KYLE BUSCH MAKING FIRST PIR CUP START:
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolets in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, has made one start at Phoenix International Raceway, site of Sunday's 312-lap event. In November's NASCAR Busch Series race at the one-mile oval, the Las Vegas native qualified on the pole, led the most laps and finished second to Cup regular Jamie McMurray.
ON THIS DATE:
On April 23, 1989, Darrell Waltrip started 10th, led the most laps and won at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, marking the third of six victories for the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports team that season. Geoffrey Bodine, Waltrip's Hendrick teammate, started from the pole that same day.
'5' TAKES CHASSIS 323 TO PHOENIX:
Kellogg's Racing crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 323 for the upcoming NEXTEL Cup festivities at Phoenix. The car saw action with two-time Cup Series champion Terry Labonte last season at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
TEAMMATES HIT THE ROAD COURSE:
Following Sunday's NEXTEL Cup event at Texas, Vickers and Busch flew directly to Phoenix, where the teammates are taking part in Bob Bondurant's Road Racing School. The three-day session will help prepare the duo for the upcoming road-course events at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
KYLE BUSCH, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 KELLOGG'S CHEVROLETS:
(ON RACING IN THE TWILIGHT AT PHOENIX.) "The sun sets right behind the grandstands in Turns 1 and 2. It will definitely be a factor during the race, so until that sun goes away it'll be difficult to see down the frontstretch. The glare will be bad, so we'll put some strips of tape on the windshield that we can take off as the sun goes down."
BUSCH:
(ON HIS 2004 BUSCH SERIES EXPERIENCE AT PHOENIX.) "We had success at Phoenix last year in the Busch car. The team sat on the pole and led the most laps, but it was a little frustrating to lose the race there at the end. We surely had the car to win it. I really like the track and think it will be good to run in the Kellogg's Chevy."
BUSCH:
(ON PARTICIPATING IN THE BONDURANT ROAD RACING SCHOOL.) "This is going to be a good deal for me because I love road racing. I've been on road courses in the Legends cars, but not too many times in a stock car. I'm hoping to have some fun and learn as much as I can about road racing so I can use those skills when we race at Infineon and Watkins Glen."
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 5 KELLOGG'S CHEVROLETS:
(ON PHOENIX.) "Phoenix is a unique, flat track. The two corners are unique and there's a kink in the back straightaway. It's definitely not like any other place we race. The track is long and flat, so the drivers are in the corners at a high rate of speed and for a longer period than normal."
GUSTAFSON:
(ON THE TEXAS-TO-PHOENIX LEG OF THE SCHEDULE.) "The Kellogg's team had to prepare race cars for two weekends before they left for Texas. On Monday, we switched everything over from our Texas cars to the Phoenix cars, and then the truck drivers continued to Phoenix. It's hard on the guys, preparing everything for two weeks, but then it will give them a little rest during this week so they can relax for a day or two in Phoenix. Going back to Concord (N.C.) from Texas, then turning things around to Phoenix would have been pretty difficult on the truck drivers. It was a good decision to make."
