KURT BUSCH LOOKING TO INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM FOR CHASE BOOST
Miller Lite Dodge Driver Hoping To Dig Out Of Early Chase Hole With Solid Run At Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Kans. (Sept. 25, 2007) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is admittedly frustrated as he enters this weekend’s LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway, but he is convinced his Pat Tryson-led team is doing everything possible in their effort to win the 2007 “Chase for the NEXTEL Cup Championship.”

“We’re all into it with an absolute 100 percent effort, but you can’t change things that are beyond your control,” Busch said on Monday afternoon as he studied the first two races of this year’s “Chase” which have relegated him to 11th in the point standings, trailing leader Jeff Gordon by 151 points. “It’s certainly frustrating, but just like Pat (Tryson, crew chief) has been saying; we have to take them one race at a time.

“Kansas is next and that means we are focusing again on our intermediate track program with the old-style car,” continued Busch, who finished 25th after experiencing carburetor problems in the opening race for the “Chase” Sept. 16 at New Hampshire and had a flat tire initiate a crash in Sunday’s Dover race that resulted in a 29th-place finish. “It would have sounded pretty ludicrous just a year ago, but our program on those tracks has advanced so far that we’re coming into Kansas more confident than ever – especially considering that we’ll be racing the Pocono winning car again there.

“The ‘PT Special” is racing again this weekend at Kansas. Mark that one down on your lineups, sports fans, and we’ll see what happens. It’s definitely a case of a team going into a race with the ultimate confidence in their car. Now it’s just a matter of the driver getting in there and making all the right things happen. Seriously, I am really looking forward to this weekend and think we can again contend for the win.”

Busch’s comment about his Penske Racing Team’s progress on the intermediate-sized race tracks certainly holds merit. When the 2004 NEXTEL Cup champ joined the team for the 2006 season, Busch experienced a myriad of handling woes on the 1.5-mile tracks, finishing no better than 16th in the first five races on those tracks and posting three finishes of 34th or worse during that period.

“It was certainly a difficult learning curve that we finally hurdled, if you want to call it that,” said Busch, who averaged a 28.4 finish during his first five intermediate track races as the driver of the Roger Penske-owned No. 2 Dodge. “We were still learning and, in the process, it was a situation of just hoping we could finish somewhere between 15th and 20th.

“We continued to make progress and ramped up our potential to be a top-15 car toward the end of last season. I can remember saying something like, ‘11th to 15th…11th to 15th…we’re stuck right there.’ That was indeed the case.

“But when Pat came on board back in June, that was the spark we needed to get our immediate program up to the top like it is today,” said Busch. “He wasn’t working in the most positive environment before he joined our team and he took that aspect of our racing program by the horns and manhandled it on up to where it should be…where it is now.”

Busch appreciated his crew chief’s hard work and it was certainly justified. Just look back at the successful Pocono race weekend back in August. Tryson came in and proved he had earned his reputation as among the best team leaders in NASCAR racing.

The PSC-078 chassis was the first “project” for Tryson when he joined Penske Racing. Tryson, who is considered a “guru” in working on his drivers’ psyche, chose the same car in which Busch dominated the first third of the May race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“We have a lot of faith in this car and Kurt has already proven it can get the job done, “ Tryson said as he entered the August Pocono race weekend. “It’s the car that Kurt dominated the first third of the Coke 600 with. We’ve gone back and completely redone it for this race and we’re confident it’ll be a perfect fit for him this weekend. If we can give him the Penske horsepower that he always brags about and execute like we’ve been doing on pit road, we can have a very strong combination at Pocono this weekend.”

Busch, Tryson and crew brought the completely refurbished PSC-078 Dodge to Pocono for the Aug. 5 Pennsylvania 500. After an unusual weather situation on Friday cost the team their first pole position of the year, Busch started second in the 200-lap grind around the tricky triangular 2.5-mile track.

Busch grabbed the lead from pole-winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the first lap and dominated the race, losing the lead only during green-flag pit stop segments and after a slow pit stop on Lap 139 under the fifth yellow-flag period of the race. He went on to lead 175 of the 200 laps and establish a new record for laps led in races at Pocono.

Carrying on the Penske Racing stock car tradition of naming the cars after their first win, Busch named his winning Pocono ride the “Pat Tryson Special” or the “PT Special” for short. ”There’s a lot of Miller Lites enjoyed on a daily basis out at the PT’s Pubs in ‘Vegas and it was so appropriate to name it that because Pat put so much time and energy in getting that car ready to go back to Pocono with,” Busch recalled of his Pocono winner’s circle celebration. “It was a lot of his blood, sweat and tears that got us to Victory Lane again.”

Busch, Tryson and crew would go on to win again on the intermediate tracks only two weeks later, as they debuted a brand new car and won the rain-plagued 3M Performance 400 at Michigan. The race was finally run on a Tuesday afternoon, with Busch posting another dominant win and naming his winning ride “Roger” in honor of team owner Roger Penske.

“Racing on this type of track and in these cars will be a treat for Kurt, I’ll guarantee you that,” said Tryson. “The handling and the horsepower will again be the major issues we face. I’m the luckiest crew chief out there in that I have Kurt Busch behind the wheel of our Miller Lite Dodge.”

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This weekend’s schedule at Kansas begins on Friday with practice from 11:30 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Friday’s 3:10 p.m. single round of qualifying will set Sunday’s 43-car starting field. Saturday’s schedule offers practice sessions from 9:00 a.m. till 9:50 a.m. and from 12:50 p.m. till 1:50 p.m. Sunday’s LifeLock 400 (267 Laps, 400.5 miles) has a scheduled 1:00 p.m. CDT starting time and features live coverage by ABC-TV and MRN Radio.

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Notes of interest:

--Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing Team will be racing their PSC-078 Miller Lite Dodge again this weekend at Kansas. This particular chassis was the first “project” for Pat when he joined Penske Racing. Pat, a “guru” in working on his drivers’ psyche, chose the same car in which Kurt had dominated the first third of the May race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Kurt, Pat and crew brought the completely refurbished PSC-078 Dodge to Pocono for the Aug. 5 Pennsylvania 500. After an unusual weather situation on Friday cost the team their first pole position of the year, Kurt started second in the 200-lap grind. He grabbed the lead from pole-winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the first lap and dominated the race, losing the lead only during green-flag pit stop segments and after a slow pit stop on Lap 139 under the fifth yellow-flag period of the race. He went on to lead 175 of the 200 laps and establish a new record for laps led in races at Pocono.

Carrying on the Penske Racing stock car tradition of naming the cars after their first win, Kurt named his winning Pocono ride the “Pat Tryson Special” or the “PT Special” for short. “It was a lot of his blood, sweat and tears that got us to Victory Lane again.”

The team raced the car once since the Pocono win. Kurt won the pole with the car for the Sept. 2 race at California and finished ninth after leading two times for 21 laps.

--Kurt and Penske Racing teammate Ryan Newman, along with Walt Czarnecki, Executive Vice President of Penske Corporation and Vice Chairman of Penske Performance Inc., are among the group of NASCAR representatives who will be visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Wednesday (Sept. 26) in Washington, D.C. The annual NASCAR visit to pay tribute to American service members began in 2005 and continues to get stronger each year. “I was part of the NASCAR delegation that went last year and am honored to have been invited to go again,” said Czarnecki. “It is a moving experience, but also an uplifting one when you talk to these young people who have given so much but yet are positive in their attitudes and outlooks on life. I think this will be a special day for Kurt and for Ryan both. After what you see there, a blown tire on lap 390 is not as bad as it may have first seemed.” In addition to the contingent representing Penske Racing, the NASCAR group making the special visit will also include drivers Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and David Stremme. Car-owner Ray Evernham will be making the visit, along with NASCAR administration executives Brian France, Mike Helton and Jim Hunter. The Penske Team will be displaying their Miller Lite and Mobil 1 show cars and Mobil 1 will be sending along 400 specially-prepared “Tribute to American Soldiers” T-shirts. The delegation will visit the various hospital wards beginning at 2:00 p.m. and will also participate in an extensive autograph and photo session with the soldiers, most of them returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

--What it is…and could have been. Kurt is currently 11th in the NEXTEL Cup point standings (with 5,189) and trails points-leader Jeff Gordon by 151 points. He was in great shape before the flat right-front tire instigated his race-ending crash with only 14 laps remaining in Sunday’s Dover race. Running fourth at the time and looking to advance even further, he could have picked up an additional 84 points with just the fourth-place finish. That total (5,273) would place him eighth in the standings, trailing leader Gordon by only 67 points. “I guess woulda-coulda-shouldas may work to help keep the morale up in times like these because we did have a great car and Kurt drove the wheels off it,” said Pat. “But, just like I told them on the radio there on Sunday, it’s not a good idea to talk about points at all until that checkered flag falls.”

--Kurt weighed in late Monday afternoon on outlook for Chase with eight races remaining: “I’m pretty frustrated right now, because we had cars strong enough in both races to be up there with the (points) leaders. A broken fifty-cent part got us at New Hampshire and the tire cost us at Dover. We still don’t know exactly what happened there, but I know something happened with the right front. With all the crashes that happened before ours, we could have driven over something. I was running the high side and when I got into Turn 2, I turned the wheel and it just plowed into the wall. What’s so frustrating is that at worst we had top-five cars in both races. If we could have just managed that, we’d be sitting there only 10 points out of the lead right now without even leading a single lap. I was at the shop earlier today and talked with Pat (Tryson). He’s the best in the business at keeping the team morale going and keeping me pumped up, too. We agreed that all we can do now is go into each of the remaining eight races looking to get everything we can out of them. We’ll be trying to win poles in order to get good spots on pit road. We’ll be after every bonus point we can get. We’ll be doing everything we can to win all of the remaining races. We have to look at it as, let’s stay focused and do everything we possibly can. Then, as far as the points go, let the chips fall where they may. That’s all you can do. Pat was quick to also remind me of how strong we can be in the eight remaining races. We think our intermediate track program with the old car is second to none right now. We have the Pocono winning car (PSC-078) ready to go with at Kansas. I can’t wait to get to Talladega with the strength we’ve been showing there and at Daytona. Our COT program has made so much improvement. Like I said, we’re top-five at worst on those tracks. We’ve really dug ourselves a hole – a deep one – but we’ll be doing everything possible to dig back out.”

--While Kurt may be 11th in the current point standings, he is third in total bonus points earned this season. With 100 points to his credit, only points-leader Jeff Gordon (120) and second-place Tony Stewart (110) have earned more. Sunday’s Dover race marked the 16th event of the season in which Kurt led laps. He has now led a total of 37 times for 673 laps (8.310 percent of all laps this season).

--Consistency certainly pays off in Cup racing and running at the finish of races is crucial. Sunday’s Dover crash resulted in Kurt’s third DNF (did not finish) of the 2007 season. A quick look at the statistical breakdown among the Chase drivers shows points-leader Gordon with only one DNF so far. Clint Bowyer is sixth and has no DNFs. Only Jimmie Johnson (fourth in points) has more DNFs with four. Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth also have three DNFs after 28 of the 36 races have been completed.

--Kurt’s TV spot for ESPN SportsCenter continues to get rave reviews. “It’s certainly created a lot of buzz,” Kurt said on Tuesday morning. “We had a ton of fans talking about it at the souvenir trailer on Sunday morning at Dover and a lot of the sponsor reps mentioned it when we made our rounds to the hospitality areas. It’s getting really good play, with ESPN even running the spot several times during their coverage of the Georgia-Alabama college football game last Saturday night.” To view Kurt’s ESPN SportsCenter spot, go here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espntv/espnShow?showID=SRDA

--Kurt and his Miller Lite Dodge Team, along with the entire Penske Racing organization, will be the main focus on this week’s edition of the “Survival of the Fastest” documentary series on SPEED. The production team followed Kurt during his busy morning last Sunday at Dover International Speedway, covering his weekly visit with the race fans at his souvenir trailer. He was then “wired” for his stopovers at the Mobil 1 and Dodge hospitality areas, where he charmed and entertained sponsor representatives and rubbed shoulders with Bob Nardelli, chairman and CEO of Chrysler LLC, who served as Grand Marshal for Sunday’s Dodge Dealers 400.

“Survival of the Fastest,” the latest project from the production team behind 2006 Emmy nominee "Beyond The Wheel," goes behind closed doors with NASCAR Nextel Cup teams as they plan and prepare to survive the ultra-competitive world of stock car racing, telling the story over a period of several weeks and from the perspective of several different characters. Unprecedented access to team meetings, strategy sessions, and radio communication gives a glimpse into the lives of the principal players, from team managers and crew chiefs to drivers and pit crews. "Fly on the wall" cinematography makes viewers feel like part of the team and living the NASCAR life. The result is a complete depiction of what it takes to compete in racing's top series, from checkered flag to green flag. The Penske Racing edition of the program is scheduled to air at these times: (all EDT)
Thurs., Sept. 27 @ 8:30 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 27 @ 12:30 a.m.
Fri., Sept. 28 @ 12:00 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 28 @ 5:30 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 28 @ 10:30 p.m.

--No, that was not a wild sniper on the loose Monday morning behind the Penske Racing Team world headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. The man dressed in full camo fatigues and bearing arms was none other than Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch. It was all part of a special public safety announcement that Kurt was shooting for the Mossy Oak Camo Brand. “It’s going to be a pretty cool spot and it was so easy to do because I’m a firm believer in the Mossy Oak line of products and all they do in supporting hunting safety,” said Kurt, who has become quite a hunter during any off time he can find. “This particular spot concerns proper tree-stand safety and the plans are to show it on ESPN, Fox Sports and the Outdoors Channel. In the spot, I am able to demonstrate how safe the modern tree stands are when used the proper way. There are guidelines to follow and we hit those. We really make our point by drawing the parallel to me buckling up behind the wheel of my Miller Lite Dodge.”

--Kurt is scheduled for his weekly “top-12 points” media interview opportunity/Q & A session on Friday at 10:15 a.m. in the Kansas Speedway media center. Kurt continues his effort in reaching out to the media rather than making them come to him at the team transporter.

--Kurt making a special celebrity bartending appearance this Thursday for Miller Lite at Danny’s Bar & Grill, located at 10940 Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kans. Kurt scheduled to address the patrons on the public address system at 7:00 p.m., and will be serving up Miller Lites and signing autographs until 7:30 p.m. Pat and many members of Kurt’s No. 2 Blue Deuce crew will also be on hand to chat with the fans. For additional information, please visit http://www.dannysbarandgrill.com/Index.html

--Kurt’s visit to his souvenir trailer at Kansas Speedway this Sunday will mark the 238th time in the last 241 races that he has been out on race day mornings to meet his fans and sign autographs. His continuing tradition began during his first full year on the Cup circuit back in 2001. Kurt is tentatively scheduled to be at his souvenir trailer from 9:15 a.m. till 9:45 a.m. on Sunday. Please verify that time by visiting the trailer in advance and picking up the free tickets for the autograph line.

--“Ride With Kurt for the Kids” events coming up on October 18 at Lowes Motor Speedway and on November 6 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. These high-speed, white-knuckle rides with Kurt behind the wheel will be in a special NASCAR Nextel Cup-style stock car provided by event sponsor – the Richard Petty Driving Experience. For complete event information and to purchase one of these exciting experiences, please visit www.kurtbusch.com, send an email to ridewithkurt@kurtbusch.com, or call 704-799-2428.

All proceeds will go toward the completion of the Kurt Busch Superdome at the Victory Junction Gang Camp. The new 28,000-square foot facility will allow camp-goers to play sports in a climate-controlled atmosphere, which some of the children require due to their medical conditions.

--“I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” -Sir Winston Churchill (on the eve of his 75th birthday)