Kyle Busch fessed up. His comments earlier Friday weren’t the whole truth, when he said he wouldn’t field a Nationwide car for Kimi Raikkonen next week. “I don’t own it,” Busch said with a sly smile after winning Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte. Who does own it, Busch wouldn’t reveal, after admitting the car was a Toyota. “You’ll find out next week,” he said. In his first news conference with NASCAR reporters, Raikkonen mentioned that he expected to drive in the Nationwide race at Charlotte. When asked about it, Busch was circumspect. “We don’t have a Nationwide Series license [at Kyle Busch Motorsports], and our crew guys aren’t licensed for the Nationwide Series or anything,” Busch said. “It would have to be with somebody else.” Clever, but the not whole story, as it turned out. Accordingly, you can expect to see Raikkonen behind the wheel of a Toyota on May 28 — in a car to be named later.(Sporting News/NASCAR.com)(5-21-2011)
UPDATE: The pieces to the Kimi Raikkonen Nationwide Series puzzle are coming together. FOXSports.com has learned that the car is being assembled by Kyle Busch Motorsports but the owner points will come from Joe Nemechek’s #87 entry, registered under NEMCO Motorsports, which is currently 19th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series points standings. The crew will come from NEMCO with additional support from KBM employees. NEMCO will provide transporter, equipment and back up car for the race. Raikkonen finished 15th in his NASCAR Camping World Truck debut. The 2007 Formula One champion was approved to compete in next Saturday’s Nationwide Series race prior to Friday night’s event.(Fox Sports)(5-21-2011)
