Busch Wrongly Accused For 1 of 2 Daytona Practice Accidents By Clanton

Daytona Beach, FL (AHN) - Roush Fenway Racing driver Joey Clanton was quick to point the finger at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch for the first of two incidents during NASCAR Preseason Thunder practice, but the video clearly exonerated Joe Gibbs Racing's newest driver.

With less than an hour left in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series test at Daytona International Speedway, the No. 6 Ford of Colin Braun shot up into the wall and collected Roush Fenway Racing teammate Clanton.

"It's a veteran out there taking advantage of a rookie. It's the same old thing we hear all the time. It's Friday, the first day of practice and you don't bump draft, especially a rookie that's never done it before,'' said Clanton. "(Busch) got into Colin and got him upset through the tri-oval and that ain't the place to do it. He shoved him up the race track and we got together."

Clanton's ride sustained severe left rear and right side damage, while Braun's Ford endured left-front, right-rear and right-front damage.Clanton and Braun's rides were so badly damaged that they packed up and headed back home, thus missing the final two days of testing. Their teammate, Erik Darnell, who posted the fastest lap in the morning test session (177.420 mph), was back on the track this morning.

Busch tried to make light of the situation by putting a neon "X' on the right-rear quarter-panel of his No. 51 Toyota that read, "Stay Off, Clanton,'' which a NASCAR official made the team remove at the end of the day. NCTS Director Wayne Auton later told Busch the video cleared him of any accusations.

"(Clanton) decided to show up in his diapers and I'm wearing pull-ups today. He did a little crying saying I wrecked him and his teammate out there and I wasn't close to him. He's been side drafting everybody in testing all day and we're not even in race practice yet, let alone the race,'' said Busch. "He went to side-draft the 6 truck and when he got close to him he got into the V coming off the nose and pulled him in and they got together and both shot up into the fence. I don't have a mark on my truck. I wasn't anywhere near them. I saw it all happen. He's being a crybaby for some reason like he always has been even from the ASA days so whatever.''Braun (176.790 mph) and Clanton (176.509 mph) were second and third fastest respectively of the morning session before packing up and heading home.

"For me the most disappointing thing is these guys have to go back and work their butts off back in the shop and fix the truck. It's really too bad that had to happen on the first day, too. We had a lot of stuff we still wanted to get through,'' said Braun. "It's good that we got some drafting practice in and got a few things knocked out of the way, and I just feel bad for the guys. It's too bad they have to go back and bust their butts for the next couple of weeks."

Minutes later Brendan Gaughan, now driving the No. 10 Ford of Circle Bar Racing, got into the back of the No. 11 Toyota of David Starr, who shot across the track and collected the No. 59 Toyota of Ted Musgrave, who was helping out HT Motorsports for the test.

Starr was treated and released at the infield care center and when leaving was approached by Gaughan, who hugged Starr and apologized, taking responsibility for the incident.

"Finally, we got it where we wanted it and I went out there and came from the back to the front. I was running with the No. 10 (Gaughan) truck for a while, and finally got around him with a push from someone. A lap or so later, Brendan got a good run and I'm not sure what happened. Maybe he didn't realize how fast he was closing,'' said Starr. "I came off Turn 2 and was just driving down the back straightaway -- and all of a sudden, the back of the truck came off the ground. I didn't have a chance to do anything. I just hate it for my team. It's just a shame. We're not even one day into a three-day test, and we have a torn up truck."

In the afternoon drafting session, Gaughan led the speed charts with a top speed of 184.638 mph and just behind him was the No. 7 Chevrolet of Andy Lally. Clanton, Starr and Todd Bodine closed out the top-5.