Kroger 200 - Stacy Compton Notes

Compton's Kingsford Sure Fire/Bush's Baked Beans Ford Looking to Take Next Step in Kroger 200

CLERMONT, Ind. - Success in racing, especially in the NASCAR Busch Series, usually comes in steps. For Stacy Compton, the past two months has provided several steps - all in the right direction.

"We've come a long way lately," Compton said. "We started the season with a new Ford Fusion and it's been a real puzzle to figure out. The good thing about the new Ford is it has a lot more flexibility than the Taurus. We had taken the Taurus as far as it could go. The Fusion was the next step."

Compton's race team has continued that climb. Their Kingsford Sure Fire/Bush's Baked Beans Ford has improved seven positions in the Busch Series standings in his last 10 races. He enters Saturday night's Kroger 200 at the O'Reilly Raceway Park just 36 points from 17th place in the rankings.

"At one time we were as far back as 29th in the standings," Compton said. "We knew we were all better than that. We knew the Fusion was better than that. What we needed most of all was a little racing luck.

"Things are starting to come together for us. We've had eight Top-20 finishes in our last 12 races, and that's helped us turn everything around. But while we're pleased to be making improvements, it's time to take the next step. We need to start thinking about Top-10 finishes."

Compton said Saturday night's race is a perfect place for his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team to take another significant step in its second-half surge. Compton has four career starts at the .686-mile short track near Indianapolis, including a third-place start in 2002 and a third-place finish in 2003. In all, Compton has finished no worse than 18th at ORP in his Busch Series career.

"It's a perfect short track," Compton said. "There's a lot of beating and banging in the race, and track position is so important. But unlike other short tracks, there are a couple of racing grooves there. The fast cars will hug the bottom groove, but if your car is good enough you can pass on the outside. It's unusual to have options other than knocking somebody out of the way on a short track."

Compton said there are several reasons his team has taken such strides in the past two months. Not only do they have a better understanding of the new Fusion, they have a better understanding of each other.

"Racing isn't about horsepower; it's about communication," he said. "We're doing a much better job taking information the car gives me, the information I give the team, the information (crew chief) Jay Guy gives the team and turning that information into results. The car is starting to respond the way we expect when we make adjustments. We've gone from making educated guesses to calculated responses. That was a very important step for us."

With more steps ahead.

Qualifying for the Kroger 200 is Saturday night at 6. The main event is later that night at 9 p.m. on TNT.

Stacy Compton Fast Facts