Kurt Busch Advance
Phoenix International Raceway
November 11th-13th Nextel Cup Series
Checker Auto Parts 500k, Sunday 3:40
Kurt Busch
Team: No. 97 VISE-GRIP GrooveLock Ford Taurus
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: #52 (won at Phoenix in the spring)
Busch on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:
“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 Industrial Tools team is poised for a top five run there. We picked up our first victory of the year at Phoenix in April, and we’re bringing the same car this time around, so we’re looking for another solid run. We’re also bringing back the same paint scheme that we ran at Lowe’s a few weeks ago. We finished second with the GrooveLock pliers machine in Charlotte, so we’d love to take it to victory lane this time.”
Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:
“We're taking #52 - the one we won with up in Loudon twice last year and Phoenix earlier this year. We feel like we've got a good shot at it, out there, because we ran good out there the past few 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
Kurt Busch’s fourth consecutive top-10 finish at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday moved the No. 97 up to eighth place with two races remaining in the Chase, 281 points behind leader Tony Stewart.
The No. 97 Roush Racing Ford again brings the blue and yellow of IRWIN Industrial Tools on a special paint scheme for IRWIN’s new VISE-GRIP GrooveLock pliers to Phoenix International Raceway on chassis #52. This chassis has finished first or second in six of its 10 starts, with wins at Loudon, Homestead and the Phoenix victory earlier this year.
Busch has competed in six races at Phoenix with four top-10 finishes in his last four starts, including a victory in April. Busch has a 12.0 average finish at Phoenix, third among Chase drivers, and has led each of the last four races at the track, the longest current streak amongst all drivers.
Busch ranks third among all drivers in laps lead at Phoenix (448) in only six Cup starts at the track.
