EA Sports 500 * Talladega SuperSpeedway * Sunday, September 28, 2003
Kurt Busch
Team: No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford Taurus
Sponsors: Rubbermaid
Owner: Jack Roush
Driver: Kurt Busch
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis Number: 55 * raced at all three restrictor-plate races this
season
Kurt Busch on racing at Talladega:
"I'm not sure what we'll have on the table for qualifying for
this race, but we've had this chassis at all three restrictor plate
tracks this year and it's quite a performer once it gets in the draft.
It's a stable car from the driver's seat, anyway. I'm looking
forward to racing on Sunday and seeing if we can't get us a plate
win/we've come close on a couple of occasions, but we just
haven't closed the deal."
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Talladega:
"We're bringing [chassis] 55 to this track, the same car we've
used at Daytona and Talladega the last time. Kurt seems to get along
with it okay and it has a decent body on it aero-wise. The strong point
seems to be how it handles in the draft/we want it to be as
comfortable as possible out on the track and that's all we can really
do. That and hope for the best if something happens."
ROUSH RACING FAST FACTS:
Mark Martin's pace in the 1997 Winston 500 at Talladega set an
all-time NASCAR WC record for the fastest race ever run, as Martin won
the caution-free race with an average speed of 188.354 mph. He covered
the 500-mile distance in two hours, 38 minutes and 18 seconds.
Martin's two victories at Talladega ties him with several
other drivers as the second most by an active driver.
Despite a recent rash of bad luck at Talladega, Martin has
scored top 10 finishes in four of his last seven races at Talladega.
Martin's 31 top-10 finishes in restrictor-plate races are the
second most ever.
Martin's 22 superspeedway poles are the seventh most ever and
the third most of any active driver.
Martin's 22 wins at superspeedways is the 11th most ever and
the fifth most of any active driver.
Matt Kenseth now has 22 top-10 finishes in 28 starts, a
league-leading statistic. He also has ten top-five finishes; only Ryan
Newman has more, with 11.
Kenseth's 2003 Winston Cup point lead is now 436 points over
second place Kevin Harvick with just eight races to go.
If Kenseth wins the Aaron's 500 event, his Winston-leader
bonus payout would be a record $290,000.
Kenseth has completed all but two laps of competition in the
2003 season.
Kurt Busch's No. 97 will feature a special paint scheme
honoring Irwin Industrial Tools.
Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig is tied for winningest active
crew chief in the Winston Cup Series with 24 wins.
The No. 99 CITGO Ford was involved in a 27 car pile up on lap
five that caused severe damage to the right side and front of the car.
The CITGO team repaired the damages and returned to the track to finish
35th, running.
Since 1996, Jeff Burton's average starting position at
Talladega is 20.8 while his average finishing position is 15.0.
Jeff Burton is one of 16 active Winston Cup drivers to have won
at least one restrictor plate race (July 2000 at Daytona).
Jon Wood and Carl Edwards will compete in Saturday's Craftsman
Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Combined the two drivers
have four wins, two poles, 18 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes.
