Ford 400 * Homestead-Miami Speedway * Sunday, November 16, 2003
Jeff Burton
Team: No.99 CITGO Racing Ford Taurus
Sponsors: CITGO
Owner: Jack Roush
Driver: Jeff Burton
Crew Chief: Paul Andrews
Chassis Number: #46 or 52
Jeff Burton on racing at Homestead:
"I was able to see the track a few weeks ago and it looks great.
They've worked really hard to try and make the track faster to make for
a more exciting race for the fans and that's great. I think you will
see more than one groove and you will definitely see more speed than in
years past. I'm really excited to go down and test this Wednesday. The
CITGO team has been pretty strong the last couple weeks so we are
definitely hoping to make one last charge to the front this weekend in
Miami."
Crew Chief Paul Andrews on racing at Homestead:
"I think the new configuration will definitely provide faster speeds.
Horsepower and down force will be critical of course. I think the No.
99 team is coming off several strong runs and we are definitely looking
forward to finishing the year on a strong note. In some ways I wish
this wasn't the last race but we'll do the best we can to win it and
head into the off-season looking forward to 2004 and to try and make
ourselves an even better team."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
Mark Martin has finished in the top four in three of his four WC
races at Homestead (75 percent), making him and teammate Jeff Burton the
only two drivers to post three top-five finishes at the track.
Martin finished fourth in the inaugural race at Homestead in
'99 and fourth there last year.
Martin ran six races at Homestead in the Busch series, finishing
inside the top five on five occasions (83 percent).
Combined, Martin has run 10 NASCAR races at Homestead, finishing
inside the top five eight times, inside the top four six times and
inside the top three four times.
Martin finished second at Homestead in his last Busch race in
2000 for his highest finish at the track.
Martin's 8.25 average finish at Homestead is the second best
at the track.
Matt Kenseth clinched the Winston Cup Championship with a fourth
place finish at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham this past Sunday.
He becomes the 26th Champion in the last 53 years.
Kenseth now has 25 top-10 finishes in 35 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has 11 top-five finishes.
If Kenseth wins the Ford 400 event, his Winston leader bonus
payout would be a record $360,000.
Kurt Busch sits 10th in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings after 35 events, 102 points out of eighth place.
Busch is the defending champion of the Ford 400 and the
Budweiser Pole from 2002.
Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
Jeff Burton has three top-five finishes in just four starts at
Homestead.
Burton has completed 100% of his total laps run at Homestead.
Burton is one of only seven drivers to score four top-10
finishes at Homestead-Miami.
Jon Wood and Carl Edwards will compete in Friday's season
finale NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Combined the two drivers
have five wins, three poles, 23 top-five and 34 top-10 finishes.
