but first, these notes of interest:

-- Could it be that Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch has finally “arrived” as for being considered as one of the best current road course racers in the business?  Entering the 2006 season, he had competed in 10 career races on road courses.  He had recorded no wins, two top-five finishes, three top-10 finishes and no poles.  The 2006 season saw him win both poles and finish fifth at Infineon before Sunday’s race at the Glen.  He led 33 percent of the road course laps this year (67 of 200) and was a legitimate contender for both wins.  “I never thought of myself as a great road course racer, nor did I ever think I was bad at it,” KB offered.  “It’s just through the years, we ran pretty strong only to have crazy things happen to us.  My Miller Lite Dodge is definitely the strongest road course car I’ve ever had.  The record books now show that we’ve won races in both the Busch Series and the Southwest Series.  We’ll keep hammering at it and we’ll get us a Cup win there, too.”

-- Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch continues to be “Professor Friday” in 2006 as he again displayed his qualifying prowess over the weekend at Watkins Glen International.  KB claimed his third pole of the year and sixth of his career.  He now has an 8.410 average start for the season, by far the best in the sport.  He has 16 top-10 starts, more than any other driver, and has started no lower than 20th.  Last year at this time, KB had a 13.863 average start.  He had 11 top 10 starts, but started five races outside the top 20.  “Maybe you should start calling him ‘Sergeant Friday,’” offered long-time Penske crew member Jeff Thousand, after KB won the pole last Friday.  “I remember Sergeant Joe Friday was certainly the man in charge in the old ‘Dragnet’ TV series.  He’s that guy who always said, ‘Just the facts, mam.’  The fact is Kurt’s been stronger and more consistent than anybody in qualifying this year, that’s for sure.”

-- KB doing double-duty again this weekend at MIS as he will drive the No. 39 Matt Gimbel-prepared Penske Truck Rental Dodge in Saturday’s CarFax 250.  KB will again be driving the team’s PBC-008 chassis this weekend.  He has raced the car three times this season, recording a 2nd at Lowe’s, a 3rd at Dover and a 6th at Chicago.  Saturday’s race is scheduled to get the green flag at 2:55 p.m. EDT and the 250-mile, 125-lap battle will feature live coverage by TNT-TV and MRN Radio.

-- KB’s statistics piloting the No. 39 Penske Truck Rental Dodge in NBS competition continue to dazzle.  After taking his first series pole Saturday at the Glen, he led three times for 41 laps (led most laps) and held off Robby Gordon for his second series victory.  In six career starts, KB has two wins, five top-five finishes and six top-10s.  He has finished no worse than sixth and now has a 2.8 average finish for the year (and for his career).  He has led laps in every race, led the most laps in two races and has led 267 of the 1,095 (24.4%) total laps.  He’s looking to add to those stats this Saturday at Michigan.

-- KB’s winning new PBC-009 chassis Penske Truck Rental Dodge was named “Ringer” after he took Saturday’s hard-fought road course NBS victory at Watkins Glen.  “Every time we head to the road courses, there’s always the big talk about all the road course ringers coming in to race – guys who aren’t regulars on the circuit,” KB explained.  “It’s a takeoff on that in that a ringer is also a winner when it comes to throwing games such as horseshoes.  That was a brand new car and we won with it the first time out, so it was a ringer.  It’s an easy name to remember – has a nice ring to it.  Man, did I say that?  Sounds like something from ‘Talladega Nights.’”  After performing another “Snow Angel” during his victory celebration on Saturday at Watkins Glen, KB jokingly suggested that his antics may be more appropriately referred to as “Asphalt Angels.”

-- The “Kenseth Scale” – Many garage insiders continue to size up the quests of the drivers just outside the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup points this season with the remarkable comeback Matt Kenseth had in 2005 in making the cut.  KB certainly looks at that for inspiration at this point.  After finishing 18th at the Glen in last year’s 22nd race of the season, Kenseth was 16th in the standings and trailed 10th-place Carl Edwards by 165 points.  Here is what happened in the final four races (races 23-25):

(23) He finished third at Michigan (15th & -104 to McMurray)

(24) He won at Bristol (11th & -11 to Gordon)

(25) He was seventh at California (9th & + 10 on McMurray)

(26) He finished second to KB at Richmond (9th & +59 on Newman)

-- “But there’s one thing about quitters you have to guard against – they are contagious.  If one boy goes, the chances are he’ll take somebody with him, and you don’t want that.  So when they start acting that way, I used to pack them up and get them out, or embarrass them, or do something to turn them around.” -Coach Paul William "Bear" Bryant.

KURT BUSCH NOT THROWING IN THE TOWEL JUST YET:  FOUR RACES TO GO
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Proud Of His First-Year Team; Looks To Continue Showing Progress At M.I.S.-

BROOKLYN, Mich.  (Aug. 15, 2006) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch was denied making NASCAR history on Sunday at Watkins Glen, N.Y., when a dominant performance was derailed by a controversial ruling on Lap 54 of the 90-lap road-racing finale for 2006.

            After claiming the top starting spot on Friday for Sunday’s race, Busch won the pole and the race here in Saturday’s NBS Zippo 200.  While there had been several drivers to win both races during a single weekend, never had there been a driver to win both poles and both races.

            Busch started from the pole on Sunday and proved he had the car to beat.  He had his Miller Lite Dodge up front for 38 laps and was leading after Lap 53 when his opportunity to make his mark in the history books was spoiled.

            While making his final scheduled pit stop under the green working Lap 54, Busch veered to the right and turned down the pit lane.  Just as he made his move, the caution flag came out for a Joe Nemechek spin entering the carousel turn.  NASCAR officials ruled that Busch had not made it to the commitment line before the flag was displayed and the team was notified that they would have to restart at the tail end of the longest line.

            Busch’s promising day unraveled from there.

            After being sent to the rear of the field on the following restart and surviving a multi-car crash to make it back up to 11th on the final lap, his major comeback was not to be.  Getting caught up in a multi-car incident involving Penske teammate Ryan Newman, Boris Said and Ron Fellows in the inner-loop on the final lap, Busch was eventually credited with a 19th-place finish.

            The end result sees Busch 12th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standings and 172 behind 10th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four races remaining to determine the competitors in this year’s “Chase for the Championship.”  Only the top 10 drivers in the point standings after the conclusion of the Sept. 9 race at Richmond, Va., will be competing for the 2006 title that will be decided in the final 10 races of the year.

            “What’s behind us is history and it’s really no good to dwell on what might have been,” Busch said on Tuesday, as he reflected on the past weekend.  “We had a shot to make history there on Sunday, but it was not to be.  To tell you the truth, they didn’t even tell me about all of that going into the race. 

            “The big thing is that we had an incredible weekend going there at the Glen, with the two poles and the win on Saturday,” Busch continued.  “We never stop and rest on our laurels because our expectations are so high, but I have to sometimes stop and realize that ours is truly a first-year team.

            “Instead of looking back, now we’re looking forward to going back to Michigan this weekend,” said Busch.  “Like I’ve said before, this year’s second half really begins at Michigan, especially for a first-year team looking to go back to the same tracks a second time around.

            “The big thing about it is that there’s only four races left to draw from past experience and put together a solid run toward making the Chase,” said Busch.  “Michigan, Bristol, California and Richmond make up the stretch run.  We’ll give it our best in the effort to make the Chase, but it has been a pretty successful season for our first-year team regardless.”

            “Kurt and our team will never throw in the towel,” crew chief Roy McCauley offered.  “We’ll be out there doing everything we can to make the Chase, but it won’t be the end of the world if we don’t.

            “Heading back to Michigan this week, we’ve seen steady progress on the intermediate tracks – the mile-and-a-half to two-mile ovals,” McCauley continued.  “If we had an area that really needed working on during the first half of the season, it had to be on that type of race track. 

            “But, we finished ninth at Michigan back in June and we were eighth at Chicago last month, so we’re making headway there.  We look to continue that progress at Michigan this weekend.”

            While Busch, McCauley and the Miller Lite Team used their PRS-083 Dodge Charger in the June Michigan race, they have opted to bring a different car back this time around.

            “We’ll be racing the (PRS-0) 86 car this weekend,” McCauley said.  “We’ve never raced it, but we did test it at Nashville back in January.  It’s been re-bodied and fluffed and buffed many times since then.

            “We’ll be taking our best stuff there, just like we did at Indy.  We’re constantly trying to improve our entire program each and every day.  We’re definitely not sitting on our hands and being idle.  We’re dedicated to making our equipment better and better and determined to bring more competitive cars back to the track each and every week.”

            Busch’s career track record on the 2.0-mile Michigan track sports one win, one top-five finish and five top-10 finishes in 11 races.  He started 17th and finished seventh in last year’s August race at M.I.S.  He competed in one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at M.I.S., starting fourth and finishing second in the July 2000 race.

* * *

            This weekend’s schedule at Michigan calls for NBS practice on Friday from 10:15 a.m. till 11:25 a.m., followed by Cup practice from 11:35 a.m. till 1:00 p.m.  The final NBS practice session goes from 1:50 p.m. till 3:00 p.m.  Cup qualifying is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. (live on Speed Channel).  Saturday’s schedule calls for Cup practice sessions from 9:00 a.m. till 10:00 a.m. and from 10:35 a.m. till 11:20 a.m. (airs at 2:00 p.m. on Speed).  Qualifying for the CarFax 250 NBS race is set for 11:40 a.m. (live on Speed), with that 125-lap, 250-mile battle getting the green flag at 2:55 p.m.  Sunday’s GFS Marketplace 400 NEXTEL Cup race (200 laps, 400 miles) has a 2:30 p.m. EDT starting time.  TNT-TV and MRN Radio will provide live coverage of both races.