Sponsor Asks Joe Gibbs Racing To Replace Kyle Busch For Nationwide Series Finale

The fallout from Kyle Busch's "road rage" at last Friday's Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350k continued today when sponsor Z-Line Designs "asked for him to be removed from the season-ending Nationwide Series race," according to sources cited by Jenna Fryer of the AP. Sources said that Z-Line asked this week that driver Denny Hamlin "replace Busch in next weekend's" Nationwide Series Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Among the options "being considered is Aric Almirola replacing Busch in the final two Sprint Cup Series races of the season, as primary sponsor M&M's decides how it wants to proceed with Busch." Although NASCAR "has cleared Busch to race this weekend at Phoenix," Joe Gibbs Racing officials "have been silent on his status in Sunday's Cup race." Busch has been "off the track since he intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. under caution in the early laps of last Friday's Truck Series race at Texas" (AP, 11/10).