KURT BUSCH STARTING MILLER LITE DODGE SEVENTH AT POCONO
-Looking For Good Finish In Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 To Boost Him From 14th In Points-

LONG POND, Pa. (July 21, 2006) – Only moments after turning in a lap of 168.833 mph (53.307 seconds) to grab the provisional pole for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 here at Pocono Raceway, Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch grabbed a blank sheet of paper from a bystander and used his autograph pen to write “Watch the No. 11.”

            “It was a nice lap for us to pick up the speed we did,” he told TV reporter Matt Yocum.  “It was just real tight this time around. I don’t know if it was with the temperatures or the new left-side tire. We picked up a bunch of speed. That gives us a bunch of motivation for Sunday, but I missed turn three all together today. That left the door open for plenty of guys to slide by us. I knew I left a bunch on the table when I missed turned three. I was dead sideways in that corner. Hopefully we’ll end up in the top five. If not, the top 10.”

Just as Yocum was finishing his live interview with Busch, he held up his message to a national TV audience.

            Busch proved to be clairvoyant…and, unfortunately, it came at the expense of his Penske Racing South teammate, Ryan Newman.

            Kasey Kahne had knocked Busch from the pole, even before his TV interview was completed, when he turned in a 169.345 mph (53.146 second) lap.  Then there was Jeff Burton, with his 168.970 mph (53.264 second) lap.

            But, when Newman, out 29th in the order, turned in a 169.418 mph (53.123 second) circuit around this 2.5-mile triangular-shaped track, many garage area insiders had already conceded today’s pole to the driver of the Mobil 1/ALLTEL Dodge.

            Just as he did to Busch back in qualifying here for last month’s Pocono 500, rookie Hamlin was a late qualifier and he knocked a seasoned veteran off the pole.  Hamlin, out 43rd of 47 drivers, turned in a fast lap of 169.827 mph (52.995 seconds) to take the third pole of his young career and the second straight Pocono pole.

            Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon and Burton also start in front of KB in positions three through six, with Kyle Busch, Scott Riggs and Joe Nemechek rounding out today’s top 10 qualifiers.  Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and points leader Jimmie Johnson complete Sunday’s top 15 starters.

            “I guess you’re supposed to spend your honeymoon here in the Poconos, but I’m a week off,” KB joked with MRN Radio reporter Adam Alexander after learning that he’d been shuffled back to third early in the qualifying session.  “Hopefully we can do just as good as we did here last year and take this Miller Lite Dodge to Victory Lane.”

Saturday’s action here at Pocono Raceway includes practice sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 11:05 a.m.  Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 (500 miles/200 laps) has a 2:05 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by TNT-TV and MRN Radio.

# # #