Potential win for Kurt Busch goes away in crash - MotorSportsTalk

Kurt Busch got another chance to seal the deal and claim his first win of the season, but a wreck during today’s Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway made sure he’ll have to wait at least another week.

Going into Sunday, Busch had made his way into ninth place in the Sprint Cup championship and in the race, he proved to be one of the contenders by leading a stout 102 laps on the day. He was running in the Top 10 at Lap 225, when the back end of his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet spun around directly in front of Matt Kenseth.

Ryan Newman, running on the high line, was collected by Busch in the process, while the oncoming Kasey Kahne proceeded to tag Kenseth from behind. But while Kahne and Kenseth were able to continue on directly after the incident, Busch was forced to wait out repairs in the garage before coming back to finish 31st. Newman’s car was unsalvageable, and he finished 39th.

“I just got hit from behind,” said Busch. “There was three-wide action, everybody’s going hard…Kenseth was in the middle and he was in the middle on the back straightaway. The car gets light when there is no air on the rear spoiler back there.”

The 31st-place result caused him to fall five spots to 14th in the standings, seven points out of Kahne in 10th place – and Busch knows that he can’t deal with more problems if he wants to make the post-season.

“We took a hit in the points, but we’re still in the Chase hunt – that’s the good news,” he said to NASCAR.com. “But we need to have more consistency and can’t have these kinds of finishes with only seven races remaining before the Chase.”

The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.