Kyle Busch eager to return to Illinois and defend his title

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (KTVI) — NASCAR star Kyle Busch will have the chance to defend last year’s Enjoy Illinois 300 title in Sunday’s big race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Before this heavy task, Busch has a fairly busy list of activities. He spent part of his Saturday meeting fans, signing autographs and promoting Rebel Bourbon during a public appearance at Schnucks in St. Charles.

Busch says enthusiasm continues to grow in year three in the St. Louis area.

“It’s always exciting to be able to travel as much as we do,” Busch said. “Being back in St. Louis and getting ready to drive the Chevrolet Camaro Rebel Bourbon this weekend at the St. Louis Speedway is always awesome.”

“We won here last year. This victory gave us a lot of momentum on our side. I feel like I have a good feel for this place.

Busch also finished second in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in 2022. Hoping to build on his big results, preparations are well underway.

“The most important thing is just to go through your notebook and understand what made you good at the particular tracks that you run well at,” Busch said. “Trying to repeat that same success and making sure I put it on the circuit the same way I did the year before.”

Busch says he’s hoping for sunny skies and no rain on Sunday after various weather interruptions at the track on Saturday. He also has high hopes for the fan experience.

“I appreciate everyone’s support,” Busch said. “And thank you for Rebel Bourbon and the opportunity to meet all the fans in the area. Having the chance to say hello to them, sign autographs and, of course, make sure they come out tomorrow.

Busch will start Sunday’s race in 10th position. His 63 NASCAR Cup Series victories are among active drivers, although his most recent to date came in last year’s Enjoy Illinois 300 race.

The 2024 Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race is scheduled to begin Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT. FS1 will carry the broadcast. Some tickets for the big race are also still available.