NASCAR star Kyle Busch to test Toyota F1 car in Japan

[Giuseppe F1]

This is going to be great to see.

As the report states the test will be in Japan, I imagine that this will take place at the Toyota Motorsports End of Year Festival at the Fuji Speedway which Toyota own.

Seems Kyle has a bit of the open-wheel bug.....IIRC, didnt he test a Champcar a few years back too?

If Toyota plan to extend this invitation to any more of their NASCAR drivers, would love to see Tony Stewart get a run in an F1 car finally......if he can fit that is!


------------------------------------------

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20361.html


MAY 16, 2008

NASCAR star Kyle Busch to test Toyota F1

MAY 16, 2008

Kyle Busch, the 23-year-old rising star of NASCAR, says that he will be testing a Formula 1 car later this year in Japan. Busch drives an M&M-sponsored Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing and it is anticipated that the test would be at the wheel of a Toyota Formula 1 car. The youngster has been racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup since 2004 when he did six races with Hendrick Motorsports. He won his first Cup race a year later at the California Speedway, becoming the youngest-ever winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, at 20 years and 125 days. He followed that with a second victory two months afterwards at Phoenix and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2006 he was a frontrunner but ended the year 10th in the championship. He continued with Hendrick in 2007 but in July last year Hendrick announced it was signing up Dale Earnhardt Jr and he he found himself looking for work, ending up at Joe Gibbs. This year he has won three races to date.

He says that he would like to go to Formula 1 before he is 30 but the Nevadan understands that convincing an F1 team to take him seriously is going to require a lot of winning in NASCAR.

[RaikkonenRules]

Please tell me that arrogant little punk's not going to be in F1. Gee wins one nationwide road race and thinks he can be a F1 driver.

[Tazio]

If he joins f1 he'll need to learn how to speak English

[millencolin]

i am looking forward to this test actually... might be good for a laugh

[aryan]

Yep, it will be good for a laugh if they ever publish his times...

[Jag_Warrior]

Please tell me that arrogant little punk's not going to be in F1. Gee wins one nationwide road race and thinks he can be a F1 driver.

Sure. Why not? Darling Danica finally wins a pro race and she is close to getting an F1 test. He wins more races on the average weekend than she's won in her life. I think Kyle deserves at least a test.

I think he's a punk too. But he's a fast and rather talented punk. And he's a genuine NASCAR red, white & blue star. He may run it in the gravel on the out lap. But if Toyota can do anything with his talents and direct his aggression, I'd say they'll jump on it... unless he is a total goof in the test. If it works out, I think that'll work better than the affirmative action PR tour the IRL is pushing with Danica. Or the rotating Not Ready For Primetime lineup that Champ Car tried until its death. People are more likely to connect with a series if they can connect with some of the drivers.

[wedge]

Great

Nice to see some ignorant F1 fans.

[cy bais]

Toyota F1 is just not the place for Kyle. But like many, i'd be interested in seeing him make left and right turns.

[POS_Maggott]

A lot of open wheel guys that hop into stock cars say that they are the hardest things they have ever driven. Ex-F1 stars like Montoya agree. If Shrub can wheel a stock car the way he does, he might impress a lot of people when he tests (assuming its not just for publicity)

And it was Kurt Busch that tested the Champ Car back in 02 or 03. He was actually pretty quick and right up there with the Champ Car regulars during the test..

[Placid]

I would have gone with A-Jax.