Kyle Busch is preparing for his Rolex 24 debut during the annual “Roar Before the 24” at Daytona International Speedway.
Busch was able to turn laps behind the wheel of the No. 14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 that he will share with co-drivers Parker Chase, Jack Hawksworth and Michael De Quesada.
“Jack took the first run and had an opportunity to kind of baseline it, shake it down a little bit,” Busch said. “I got my turn at the wheel and was able to run some pretty decent times, I guess, that’s what the guys said anyway. Certainly a lot to improve on still. I’ve got my NASCAR driving techniques just embedded in my brain and I’ve got to get rid of those a little bit more.
“Jack and my other teammates have done a fantastic job of helping me out getting me accustomed and used to what this form of racing is and what it entails.”
Prior to the test session, Hawksworth flew to North Carolina in the off-season to spend a day with Busch on the TRD simulator.
“If I didn’t have that I probably would have been completely lost,” Busch said. “It was good to do that.”
Braking has been the biggest adjustment while driving the Lexus for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.
“I’m used to our big heavy stock cars that you have to start the slow down process way early and the braking zone is forever,” Busch said. “Completely different techniques that you got to work with on these cars. You can drive the snot out of them.”
Busch does have one start on the Daytona road course when he competed in a Lexus Prototype for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2009 Brumos Porsche 250. Busch and co-driver Scott Speed finished 10th in that event before both raced later that night in the Cup race.
“It was in the middle of the day and it was a 1,000 degrees inside the car,” Busch recalled. “We had the NASCAR race that night and I remember just being flushed after that race was over because it was so hot. We didn’t fare too well. I’m looking forward hopefully to being much faster this time around.”
As the weekend continues, Busch knows he will get even more acclimated with the No. 14 Lexus.
“I was definitely getting more comfortable and pushing more and more,” Busch said. “I’m ready for next session to get behind the wheel to kind of fine tune my marks a little bit more and get more finesse. Right now it’s pretty sloppy I feel like. Once I can get some laps out there and get a sense of where I need to be it will clean up.”
