Phoenix International Raceway, April 22-23, 2005
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Subway Fresh 500, Saturday, 7:55 pm (EDT)
Kurt Busch
Team: No. 97 IRWIN Industrial Tools/
Sharpie Ford Taurus
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: #62 (Swept both Loudon races last
year and finished 10th at Phoenix in the fall of 2004.)
Kurt Busch on racing at Phoenix:
"I feel good about Phoenix this weekend. Phoenix is a track where I have a lot of experience from my Southwest Tour Series and Truck days. With good finishes in the past there our IRWIN team is poised for a top five run there. Running under the lights is always more exciting, and Phoenix is one of those short tracks that is going to look great under the lights. It will be interesting to see what changes as far as track grips and visibility with shadows on the track, so there are a few unknowns. But it will be exciting.”
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Phoenix:
“We're taking our New Hampshire car -- the one we won with up in Loudon twice last year. We feel like we've got a good shot at it, out there, because we ran good out there the past two years. We're taking a good car and a positive attitude. At Phoenix you'll end up with long runs, so we just have to make sure we're all right on long runs there.”
Fast Facts
With his 7th place finish at Texas last week, Kurt Busch remains in the top 10 in NEXTEL Cup Series points for the 42nd consecutive race week (since Rockingham 2004), currently the longest streak on the circuit.
Busch’s No. 97 Ford Taurus sports the colors of IRWIN Industrial Tools at Phoenix for the second time this season. The IRWIN car will run the next six events through the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte on May 21st.
The IRWIN Industrial Tools Racing team brings chassis #62 to Phoenix, the same car that swept both Loudon races last year and finished 10th at Phoenix in the fall of 2004.
Busch ranks sixth among all drivers in laps lead at Phoenix (229) in only five Cup starts.
Busch is one of six active drivers who have posted top-10 finishes in at least half of his starts at PIR.
