Kyle Busch enters the Chase ready to win it all

For drivers that make NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, the Chase is a time to prove their worth in the sport. Competing for the honor to be recognized as the best driver of the year, no one has been able to dethrone Jimmie Johnson for the past five years.

At task for that job, Kyle “Rowdy” Busch, who is seeded first in the Chase as we head into Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. With four wins this season, Busch has shown that he and the No. 18 team are full fledged competitors for the Sprint Cup title and by no means are to be counted out based on past performance.

With five previous Chase appearances, Busch’s highest finish was a fifth in 2007. Today, Busch participated in a NASCAR.com teleconference and was asked to reflect on the past Chases, seeing if there is anything he can point to as what not to do this year. Busch replied, “Well, I mean, certainly we look at 2008 as being a really good year that we had. We won eight races, we were the top seed going into the Chase. First three races right out of the gate we faltered. We had a sway bar bolt come loose, we blew up at Dover, then we got I think a fuel pickup problem or something at Kansas.Those are things that I can do as well as the team can do that can make us better and stronger, to not let ourselves give it away. Certainly there's a great chance for us to win it. It's going to come down to the man with the least mistakes."

Specifically looking towards this weekend to start the Chase with “The Kyle Busch Show", I asked him what is needed to get him back in Victory Lane. His last Sprint Cup win at Chicagoland came in 2008 though he has dominated in the Nationwide and Truck Series and knows his way towards Victory Lane quite well.

“I think the biggest thing for us to go back to Victory Lane in Chicago in the Cup Series is having a good car", Busch said. “When you unload off the hauler, you're fastest off the truck, it makes life a heck of a lot easier for the weekend.

We know that we've got to be a strong contender. We weren't very good at Kansas, but we were really good at Las Vegas, at Kentucky, at Michigan, at California. Those are intermediate tracks that play well into our hands.

For us to pinpoint one exact thing that's going to fix our cars for Chicagoland, it's just speed. You got to be able to come off the truck with a good feel, a good-handling racecar, something that you can make speed in.”