Kyle Busch wins snowy Busch race

Kyle Busch benefited from Greg Biffle’s late tire problem to take the lead with 12 laps to go and held on to win the Busch Series race on a cold, snowy Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.

Biffle led 28 of the final 40 laps and was headed to the win when the wheel became loose on his Ford and he had to relinquish the lead to pit. As he ducked off the track, Busch slid past him and braced himself for a challenge from Kevin Harvick.

Harvick was right on his rear bumper but couldn’t get by Busch and faded on the final lap. It allowed Busch to coast to his first Bristol win, while Harvick had to hold off a late push from Matt Kenseth to hang on for second place.

“I was able to make a pretty clean pass (of Biffle), but I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to hold off Harvick at all,” Busch said. “But I did. This is Bristol, I love it here. This is where my brother always wins, so it’s great for me to get one.”

Kurt Busch has four wins at Bristol.

Today the track will host the Bristol Food City 500 Nextel Cup race.

Patrick’s birthday ruined

It doesn’t look like Danica Patrick will save any birthday cake for Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves.

All set to give herself a nice present on her 24th birthday, after running a 216.798-mph run to top the field, Patrick sat back before Hornish crashed her party with a 218.539-mph run that took the pole for the Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead, Fla.

Then Castroneves went out a few drivers later and knocked her off the front row with a 218.087-mph lap.

NASCAR promoter dies

Robert Kenneth Campbell, an innovative promoter who helped shepherd NASCAR through its infancy and worked with the likes of Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo, the Harlem Globetrotters and Rolly Derby, died Friday in Richmond, Va., at 83.

Campbell spent nearly 60 years promoting auto racing, both as a partner to track owner Paul Sawyer in Richmond and as one of the public relations minds who helped turn NASCAR from a curiosity into a Southern staple.