EARLY CRASH DOUSES BUSCH’S COCA-COLA 600 WIN HOPES
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Enjoys Morning In Indy; Endures Long Evening At Lowe’s-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 28, 2006) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch could be found trackside at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this morning, enjoying the Indy 500 pre-race pageantry and actively showing his support for his Penske Racing teammates, Sam Hornish and Helio Castroneves.  The 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Champ spent his evening nursing his wounded No. 2 Dodge around Lowe’s Motor Speedway, hoping to pick up as many valuable points as possible.

            “That was definitely the highlight of this day, that’s for sure,” Busch said back in the garage, after a Lap 66 crash had ended his hopes of picking up his first L.M.S. victory.  “Being there at Indy with Roger, Sam and Helio and soaking it all in, that was really cool.  We saw the first two laps and headed back to Charlotte.  We were able to make it back in time to see Sam win the race in spectacular fashion.

            “We had high hopes of giving Roger his second win of the day, but the car was just off from the very beginning,” Busch continued.  “We were super tight from the drop of the green and started working on it.  We put a rubber in the right rear spring to free it up and it sure did the job.  We were hoping that the change would work as the track started tightening up and it might have worked out that way.  Unfortunately, the car just snapped loose and we hit the wall a ton.  That did us in for the night.”

            It was thought at first that the damage was beyond repair.  But after a detailed review back in the garage, the Roy McCauley-led team was able to get Busch back into action on Lap 174.  The effort was enough to gain six precious points that could be invaluable later on in the season.  Busch was officially listed as finishing in the 39th spot, completing 290 of the 400 laps.

            “It was the principle of the situation to me,” crew chief McCauley later said.  “I knew the car was really messed up, but we didn’t want to give in to a situation that could really haunt us on down the road.  The fact that we got the car back out there was best for the team.  The six points that Kurt was able to get at the end of the night might just be the most important points of the year.  You never know.  I was proud of the effort everyone gave in the heat of the adversity we faced.”

            Up front, it was Kasey Kahne proving strongest at the end, taking a 2.103-second win over Jimmie Johnson and becoming the first driver in the last six races here other than Johnson to visit Victory Lane.  Kahne led the most laps, 158 circuits total, and never looked back after taking the lead for the final time with 33 laps remaining in the race.

            Carl Edwards finished third, with Mark Martin fourth and Matt Kenseth fifth.  Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin and Reed Sorenson rounded out tonight’s top 10 finishers.

            After 12 races, Johnson holds down the points lead with 1,861 points.  Kenseth is second with 1,752, Martin third with 1,652, Tony Stewart, who crashed out early here tonight and injured his shoulder, fourth with 1,630 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. fifth with 1,590.

            Busch fell a spot to 19th in the standings.  With 1,192 points, he trails Johnson by 669 points.  But as for the most important factor, making the “Chase” for 2006, he trails 10th-place Kevin Harvick by 234 points with 14 races remaining to determine who makes the cut.

            The NEXTEL Cup tour now heads to the “Monster Mile,” Dover International Speedway, for next Sunday’s running of the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America.  The 400-lap, 400-mile race has a scheduled 2:10 p.m. starting time and features live coverage by FX-TV and MRN Radio.

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