Column By: HOLLY CAIN / NASCAR – FORT WORTH, TX – Last week’s Kansas Speedway race winner Kurt Busch said that victory for the second year 23XI Racing Toyota team was absolutely crucial for the organization’s competitive morale.
The veteran scored the first ever win in the team’s first-year second car, the No. 45 Toyota, and was still smiling about it this weekend at Texas.
“A rush,” he said of the team’s atmosphere, “The hauler right now with all their crew members being here and the pit crew guys, I mean it was straight-up, like a football locker room or a college football locker room of just the morale, the track talk, the fun and the excitement – a different swagger.
“You have to have that after a win. And then you have to compartmentalize it into what can we do on track today with the cool procedures for the All-Star race and then we go for the million bucks.”
Busch will be looking to add another NASCAR All-Star Race trophy to his case to join the one he brought home in 2010 (Charlotte).
CHASTAIN BEATING THE TEXAS HEAT
Ross Chastain confirmed that he received medical treatment after Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race – feeling dehydrated, he got two bags of IV fluids after the checkered flag. And, he says it was a lesson well-learned.
“Odd deal,” Chastain said. “I just didn’t hydrate enough.”
Chastain finished 12th in the Camping World Truck Series race driving the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet and joked about a potential way to avoid the dehydration problem in the future.
“Probably eat more watermelon, probably just eat more watermelon in general,” said Chastain, whose family are multi-generational Florida watermelon farmers.
“I know we joke about the watermelon, but had I eaten a little more of it, I probably wouldn’t have had the problems I had in the truck.”
Interestingly, although the temperatures were in the 90s on Friday, a cold front moved through on Saturday, markedly chilling the air. It is only supposed to be in the low 70s when the NASCAR All-Star race begins Sunday night.