PREVIEW: KYLE BUSCH (NO. 5 CARQUEST CHEVROLET)
VENUE: POCONO RACEWAY (2.5-MILE TRI-OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES (RACE 20 OF 36)
EVENT: SUNDAY, JULY 23 (200 LAPS, 500 MILES)

'5' GETS CARQUEST PAINT JOB: Kyle Busch will drive a No. 5 CARQUEST Chevrolet this weekend at Pocono Raceway, marking the fourth appearance of the paint scheme this season. The design has brought good luck to the team, which posted a top-10 finish at Darlington, S.C., and a top-five at Joliet, Ill., with CARQUEST on the hood.

BUSCH ON A HOT STREAK: Busch has scored five straight top-15 finishes in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, a streak that began at Michigan International Speedway in June. The 21-year-old driver has posted top-three results in his last three races, including a victory Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

CHASSIS 388 FOR '5': Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 388 as the primary option for Sunday's Pocono Raceway event. It is the same car Busch campaigned last month at Michigan International Speedway, scoring a 14th-place finish in the rain-shortened race.

DOUBLE DUTY: For the fourth time this season, Busch will commute between NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series events. He will participate in the majority of Thursday's Martinsville practice session before flying to Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Busch will return to Martinsville on Saturday prior to Busch Series driver introductions and head back to Long Pond immediately following the race.

LEADING LAPS: Although Busch has posted a top-five finish at Pocono Raceway, the Las Vegas native has never led a lap at the 2.5-mile track in NEXTEL Cup competition. Busch did, however, earn a pole position and lead laps in the July 2003 Automobile Racing Club of America event.

A WEEKEND OFF, BUT NOT FOR BUSCH: While most of the NEXTEL Cup Series takes a weekend off following this weekend's Pocono Raceway event, Busch will continue chasing a NASCAR Busch Series championship by competing at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., on July 29.

'5' TEAM WINS CHALLENGE: On Sunday, the No. 5 Chevrolet crew won the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge at New Hampshire for the fastest times on pit road. They are now tied with the No. 20 team with three wins this season and trail Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 contingent by one in the 2006 standings. The season-winning team is eligible for a $105,000 bonus.

* * * * * * * * * *

KYLE BUSCH, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 CARQUEST CHEVROLET: (ON THE LENGTH OF THE POCONO RACE.) "Some people say the race at Pocono is too long, but I don't think it is. It's a big track and it's a test of power. I think it's challenging because it's like three tracks in one -- a road course, a short track and a superspeedway. It's definitely a test of endurance."

BUSCH: (ON MOMENTUM.) "In the past three races, we have finished second, third and first. That says a lot about this team. I've been trying to fly under the radar, filter out distractions and focus on just racing, which has helped. This team is on a roll and I think we're definitely capable of maintaining a top-10 position. I feel like we've had a good car every week, but haven't been able to always finish things out. Last weekend we did, and now we're going to bring it every week."

* * * * * * * * * *

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 5 CARQUEST CHEVROLET: (ON GETTING A WEEKEND OFF AFTER POCONO.) "I'm trying to give my team a little bit of rest since this is our final weekend off heading into a 15-race stretch. Including this weekend, we've got six races left to hold our position in the Chase. I want my guys to recharge their batteries so we can go back fresh. Hopefully they'll take advantage of the time off and do what they want to do. It's going to be a turning point once we get back and prep for Indy."

GUSTAFSON: (ON BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.) "This No. 5 team has been together for the better part of five years. We all came from the Terry Labonte school of racing. We're all friends and we respect one another. These guys are in excellent shape and have serious talent. We have a driver who is a wheelman and we're behind him 100 percent. This past weekend we talked about what it means to be focused. If they're focused, it means they are paying attention and executing the task at hand without worrying about the outcome. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports cares about these races and when we win at the track, they win at the shop. It's a top-to-bottom deal."

GUSTAFSON: (ON HAVING A GOOD TRACK RECORD AT POCONO.) "We've run well at Pocono, but we just haven't finished things out. The No. 25 team has been the heat there the past few times so we're going to follow their lead. Last race, Kyle hit the wall with five laps to go and we fell from 10th to 22nd. The finish was nowhere near where it needed to be. We're taking the same car and I think we have the tire situation worked out a little better. That race will most likely have long green-flag runs like last time so we just need to have our race strategy mapped out and be on the money when it comes to pit stops and track position. One thing we figured out this year is we can beat these guys on and off of pit road, which is going to be pretty important at Pocono."