Auto racing: Busch keeps his cool

Kurt Busch was penalized and demoralized the last time he left Dover.

His tantrum in the pits cost him 100 points and a coveted spot in the top 12 of the Chase standings. Thanks to a late surge over the final two months, the temperamental Busch recovered and qualified for NASCAR’s Chase for the Nextel Cup championship.

Now the former Nextel Cup champ is back at the Monster Mile in Dover, Del., mired in a similar points hole, with even less time to recover. He’s 102 points behind leaders Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon with nine races left.

Another faulty part or a wreck could cost Busch and the No. 2 Dodge a chance to finish near the front of the field and all but end his shot at a second Cup championship.

For a driver once known for his hot temper, Busch instead is keeping his cool.

“To have a small setback in the beginning still gives you nine races to go to make up that small deficit,” Busch said. “No panic mode. We just hope this weekend at the Monster Mile is better for us.”

Busch plummeted from fifth to 12th in the Chase standings after last week’s 25th-place finish at New Hampshire. His Dodge lost a cylinder and struggled with carburetor problems.

“We got beat by a $5 part,” Busch said. “We don’t ever usually have those types of failures. It usually doesn’t happen in the garage area.”

Busch did start off this weekend strong, qualifying fourth for today’s race at Dover International Speedway. Busch finished fourth in the September race here last year.

Busch Series

The checkered flag was the perfect tonic for the ailing Denny Hamlin.

Feeling weak and needing intravenous fluids before the race, Hamlin nearly threw in the towel. Good thing he held on, or else he would have missed out on bringing home a trophy.

Hamlin shook off an illness and found the energy to dominate and win the caution-filled Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., on Saturday, his third win of the season.

Craftsman Trucks

Polesitter Travis Kvapil broke away from a tight pack with four laps to go and held on to win the Smith’s Las Vegas 350 Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile tri-oval, while former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve finished 21st in his Craftsman Truck Series debut. Kvapil pulled away from Johnny Benson and Jon Wood at the end to match Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday for the series lead with his fourth victory of the year.