Kyle Busch Owns A Rocking Barn Find 1969 Camaro
Whenever NASCAR star Kyle Busch gets some time away from the hustle and bustle of racing and wants to take things slow, he gets in his beloved 1969 Camaro. The classic American muscle car is a real looker, but under the skin the Detroit Speed build is so much more.Previously, he owned another 1969 Camaro painted orange with white stripes. It had a 350ci V8, 4-speed manual, mushy handling, and mediocre brakes. For a man who's used to tight-handling, high-powered rides, it just wasn't cutting the mustard.
He sold that car, which eventually made its way to auction where it changed hands again. Someone probably feels fortunate to own Busch's old ride, but the racecar driver was happy to see it gone.
Busch acquired another '69 Camaro he felt would be a good project car. It was a literal barn find he found while poking around online. The thing was rust-free, had no dents, and showed just 37,000 original miles on the clock.
Tucked away in a barn for over 20 years, the muscle car was hidden away in Terra Haute, Indiana before the owner listed it for sale. Covered in a thick layer of dust, it wasn't much to look at, but Busch immediately recognized the value your average person wouldn't see.
Instead of wrenching on it himself, Busch decided to have the professionals at Detroit Speed turn the old Chevy into something special. They did an LS swap, which might make some people roll their eyes, but there's a good reason for the popularity.
Not content with just dropping a stock engine under the hood, Detroit Speed bored and stroked an LS7, added a Magnuson supercharger for good measure. It also contains a custom-ground cam and other upgraded internals.
Ultimately, that's good for a claimed 706-horsepower and 674 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Pro Touring build sounds amazing with Detroit Speed headers and exhaust, plus a Borla muffler, giving the proper burble. Busch gets to enjoy rowing through the gears thanks to a Tremec T-56 six-speed, plus there's a twin-disc clutch that performs great in aggressive driving.
Addressing Busch's other gripes about his old Camaro, Detroit Speed went big on the suspension and brakes. Up front is a Detroit Speed subframe with performance spindles and A-arms. Around back is a QuadraLink suspension system. JRi double-adjustable shocks are also in the mix, plus they added subframe connectors and solid body mounts, tightening everything up for better feedback through turns.
Wilwood brakes with 14-inch rotors, plus six-piston calipers up front and four-piston in the rear combine with BFG KDW tires to further enhance driver control.
While the interior is upgraded, Detroit Speed kept things subtle with black leather upholstery, upgraded sound system, custom transmission tunnel, and other upgrades.
Busch has used his beloved 1969 Camaro in a number of social media posts, including doing brand endorsements. He obviously loves the Pro Touring build, so ditching his old ride was absolutely the best decision.
Image via KyleBusch/X
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
NASCAR Richmond takeaways: Austin Dillon's surprise, playoff picture and more
On a blistering hot day at Indianapolis Colts training camp last month, Austin Dillon sought one of the few available slivers of shade as he watched players go through their practice routine. Encountering shade is something Dillon is plenty familiar with — he's gotten it from NASCAR fans during his entire racing career, labeled as the undeserving 'silver spoon' driver who only keeps his job because his grandfather, Richard Childress, owns the race team. Advertisement But for a guy who has heard it all, he's remarkably unfazed by the criticism. Frankly, it's because he doesn't agree with it; in his heart, Dillon knows he would step out of the seat if it was the best thing for Richard Childress Racing. Dillon has a scout's mindset for athletes. He demonstrated that by pointing out various players on the Colts' field and breaking down their attributes (Dillon would be a formidable opponent in your fantasy football league) and discussing his roster choices for the Carolina Cowboys (a Professional Bull Riders team for which he is the general manager). And genuinely, Dillon is clear-eyed about his own abilities as well. At age 35, Dillon knows he is not Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano, which is why last year he cried during the appeals process for his infamous Richmond victory — emotional that until a late caution, he was going to beat the two future Hall of Famers straight up. Earlier this year, Dillon told The Athletic he would transition to a full-time management role 'when I have exhausted all efforts and the success hasn't come with it and the right person is there to pick up the weight and I can successfully help the company in a better way at RCR.' 'When that time comes, I'll be ready for it, and I'll try and make us as competitive as I can, always,' he added. But for now, Dillon believes he's still good enough to get it done, to be an asset to RCR while in the driver's seat of the No. 3 car. Nights like Saturday seem to back that up. Back at Richmond one year later, he led more than 100 laps in the most complete race of his career and earned a win that vaulted him into the playoffs. Burned it down and left no doubt.@austindillon3 takes @RCRracing back to Victory Lane. — NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 17, 2025 He has back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in his career, and during a time in which RCR has struggled. If you want a measurement of how the team is doing overall, just look at Dillon's teammate, the great Kyle Busch — who has not won at all in the last two and a half seasons. And Dillon is doing all of this with more responsibilities than a typical driver, because he's involved with RCR management decisions. Advertisement 'If the outside people knew how much he did on top of this — he'll be at the shop on Monday at a meeting with Richard, talking about the health of the company,' crew chief Richard Boswell said. 'He's got a lot on his plate, which makes it harder for him to work at this level as a Cup driver as well. But he stays at it all week long.' On that steamy day at Colts training camp, Dillon and Busch hung around until practice was over to meet cornerback Kenny Moore II. Moore, who described himself as a big race fan, was enthusiastic about meeting both drivers — and not just Busch, the future Hall of Famer. 'I've been seeing y'all names for a long time now,' Moore told them. Indeed, Dillon has quietly put together a 12-year Cup Series career in which he has six Cup wins — including two crown jewels — and two lower-series championships. But for anyone tired of seeing his name, there's bad news: You're going to be hearing about Dillon for a long time to come, because he's being groomed to take the reins of RCR when Childress, now 79, eventually steps away. Dillon said the two men already have 'knock-down, drag-out' fights about the direction of the company at times because Childress is 'loyal to a fault' with personnel whereas Dillon sees the need for change. But Dillon feels he's making an impact, even if it's not immediate. 'He usually has a way about it where you tell him one thing and he's going to get upset about it,' Dillon said. 'Then two weeks later (he) turns around (and says), 'What do you think about this?' 'That's a great idea, man. I love that.'' Dillon was 28th in the point standings prior to Saturday night, so his playoff berth was certainly unexpected with two races remaining. And combined with a bad night for Tyler Reddick — after Reddick was spun in a chain-reaction incident triggered by Daniel Suárez — there's suddenly a dramatic shift in the potential playoff field. Advertisement That's because Reddick, who is currently seventh in the standings and has shown plenty of speed at times this season despite not winning, is now in jeopardy of missing the cut. That's shocking, considering the more likely scenario heading into Richmond was Reddick would clinch a berth if there was no new winner. But now Reddick is only 29 points ahead of Alex Bowman, who currently has the final position on points, and if there is another new winner at Daytona to take a guaranteed berth, just one driver will make the field based on points. Should Reddick crash at Daytona (entirely possible given the frequency of the Big One) and Bowman end up with a good night, Reddick could be out. Did anyone see this coming? Surely not as recently as last week, when Reddick left Watkins Glen with a 117-point lead over the cutoff spot. Even if there were two new winners, he was still 57 points — almost an entire race — ahead of Bowman. But Dillon's win, along with the ill-fated Suárez wreck and Bowman's excellent Richmond race (a second-place finish) suddenly combined to bring doubt into play. Now, a driver who made a Championship 4 appearance last year and is ahead of eight of this season's playoff drivers in the point standings, has to sweat it out for one more race. If you were Reddick's team, what strategy would you use at Daytona? You would have to assume there will be a new winner in your scenario-planning, so that leaves a points race with Bowman. One idea would be to hang back and try to force Bowman into running hard; after all, Bowman would have to be on offense for stage points and his overall result. While that could appear conservative, it also provides some level of protection from the Big One and letting others take themselves out (thus filling the bottom of the running order with DNFs and gambling Bowman cannot gain 30 points that way). While it's unfortunate tire supplier Goodyear has been given the onus of fixing what ails NASCAR's Next Gen car on short tracks, the company certainly provided more than just a glimmer of hope on Saturday night. The race was entertaining and interesting almost entirely because of the tire wear. The various strategies allowed for a wide discrepancy in speed, which created passing opportunities — which is what many have been pleading for, particularly on short tracks. Advertisement Does it mean Goodyear can replicate this everywhere by bringing a soft tire? No, not necessarily. Multi-groove Richmond, last repaved in 2004, is one of NASCAR's oldest surfaces and naturally wears tires. Some of the newer repaves would require Goodyear to go even softer with its tire compounds, which is a stretch given the company's current tools. So while Richmond showed what is possible with the car, it also should be enjoyed on its own merits instead of viewed as the new standard going forward for other short tracks. At this time, that doesn't seem realistic. William Byron won his first regular-season championship on Saturday night after a 12th-place finish — combined with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott's first DNF of the year — was enough to clinch the prize of 15 bonus points with one race remaining before the playoffs begin. Even though Byron hit a slump with a stretch of poor results this summer (he finished outside the top 15 in six of eight races before winning earlier this month at Iowa Speedway), he believed his No. 24 team showed enough speed all along. That helped alleviate some of the typical concerns that have come when the team gets off to a hot start and then slips in the midseason stretch. 'We're in rhythm, in sync,' he said. 'The years we've been on the other side, it's a lot of questions, a lot of doubt that things are going to work out. 'Now we've been kind of through the wringer of a lot of different things this year. Every race has kind of been different in terms of what we fight. … It feels nice to go into the playoffs hitting on all cylinders, just operating well. I don't feel like we've ever really slowed down.' What's particularly notable about Saturday night's achievement is Byron had coughed up a triple-digit lead in the standings when Elliott roared back to take the top spot by 16 points at Dover (less than a month ago). Then, in just four races, Byron reclaimed the lead and did enough to wrap up the title before even taking the green flag for the regular-season finale. (Photo of Austin Dillon celebrating Saturday's win: Samuel Corum / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Long: Austin Dillon's win gives Richard Childress something to celebrate in challenging year
RICHMOND, Va. — Richard Childress smiled and celebrated Saturday night. It was a contrast from recent weeks when the Hall of Fame owner has railed against his team's cars and NASCAR's decision makers. There were no controversies this time. In what has been a challenging year for Richard Childress Racing, Austin Dillon's victory at Richmond showed that the team's retooling has moved it in the proper direction. But work remains. At the center of this project is Childress, who will turn 80 next month. While he could let others run his team and recede into a ceremonial role, Childress remains a key figure. 'You look at our organization,' Dillon said after his sixth career Cup victory. 'There's one rock in the middle of it. That's my grandfather. He's always been there. He's always the guy on top of the truck and trailer giving his all. You don't see that from every owner out there.' Molded by his early days in the rough-and-tumble atmosphere at Bowman Gray Stadium, Childress carried a fighter's stubbornness and mettle into a racing career as an independent driver. His pairing with Dale Earnhardt created one of NASCAR's most successful driver/car owner combinations and made RCR a team for the everyman. That remains at Childress' core. Nate Ryan, Last month at Indianapolis, he defended Xfinity driver Austin Hill after NASCAR penalized Hill five laps for wrecking Aric Almirola. When asked if NASCAR should suspend Hill a race — the sanctioning body later did — Childress erupted with a 'hell no' and said he didn't feel his team was viewed as others were. 'It's who you are,' Childress said. 'We're a blue-collar team. They (NASCAR) give us trouble all the time.' Saturday night's win was the organization's first Cup victory since Dillon's controversial victory last year at Richmond that saw him wreck Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap. NASCAR allowed the victory to stand but stripped Dillon and the team of the playoff eligibility that went with it — a decision that cost RCR millions of dollars in lost chartered revenue. Dustin Long, While joyous with his grandson's win Saturday, Childress displayed an edge about NASCAR's decision from a year ago. 'I'll never forget last year,' he said. 'But today winning the race, I want to focus and concentrate on it.' Success has been fleeting in recent years for Richard Childress Racing, which won the last of its six Cup titles in 1994 and hasn't had a driver place in the top 10 in points since Ryan Newman was second in 2014. The organization has won two races since last year but none by Kyle Busch, whose career-long winless streak stretched to 82 races after he placed 16th. Until Saturday — when Dillon led 107 laps — the organization had led only 70 laps this year. The team still has fewer top-five finishes this season than at this point a year ago when it had four. Childress has been outspoken about his team's performance in recent years. Last summer, he said he was 'more involved' as the team sought a turnaround. A focus has been engineering. The organization brought in Richard Boswell, who had been at Stewart-Haas Racing until it shut down, to be Dillon's crew chief this season. The hires also included John Klausmeier, a former crew chief and technical director at SHR who joined RCR last November as technical director. It often takes time to see the results of change. Childress expressed his frustration with the pace of progress last month after the Dover race, which saw both team cars place outside the top 10. 'We've got to get some damn race cars,' Childress said on the radio of Dillon's team. 'I've seen enough out of our drivers and teams. We've got to work on this (expletive). Period.' Childress delivered a similar message on Busch's radio channel after that race, saying: 'We've got to get some race cars. We are in trouble. Period.' What changes to make hasn't always been easy. Dillon plays a key role in the organization's direction — a role that will grow when his driving career ends — and he admits that discussions with his grandfather gets heated at times. 'We get into arguments to the point of frustration,' Dillon said. 'It's very hard when he's your grandfather to have an argument with him because you don't want to argue about it. There's certain directions we have to go to move this boat forward, right? 'I'm constantly pushing him. My brother (Ty) has stepped in now and trying to help as well. Between the two of us, we want to try to take some of the load off of him as we but he's very loyal to a fault almost. He really takes great care of those that are around him. We just push him to try and make change at some point in time. 'He usually has a way about it where you tell him one thing and he's going to get upset about it. Then two weeks later (he'll) turn around (and say), 'What do you think about this?' That's a great idea, man. I love that.' Saturday, after the team's 118th Cup victory, Childress was as happy as after many other wins. 'You never take winning for granted,' he said. Watch highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Listen to the best soundbites from the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.
Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
A Year After Controversial Richmond Victory, Austin Dillon Wins With No Drama
NASCAR Cup Series A Year After Controversial Richmond Victory, Austin Dillon Wins With No Drama Published Aug. 17, 2025 12:05 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link RICHMOND, Va. — Austin Dillon didn't face any questions about whether he crossed any line other than the finish line Saturday night. Just one year ago, Dillon's Richmond Raceway victory stirred a huge controversy and resulted in NASCAR ruling that his contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin was too egregious to award a playoff berth for the win. But this year, Dillon won with absolutely no controversy, as he beat Alex Bowman by 2.47 seconds at the finish. Austin Dillon celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond "I'm too tired to be angry," Dillon said. "I got a little cold, a broken rib, a lot of adversity. Some things you don't understand at the time come back around. "God has a way of putting that timing together. I feel like I was probably the calmest I've ever been tonight in the car winning the race. I didn't act a certain way. I was just thankful for the opportunity." Dillon entered the race 28th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings but now will be one of the 16 drivers in the playoffs when they start in two weeks at Darlington Raceway. Two spots remain in the playoff field. Tyler Reddick and Bowman would gain those spots if the regular-season finale doesn't have a new winner. If there is a new winner, one of those two drivers would get the final spot, with Reddick entering the race 29 points ahead of Bowman. ADVERTISEMENT Tyler Reddick greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond. Dillon doesn't have those worries, as he no doubt has a playoff spot. Last year, the team lost its appeal to the NASCAR decision to withdraw the playoff berth in the wake of the last-lap fracas. "I'll never forget last year," said Dillon's grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress. "But today, winning the race — I want to focus and concentrate on it. "I was not happy with the way things went down with the way things were called on us. But that's history. Let's look at tonight. Tonight was a great night." Dillon and Ryan Blaney gave a great battle for the lead in the final 100 laps, with them side-by-side and at times swapping the front spot. Dillon made his final pit stop about four laps before Blaney and Blaney could never catch him, eventually wearing out his tires enough that Bowman passed him for second. Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillon race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway "He raced door-to-door with a Cup champion," said Richard Boswell, who came to RCR to crew chief for Dillon this season after the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing. "He beat him at the end." For Dillon, it marked his sixth win in his 433rd career Cup start. Driving the famed No. 3 that Dale Earnhardt made famous while racing for Childress, Dillon faces questions about whether he deserves the privilege of driving such an iconic car number. That only increased when many questioned how he won the race at Richmond a year ago, a race where Dillon had a comfortable lead until a caution set up a two-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Dillon said it was hard for his grandfather to get over it. "Last year ... it stung to him because he felt like NASCAR kind of let him down in a way," Dillon said. "They had to make a call. I got over it. He doesn't get over those type of things. "Hopefully this lets him sleep at night again … because this sport is special. It's given our family a living and a lot of other families a living." And the win at Richmond was special, a track where Dillon struggled early in his career but also a track where RCR has had some great moments. Dillon also raced for the third consecutive week with a broken rib, suffered when he fell off a ladder at home. When Dillon arrived on Friday at Richmond, he said he didn't arrive with an angry feeling from last year and the term redemption didn't really seem to apply. The circumstances were just different this year. "This is what I wanted last year," Dillon said. "It's not how I wanted to end it last year [when] I felt like I had to with my back against the wall kind of deal." FINAL LAPS: Austin Dillon wins Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway Dillon had led just one lap in any race since winning a year ago and before leading 107 Saturday night at Richmond. "If you would have told me we would come back a year later and sitting in Victory Lane after all we went through?" Dillon said. "I cried in our appeal process because that win meant a lot to me to be able to race with Denny and Joey. "Before that period, we didn't have a good run. I was so pumped to just be up there racing for a win. Then to come back this year, everyone is telling you, 'Go get it done. You can get the redemption here. Show them what it means to win.'" The 35-year-old Dillon made the playoffs for the first time in three years. He finished 29th and 32nd in the standings the last two seasons. "We're kind of like a fighter," Dillon said. "We don't go away. I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point. We're able to claw, chip, find ways. "I like that underdog mentality a little bit." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. What did you think of this story? share
