

Shana Mayfield said she and her husband are considering selling their remaining inventory because they don’t have the cash to field a race team. Mayfield transferred ownership of the No. 41 Toyota to his wife following his May 9 suspension.



Keeping Pace

Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.