Kurt Busch was a ray of sunshine for Toyota in what was otherwise a drab race at Phoenix Raceway.
Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the Toyota camp has struggled with the efficiency of the Next Gen car, and poor results have taken their toll on some of the team’s best drivers.
Toyota teams were afflicted by various troubles once again on Sunday at Phoenix, the circuit where the NASCAR Cup Series title will be decided in November.
Martin Truex Jr. crashed out and ended 35th, Christopher Bell placed 26th after being involved in an early-race incident, and Bubba Wallace finally completed 22nd after being a lap down.
Denny Hamlin was also penalised for speeding on pit road during the opening pit stops of the race. Kyle Busch’s No. 18 stalled during his first pit stop, costing him numerous spots.
Kurt Busch, racing the No. 45 for 23XI Racing, was the only Toyota to rank in the top five, and he was one of only two drivers to rank in the top ten (the other being Kyle Busch).
Busch, like his 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace, struggled for much of the race but used pit stops in the final stages to get his highest result of the season.
“That Turn 2 was a battle – a couple of guys spun right in front of me over there. We gave it our best,” Busch said. “Once we got that sorted out in Turn 2, some of the other parts of the track got tight for us, but my car really surprised me on the re-fires.
“We were okay on older tires – usually, I’m a sticker (new tire) guy. My crew chief, Billy Scott, said ‘No, you are going to stay out, buddy.’ I need sticker tires and this car reacted really well to scuffs today, so that’s good for our notebook at 23XI.”
Becoming the fastest Toyota in the race came as a “surprise” to Busch.
“We were just trying to get to 10th, but we will take a top-five. It’s really cool for our program,” he said. “This was a good West Coast swing. Not so much on points with Stage 1 and Stage 2, but our finishes were there, and we will keep chiseling away.”
Kyle Busch is the highest-placed Toyota driver in the series rankings after four races, and the only one in the Top-10.
Kurt Busch sits in 12th place, followed by Truex in 13th, Wallace in 17th, Hamlin in 27th, and Bell in 30th.
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