KB STARTING 13TH IN 3M PERFORMANCE 400 AT MICHIGAN
-Miller Lite Dodge Team Hoping To Continue Momentum Sunday At M.I.S.-

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 16, 2006) – Kurt Busch and his Roy McCauley-led Miller Lite Dodge crew were seventh-fastest in the practice leading up to qualifying here at Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s 3M Performance 400.  After taking the 13th starting spot, the team continued to be focused on continuing the momentum gained from last weekend’s runner-up performance at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.

            “We’re on course for another good week here at Michigan,” crew chief McCauley said after the qualifying session concluded under sunny skies with the temperature right at 90 degrees.  “To be honest, I really thought we were stronger in comparison with our race trim than we were in qualifying trim.  We still picked up 15 hundredths in the heat of the day.  I think that’s a good sign for Sunday.  We’ll get back in here tomorrow and get the car even better in race trim.”

            “It’s really slick out there and we were just a little too loose that I couldn’t commit the car as soon as I needed to,” said Busch, who was 10th out to make his run today and turned in a lap of 183.337 mph (39.272 seconds).  “We just needed a little more overall grip.

            “Rusty (Wallace, former driver of the Miller Lite Dodge) came over and visited with us for an hour or so before qualifying and that was a lot of fun,” KB said.  “We were talking about all the changes with the tires and the setups here just from the last race.  It’s amazing how much has changed.  Those notes from the last few years aren’t worth the paper they’re written on now.  Still, Rusty looked at the practice speeds and said that someone would have to run a 38.75 (-second lap) to win the pole.  He told me he hoped we could run a 38.60 and blow them all away and that really meant a lot and was really cool.

            “He was pretty right on with his prediction,” Busch said.  “Kasey (Kahne) ran a 38.78 (38.784 seconds/185.644 mph) and he got the pole.  I’m confident we’ll have a strong car here on Sunday.”

            Kahne was also fastest in practice before qualifying here today.  Jeff Gordon, fourth-fastest in practice, was the final driver to make his run in qualifying and he earned the outside-front-row starting spot with his lap of 185.543 mph (38.805 seconds).  Brian Vickers, Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joe Nemechek, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton, KB, J.J. Yeley and Kyle Busch rounded out today’s top 15 qualifiers.

Saturday’s action here at M.I.S. includes practice sessions at 9:00 a.m. and 10:35 a.m.  Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 (400 miles/200 laps) has a 1:40 p.m. starting time and features live coverage by FOX-TV and MRN Radio beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

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