KURT BUSCH STARTING MILLER LITE DODGE SEVENTH AT PHOENIX
-Fastest In Practice, “Missed It A Little Here And There” In Qualifying Run-

AVONDALE, Ariz. (April 20, 2006) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch was fastest in today’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice session here at Phoenix International Raceway, but he’ll start seventh in Saturday night’s Subway Fresh 500 after he “missed it a little here and there” in qualifying.

         “It was a little tight on the first lap and then I overdrove it on the second lap trying to get everything out of it I could,” Busch said after turning in his lap of 132.817 mph (27.105 seconds).   “I thought I hit one and two pretty good. To be quickest in practice and then just pick it up a little bit in qualifying usually doesn’t work because other guys usually pick up a lot.

         ““We’ll be okay,” said Busch, the defending champion of Saturday night’s race here on this one-mile desert oval.  “That should give us a top 10 spot. I haven’t really gone for a pole all year. I got one at California, but it was a surprise to us. I really charged it today and got really tight through three and four. Maybe if I had backed it off a little bit we could have been in second place right behind my little brother. It seems like the Young Jedi (Kyle Busch) has done well. He learns quick. He’s putting all his knowledge from his own team and what I’ve given him to work. He’s got the fastest car in the county today. The car seems to do something different here and different there. I’ll get that other car (NBS) out of my mind tomorrow and we’ll focus on the Cup car and we’ll be all right.”

         “Kyle Busch will start on the pole in Saturday’s race, after turning in the fast lap of 133.745 mph (26.917 seconds).  Greg Biffle starts second (133.383 mph/26.990), with Tony Stewart third, Matt Kenseth fourth and Carl Edwards fifth.  Denny Hamlin, Kurt, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson rounded out today’s top-10 qualifiers.