Kyle Busch makes first media appearance since wreck at Daytona

KYLE BUSCH feels fortunate, very fortunate. In his first media availability yesterday following his crash at Daytona Feb. 21, Busch said the results of the crash "could've been a lot worse."

Busch is recuperating from a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a broken left foot. He sat in an elevated chair on a stage at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters in Huntersville, N.C. His right leg bent normally. He no longer uses a walker and he is doing squats during his daily gym workouts.

Busch, 29, was in good spirits, smiling frequently. Near the end of the almost 1-hour media session, he said the joke at the JGR race shop is "I legitimately have screws loose."

Busch said that when he left the racing surface, his car was travelling at 176 mph. He said he hit the wall at the end of pit road at a bone-breaking 200 mph.

"As we were rolling off pit road [for the Xfinity Series race], I noticed the wall [where he hit] wasn't protected," Busch recalled. "I thought, 'If someone hits there it's going to hurt.' "

Busch said he did not want to set a timetable for his return to racing, in case he has setbacks in his recuperation, but the July 5 race at Daytona was mentioned.

"We want to be smart," he said. "I have a long career ahead. We don't need to rush."

Busch said he was immediately aware of his injuries after the crash and momentarily thought, "I'm done [racing]." But later doctors told him he would be better than new.

"They said, 'You have titanium in you. You're a man of steel!' " he said.

When he resumes racing, Busch hopes to quickly regain the touch that has brought him more than 100 wins in NASCAR's top three series (29 in Sprint Cup). He noted he has virtually no experience with the 2015 Cup cars.

"I don't know if I'll struggle getting back in a race car," he said. "Hopefully I'll adapt pretty quick."

Busch and his wife Samantha are expecting their first child, a son, in about a month. He praised Samantha for all her help.

Busch also complimented David Ragan, his interim replacement in the No. 18 Toyota. Ragan is 10th in points.

Oh, no, not Jimmie Johnson again.

Seven races into the season and Johnson has already won twice. He and Kevin Harvick are two-time race winners this year.

Last year, while 13 different drivers won, a handful dominated: Brad Keselowski collected the most wins, six, followed by Harvick and Joey Logano, five each. Johnson and fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won four apiece.

Johnson, Harvick, Keselowski and Logano will win more than their share of races this year. If there are 13 different winners again, it will be surprising.

Johnson, who won five consecutive Cup titles from 2006-10 and another in 2013, has 72 career victories, eighth on all-time list, four behind the late Dale Earnhardt.

One of my favorite Stan Hochman stories involves auto racing. I frequently kidded Stan, who died last Thursday at age 86, that when he retired, there would be a blank on his resume showing he never covered an auto race. I gave up trying to get him to Pocono, Dover or Indianapolis.

Stan's good-natured reply always was, "I would rather cover that dog-sled race in Alaska than cover an auto race."

Stan was a treasured colleague. During his time as Daily News sports editor in the early 1970s, Stan put me on the Flyers beat. I've always been grateful for that opportunity.

Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes

Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.

When: Sunday, 1 p.m.

TV/Radio: Fox/WNPV (1440-AM)

Course: .533-mile oval

Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles

Forecast: morning showers, upper 60s

Last year's winner: Carl Edwards

Last year's pole: Denny Hamlin, 129.991 mph

Track qualifying record: Kevin Harvick, 131.362 mph (August 2014)

Track facts: Steve Byrnes is a Fox sportscaster who has head and neck cancer ... Carl Edwards led the last 78 laps to win last year's race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was runner-up; Aric Almirola was third. Matt Kenseth paced the most laps (165), but finished 13th ... Kurt and Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon are five-time winners at Bristol; Gordon's last win at the track was in 2002. Edwards and Kenseth won three times at the track ... Six different drivers have won the last six races at Bristol ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano will be team captains for the third annual Pocono-Dover softball clash Tuesday at the Trenton Thunder's ballpark. Teams consist of media members and "special guests." Call 609-394-3300 or check www.trentonthunder.com for details.

Wins: Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson, 2 each; Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, 1 each.

STANDINGS

1. Kevin Harvick 306

2. Joey Logano 280

3. Martin Truex Jr. 266

4. Brad Keselowski 246

5. Kasey Kahne 230

6. Jimmie Johnson 216

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 213

8. Denny Hamlin 205

9. Aric Almirola 195

10. David Ragan 194

11. Jamie McMurray 193

12. Matt Kenseth 189

13. Jeff Gordon 186

14. Carl Edwards 182

15. Casey Mears 178

16. Paul Menard 177

17. Danica Patrick 176

18. Clint Bowyer 168

19. Greg Biffle 165

20. AJ Allmendinger 161

Up next: Toyota Owners 400, April 25, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va., 7:30 p.m.; TV: Fox; last year's winner: Joey Logano.