Bass Pro Shops 500 * Atlanta Motor Speedway * Sunday, October 26, 2003
Kurt Busch
Team: No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford Taurus
Sponsors: Rubbermaid
Owner: Jack Roush
Driver: Kurt Busch
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis Number: 41 * finished ninth at Texas
Kurt Busch on racing at Atlanta:
"October hasn't been the best month for us this year. Last year it
was this month that kicked off a hot streak for us that we were able to
carry into the following season. I think we showed last week at
Martinsville that we had the car to contend, we've just got to hit all
our marks and make things happen. Atlanta is the fastest track we race
on, and we are qualifying at night on Friday, so it should be an
interesting weekend."
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Atlanta:
"We had a great car last weekend, and I think we've got another
great one for this weekend at Atlanta. Last year we were able to win
this race, and there isn't any reason we can't run up front again
this year."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
· Mark Martin posted a pair of eighth-place finishes at Atlanta in
2002, but finished 42nd there in the spring after early mechanical
problems.
· Martin has scored 17 top-10 and nine top-five finishes in 35
starts at Atlanta.
· Martin has won twice at Atlanta, with both wins coming in the
fall ('91 and '94).
· Martin's lone pole at Atlanta came in 1992, but he has started
in the top four in three of the last five races there.
· Martin has started inside the top 10 in Atlanta in 22 of 35
races and inside the top five 16 times.
· Matt Kenseth now has 23 top-10 finishes in 32 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has 10 top-five finishes.
· Kenseth's 2003 Winston Cup point lead is now 240 points over
second place Kevin Harvick with just four races to go.
· If Kenseth wins the Aaron's 500 event, his Winston-leader
bonus payout would be a record $330,000.
· Kenseth took the point lead on his last trip to Atlanta Motor
Speedway. He has held it ever since.
· Kurt Busch sits 11th in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings after 32 events, 576 points out of the fifth place and 882
points out of first.
· Busch is running his final special paint scheme of the year for
Rubbermaid Commercial Products.
· Busch is the defending champion of the event, winning the 2002
NAPA 500.
· Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
· Jeff Burton has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes at
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
· Burton scored six top-10 finishes in the seven races at Atlanta
between November 1996 and March 2000.
· Jon Wood and Carl Edwards combined have five wins, three poles,
22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series.
