NASCAR notebook
Chase gets worse for Kyle Busch
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Busch's championship hopes all but disappeared into the blue Kansas sky Sunday.
The driver, who led the points race for nearly the entire season, is now 12th — last — in the Chase standings, a whopping 311 points behind. Yet another mechanical failure, the third for the No. 18 Toyota Camry in as many weeks, had Busch crossing the finish line 28th.
Early in the race, Busch said he heard the pitch of the engine change and thought the engine had a problem. Crew chief Steve Addington said it was a fuel issue.
"We came in, checked all the lines and everything and couldn't find anything," Addington said. "But we've got a fuel pressure issue. We'll go back and just dissect the whole car to see what the problem was and see if we can find anything."
A sway bar broke at New Hampshire, the start of the Chase, and Busch had engine problems last week at Dover.
• GORDON ILL, BUT FINISHES WELL: Jeff Gordon was sick all weekend and said Sunday was the worst he's felt while driving a car. But Gordon managed to finish fourth after starting 13th. He moved up two spots in the standings to sixth, 143 points off the lead.
"That was a good run and a good car," Gordon said. " I know if I had been healthy, I would have gotten more out of it."
• GOING OUT STRONG?: AJ Allmendinger will not return to the No. 84 Toyota for Red Bull Racing next season and could be out of the ride this week. If so, he leaves after finishing ninth, his best in a Sprint Cup race.
"We had a great car," Allmendinger said. "The racing is so tough out there. Everybody is fighting so hard."
