Birthdate: Aug. 4, 1978 Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. Resides: Concord, N.C. Marital Status: Married (Eva) Children: None Hobbies: Jet skiing, water skiing, snow skiing

Kurt Busch No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Team: Penske Racing Team Owner: Roger Penske Crew Chief: Roy McCauley Engine Builder: Penske-Jasper Engines Career Starts: 220 Career Wins: 15 Career Poles: 9 Best Points Finish: 1st (2004) First Full Season: 2001 First Start: Sept. 24, 2000 (Dover) First Win: March 24, 2002 (Bristol) First Pole: Sept. 1, 2001 (Darlington) Shop Address: 200 Penske Way Mooresville, NC 28115

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tied with Jeff Gordon for distinction of being third-youngest champion in series history at 26 years, 3 months, 27 days (Gordon’s age when he won title in '97) Eight-point margin over runner-up Jimmie Johnson in 2004 is closest championship finish in NASCAR history Tied for series lead with six poles in 2006 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series runner-up

YEAR-BY-YEAR NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RECAP
2006 Finished 16th in series points. … Ended season with one victory, at Bristol spring race. … Recorded seven top fives and 12 top 10s. … Has won at least one race for five consecutive years. … Tied for series lead with six poles. … With a recent win in the NASCAR Busch Series, he became one of only 16 drivers with a win in all three of NASCAR’s top divisions (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series)

2005 Finished 10th in series points. … Ended season with three victories (Phoenix, Pocono and Richmond). … Recorded nine top fives and 18 top 10s. … Finished as runner-up in the Daytona 500. … Finished in the top three in the season’s first three races. … Has won at least one race for four consecutive years. … Missed the final two races of the season after being suspended by car owner Jack Roush. … Over $30 million in career winnings already has him in 16th place on the all-time money list.

2004 Won the series championship. … Finished with three wins, one pole, 10 top fives, 21 top 10s and a career-low three DNFs in 36 starts. … Earned 1,506 points during the inaugural 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup,” eight points more than runner-up Jimmie Johnson. Was 16th in the point standings following the Daytona 500, but spent remaining 35 weeks in the Top 10. … Was seventh following race No. 26 at Richmond on Sept. 11, the cutoff point for the Chase. … Took the standings lead with eight races remaining in the 10-race Chase and never relinquished it despite a blown engine at Atlanta and a detached right front wheel early in the season finale at Homestead. … Finished with one win, six top-five and nine top-10 efforts in the final 10 races. … Won both 2004 events at New Hampshire International Speedway. Also won the spring event at Bristol Motor Speedway.

2003 Finished 11th in series points. …Early accident in season finale at Homestead-Miami cost him a chance to finish in the NASCAR Top 10. … Experienced an up-and-down year with four wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s and a career-high eight DNFs. …Briefly led the points for a week following back-to-back second-place finishes at Daytona and Rockingham in the season’s opening events. …Won both Bristol races, plus the race at California and the first race at Michigan.

2002 Finished third in series points. … Had a breakthrough season with four wins (Bristol, Martinsville, Atlanta and Homestead). … Had three wins in the final five weeks of the season. … Won from the pole at Homestead. …$3,723,650 in race winnings pushed his career total to over $6,200,000 in just two full seasons.

2001 Finished 27th in series points. … Finished 3rd in Talladega 500, fourth in Harrah’s 400 at Texas and fifth at Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. … Earned first career pole, at Darlington, and led 74 laps before encountering mechanical problems. … Won more than $2.1 million despite seven DNFs in his rookie season.

2000 Finished 48th in series points. … Made series debut with seven starts for Roush Racing. … Best finish 13th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY
Was runner-up for the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship and had four victories that season. …In 1999, Busch won the NASCAR Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring championship driving for Craig Keough. … Was the youngest driver to win that series’ championship at age 21… Southwest Series Rookie of the Year in 1998. …Competed in the Southwest Series from 1997-1999, recording seven wins. … Won the 1996 Hobby Stock track championship at the Las Vegas Speedway Park. … The 1996 Legend Cars National Rookie of the Year and Legend Cars Western States champion. … Won Nevada Dwarf Car championship in 1995. … Was the 1994 Nevada State Dwarf Car Rookie of the Year.… Began racing at age 14, in Dwarf Cars at Parhump Valley Speedway near Las Vegas.

NOTEWORTHY
Younger brother Kyle also competes in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series. … A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and his favorite athlete is Andre Dawson. … Loves Italian food.