Heat is always intense for drivers circling Bristol Motor Speedway on a Saturday in August. For Kyle Busch, however, the heat was almost suffocating heading into Saturday night’s Sharpie 500.
On the outside of the Chase Standings looking in, the driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota earned a much-needed victory on Saturday to move to 13th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings, to pull within a mere 34 points of 12th-place driver Matt Kenseth. The victory was the fourth of the season for Busch, and the sixth of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing and Raybestos brand brakes, a member of the Affinia Group family of brands.
The Raybestos Sprint Cup braking system, utilized all season by Joe Gibbs’ Toyotas to gain a competitive advantage, proved decisive in securing what could equate to a season-saving victory for Busch.
“The Raybestos system is getting better and better with every race,” said Steve Addington, Busch’s crew chief. “They were instrumental in the victory. You get incredible heat on the front pads and front rotors at this track so you’ve got to have a great system that will hold up all night long. We had that tonight.”
