2006 SEASON CERTAINLY A “QUALIFIED” SUCCESS FOR KURT BUSCH
Not Known For Qualifying Strength Before 2006, Miller Lite Dodge Driver Now Tied For Most Poles

FONTANA, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2006) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch had started from the pole only three times in 184 races entering the 2006 season. This season, he has already claimed four poles and is tied with Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton for winning the most poles. He thinks there are more to come.

“I guess I’m teamed up with a group that can qualify now,” Busch said, after claiming the pole for last Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol, Tenn., the seventh pole of his career. “It’s a credit to Penske Racing, their great engines, cars and team personnel.”

By claiming the pole at Bristol, Busch has now taken the top starting spot on road courses (won both poles), a superspeedway and a short track.

“I’m calling that a trifecta in that we’ve now proven we can win poles on three different types of tracks,” Busch said. “We take great pride in the qualifying aspect of our program this year and we’re pretty focused out there every Friday. It’s certainly been a big bright spot for us. It would be a big accomplishment for our first-year team if we could win the most poles this season and take the big money from those guys from St. Louis.”

Not only is Busch tied for winning the most poles, his 8.417 average start is by far the best in the sport. Jeff Gordon is the only other driver with an average start of 10th or better (9.833), but he has gone 44 straight races without winning a pole.

Busch has amassed 17 top-10 starts, more than any other driver. He has started no worse than 20th in any race.

Kahne has a 12.208 average start, with 14 top-10 starts, but he has started outside the top 20 in seven races. Burton has a 13.125 average start, with 11 top-10 starts. He has started outside the top 20 in four races.

Now Busch and his Roy McCauley-led Miller Lite Dodge Team head back to California Speedway for this weekend’s Sony HD 500. The 2.0-mile Fontana, Calif., track was the site of Busch’s first pole for Penske Racing. It came in only his second race behind the wheel of the Miller Lite Dodge, in qualifying for February’s Auto Club 500.

Busch, McCauley and crew will be racing their PRS-088 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at California. The Sony HD 500 will mark the first race the team has used this particular car.

In eight career starts at California Speedway, Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch has one win, a second and a third. His average start is 12.375 and average finish is 10.125. Busch has completed all but one (2,004 of 2,005) of the possible laps for a 99.9 percent completion average.

“I’ve loved racing at California Speedway ever since my first race there in the trucks back in 2000,” said the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, who won the pole and the race in the October 2000 season finale for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at California Speedway. “It seems like I just immediately adapted to the place. I loved the fact that it was long and wide, with multiple racing grooves. Racing out in the West just always seems to always get me extra pumped.”

Busch started from the pole and led on three different occasions in the February California race. The handling was a bit off on long runs, relegating Busch to a 16th-place finish.

“We ran the ’04 body Dodge out there in the first race and the car we’ll have there this weekend is the new Dodge Charger,” Busch offered. “We went really soft on the springs and the car responded great for the first few laps of a run. But it was a real handful on long runs. We got spun out late in the race and were probably fortunate just to finish where we did. This car will have all the positive attributes we’ve learned so far this season built into it. It’s another chance for us to learn and get a handle on the proper setups for these mile-and-a-half to two-mile oval tracks. We’ll just keep after it till we finally figure it out and have our Miller Lite Dodge up front at the end of the race like it should be.”

This weekend’s schedule at California Speedway calls for Cup practice on Friday from 12:05 p.m. till 1:35 p.m. Cup qualifying is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. (live on Speed Channel). Two Cup practice sessions are scheduled on Saturday, with the first one scheduled from 1:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. Sony HD 500 final practice is set from 2:35 p.m. till 3:20 p.m. Sunday’s Sony HD 500 (250 laps/500 miles) has a 5:05 p.m. local (8:05 EDT) starting time. NBC-TV and MRN Radio will provide live coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. PDT.

Notes of interest:

--By taking the pole for last Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol, Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is now in a three-way tie (with Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton) in the battle for the most poles during the 2006 season. After claiming his fourth pole of the year last Friday, KB has his sights set on winning the most poles. “It would be a big accomplishment for our first-year team if we could win the most poles this season and take the big money from those guys from St. Louis.”

--Kurt Busch and his Roy McCauley-led Miller Lite Dodge team are at Lowe’s Motor Speedway today (Tuesday, Aug. 29) assisting Goodyear with a tire test in preparation for the NEXTEL Cup tour’s return to the 1.5-mile track on Oct. 14. Busch, McCauley and crew have their PRS-078 and PRS-089 Miller Lite Dodges on hand for the test. The team is expected to race one of the two cars at L.M.S. in October. The “78 car” was raced at L.M.S. back in May and has been totally rebuilt since. The “89 car” was raced at Chicagoland back in July where KB finished ninth.

--Andy Brown, rear tire carrier for Kurt Busch’s Miller Lite Dodge team, was injured during a Lap 238 pit stop under the seventh caution period of last Saturday night’s Bristol race. “I felt something pop and the next thing I knew, I was down on the ground,” offered Brown, a 23-year-old Lander, Pa., native. He was taped up and returned to action for two additional stops. “Getting back out there Saturday night might not have been a good idea,” Brown offered on Tuesday. “I’ve been in to have my knee drained and they’re doing tests to see if I’ve done any ACL damage.” Brown is not expected to make the trip out to California this weekend. “Looks like we’ll have Larry Robinette filling in for me this weekend,” Brown said of the 39-year-old Garland, Texas, veteran mechanic who has been working on the No. 39 Penske Grand National team this season.

--Not only has Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch staked his claim for the season-long battle for the most pole positions, he continues to display the top qualifying consistency. KB’s 8.417 average start is by far the best in the sport. Jeff Gordon is the only other driver with an average start of 10th or better (9.833), but he has gone 44 straight races without winning a pole. KB has amassed 17 top-10 starts, more than any other driver. He has started no worse than 20th in any race.

--How does KB stack up against Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton, the other drivers with four poles so far this season? Kahne has a 12.208 average start, with 14 top-10 starts, but he has started outside the top 20 in seven races. Burton has a 13.125 average start, with 11 top-10 starts. He has started outside the top 20 in four races.

--KB has now claimed poles on road courses (both races), a two-mile oval and a short track during the 2006 season. “I’m calling that a trifecta in that we’ve now proven we can win poles on three different types of tracks,” KB said. “We take great pride in the qualifying aspect of our program this year and we’re pretty focused out there every Friday.”

--KB and the Miller Lite Dodge team now head back to the 2.0-mile California Speedway for this weekend’s Sony HD 500. The track was the site of KB’s first pole for Penske Racing. It came in only his second race behind the wheel of the No. 2 Penske Dodge, in qualifying for February’s Auto Club 500. In eight career starts at California Speedway, KB has one win, a second and a third. His average start is 12.375 and average finish is 10.125. He has completed all but one (2,004 of 2,005) of the possible laps for a 99.9 percent completion average.

--KB and crew will be racing a different car this time around at California Speedway. They will be racing their PRS-088 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at California. The Sony HD 500 will mark the first race the team has used this particular car.

--“Many an optimist has become rich by buying out a pessimist.” –Robert G. Allen