Ford 400 * Homestead-Miami Speedway * Sunday, November 16, 2003
Kurt Busch
Team: No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford Taurus
Sponsors: Rubbermaid
Owner: Jack Roush
Driver: Kurt Busch
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis Number: 59 * new car
Kurt Busch on racing at Homestead:
"We had a great weekend at Homestead last year winning both the pole
on Friday and the race on Sunday. With the new banking on the speedway
it's a whole different track, and most of what we learned from last
year won't apply. I'm looking forward to seeing what this new design
is like."
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Homestead:
"The car we are bringing to Homestead is brand new. We've
incorporated some of the rules for next year on this car as well.
We've got all day Wednesday to test out the new banking and get
some good rubber down on the track, so we're just trying to go out
there and do as well as we did last time we were here."
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.
