Kyle Busch Press Conference Release (40)
NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT For Immediate Release A First Visit to Montreal for the Prodigal Son of Las Vegas Current 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Points Leader Kyle Busch To Competed in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge Montreal, August 6, 2009 - Stock-Car Montreal, the event organizing body of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge, welcomed Kyle Busch, one of the brightest young stars of the NASCAR championship series, to Montreal on Wednesday August 6. Meeting with the press at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located on Parc Jean-Drapeau, the current Nationwide Series point's leader confirmed that he will compete in the upcoming August 29-30 race weekend. With six wins so far, 15 top-5 and 18 top-10 finishes since the start of the 2009 season, Busch will go head-to-head in Montreal with Carl Edwards, who is currently running second in the standings, 207 points behind. The Las Vegas born driver, who started his NASCAR racing career in 2001 at the age of 16, will be making his Montreal debut. "We are very pleased today to welcome Kyle Busch to Montreal, less than a month prior to the third running of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge," said François Dumontier, promoter of the event, who introduced the 24-year old Busch, winner of 53 races in 392 combined starts in the three major NASCAR Series. "The confirmation of his debut in Montreal reveals two distinctive traits of his personality. Kyle likes to win, win, and win some more, and one of his dreams is to capture his first NASCAR title. Nothing seems to scare him, certainly not our demanding racetrack, which he is discovering today. His Nationwide Series championship duel with Carl Edwards will go another round here in Montreal on August 29-30, and I can tell you who the winner will be: the race fans at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve." At the age of six, Kyle Busch drove his first makeshift go-kart. He officially began his professional driving career shortly after his 13th birthday, but high school academics in Las Vegas were always a priority to Kyle and his parents. He ran three seasons (1999-2001) in the Legend and then Late Model Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's "Bullring". In 2002 at the age of 17, he graduated a year early from high school with honours, but not before he had competed in six NASCAR Truck Series races as a replacement driver. Twelve days following his 19th birthday in May of 2004, Kyle claimed his first Nationwide Series win at Richmond International Raceway. A year and a month later on May 20, 2005, Kyle became, at the age of 20 years and 19 days, the youngest driver to capture a Truck Series victory at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Later that year in September, he won his first-ever Cup Series race at Fontana, California. "If anyone has any doubt about the ability of our guest to perform on a right-left turn track, let me remind you that in his 13 road racing course starts, he won Sprint Cup races in Sonoma, and Watkins Glen, plus a Nationwide Series race in Mexico," concluded François Dumontier. The race promoter also added that Busch has for these 13 races, a record showing a pole position, and a second place start, as well as 4 Top 5 and 8 Top 10 starts. Tickets for the NAPA Auto Part 200, Presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29-30, 2009 are currently on sale. To order tickets and witness the Carl Edwards-Kyle Busch fierce battle in Montreal, call 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca/en/. Stock-Car Montreal, the event promoter is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) based in Daytona Beach, Florida. ISC is the leading promoter of motorsports in North America, hosting over 100 major racing events each year. - End - Media Inquiries: Normand Prieur 450 492-6963 / 514 794 -8900 nprieur@videotron.ca Photo credit: Muriel Brousseau for Stock-Car Montreal Kyle Busch, sitting next to event promoter François Dumontier on the right, was introduced to the Montreal media during a press conference on Wednesday August 6, 2009. Busch will compete in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada on August 29-30, 2009. The imagery is a courtesy of Stock-Car Montreal, and is copyright-free for the media.