NASCAR: PENSKE RACING: Busch Briefs
/noticias.info/ -- Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch's win on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway marked his first victory for Penske Racing South, his fifth at Bristol and the 15th of his career. Entering this weekend's Martinsville battle, his 190th career race, he has won 8 percent of his races, finished in the top five [44] 23 percent of the time and finished in the top 10 (80) in 42 percent of his races.
-- Busch has "grown to love racing at Martinsville," but he chuckles when he thinks about his first encounter with the tight little 0.526-mile paper-clip-shaped track. "I looked all around the place and said, 'Wow, what a unique and fun place for us to race!" Busch said. "By the time we were finished, though, I said to myself, 'Man, this is about the most pathetic excuse for a race track that I've ever seen.' That was what went through my head the very first time I raced at Martinsville - back in the truck racing days in 2000 - back before I knew any better. Through the years, I've grown to really love racing at Martinsville."
-- For the big Bristol victory, Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Roy McCauley won the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. In what has become typical McCauley fashion, he chose to pass the accolades on to his crew members. "Did you see those guys work on pit road on Sunday? They were absolutely awesome," McCauley said. "The win was a tribute to our whole Miller Lite Dodge/Penske Racing South organization. From the fab shop, the engine department, the guys who get the cars ready, Cindy and Stump (Lewis), who get them to the track, the guys who work on the cars at the track, and of course, the over-the-wall gang. They all share in winning this award. It doesn't hurt at all when you have Kurt Busch, the best driver in Cup racing, in the seat of our race car. I'm humbled, but it was a total team effort out there."
-- Speaking of Busch's over-the-wall gang, they did have another incredible day at Bristol. Their six four-tire stops clocked in at 12.9 seconds, 13.7, 13.7, 12.9, 13.4 and 12.5 to average 13.2 seconds for the race. Busch's 2006 crew personnel includes tire changers Jay Hackney and Kevin Hebert, tire carriers Dave Littau and Andy Brown, jackman Ray Gallahan, gasman Chris Williams and catch can man Steve Williams. Jeremy Brickhouse is the spotter, while Dustin Coonfield handles windshield duties and car chief Corey Tucker assists with the second fuel can. Kristy Cloutier, executive assistant at Kurt Busch Inc., is Busch's scorer.
-- Busch, McCauley and crew are racing PRS-092 this weekend at Martinsville. Ironically, the two races in which it was used in 2005 - Phoenix and Richmond - Kurt was recording career victories numbers 12 and 14.
-- McCauley says Martinsville is his favorite track. His reasons, however, may come as a surprise. "It's because of all the great history behind the place," McCauley explained. "It used to be as big as the Daytona 500 for the old Modified Division 30 years ago or so. The tradition and history is big. It's so much fun to remember the days when Richie Evans, Charlie J. [Jarzombek], Ray Hendrick and all of those guys battled it out there. In the old Late Model days - when guys like Butch Lindley and Geoff Bodine were driving for Emanuel Zervakis - there are just so many golden memories.
"And it wasn't just confined to the track. Mr. Earles [former track owner, the late H. Clay Earles] took such great pride in keeping the place beautiful. The big pond out front with the ducks, all the beautiful azaleas, the famous hot dogs - the place has had such tremendous character through the years.
"It probably helps, too, that Martinsville was the track where we won our first Cup race," McCauley concluded, referring to the October 2001 Old Dominion 500 when he worked for PPI Motorsports.
