GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- When Kurt Busch's wife surprised him with a spot in a drag racing school, the NASCAR driver had no idea what he was getting into.
He still doesn't really know, either.
Busch spent two days waiting to make his NHRA debut at the Gatornationals, but heavy rain and flooding forced the sanctioning body to postpone his Sportsman class until Sunday at the earliest.
It was a small setback for Busch, who has grown accustomed to delays in NASCAR. There was the pothole debacle at Daytona International Speedway in February and then he had to drive several extra laps last week to secure a victory in Atlanta.
He has waited considerably longer for this. Busch's venture began at the U.S. Nationals in 2008, when he watched the event with legendary drag racer Don Prudomme. About the same time, a drag strip was being built near his home in Charlotte.
"I said, 'Well, I've got to have a car,' " Busch said. "They're going to have 'NASCAR Night' and there's going to be nobody out there that's going to beat me on the NASCAR side. That's really the main objective."
Busch certainly could have the car to beat. He bought a 1970 Dodge Challenger off eBay for $15,000 and started getting into race shape. The street-legal car puts out nearly 1,200 horsepower now.
Busch got it on a track for the first time Monday, when he took it to Rockingham Dragway and made about a dozen passes in preparation for Gainesville.
After he got the "bug" to race, his wife sent him to the famed Roy Hill drag racing school.
"When I followed him and learned more about the drag-racing world, I learned that there was quite a bit that I didn't understand," Busch said. "Roy has taken me under his wing, and when you do something wrong, he's the first one to tell you straight to your face. It reminds me a little of how my dad taught me how to drive in the oval ranks."
He teamed up with longtime friend Jesse Walker and started building a competitive car. Although Busch has struggled with his reaction times in practice, he's eager to see what it will do. But don't expect this to be a full-time venture anytime soon.
"I still hope I've got 10 or 15 years left on the Cup circuit," he said.
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