KURT BUSCH STARTING MILLER LITE DODGE SEVENTH AT TEXAS
-Fastest In Practice; Takes First Career TMS Top-10 Start For Samsung/RadioShack 500-

JUSTIN, Texas (April 7, 2006) - Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch entered this weekend's Samsung/RadioShack 500 without a top-10 start here at Texas Motor Speedway.  As a mater of fact, he had only one top-15 start in his six career races at T.M.S.

            Not only did he break that streak by qualifying seventh here this afternoon, he was actually considered a bonafide candidate to win the pole.  When Busch and his Roy McCauley-led Penske Racing South team set fast time in the practice leading up to qualifying - Busch circling this 1.5-mile speed plant in 28.672 seconds (188.337 mph) - many pit road insiders were wondering if the Las Vegas native might be headed to his second pole in only seven races so far this season.

            "It was kind of a strange feeling, especially here, to be looked at as one of the favorites for the pole," said Busch, who won the fourth pole of his career five races ago at California Speedway.  "It's a tribute to Roy McCauley and all the guys that work so hard to put great races cars out there each and every week.

            "We had done an interview with Dick Berggren on Speed and were in the transporter just before heading out to qualify when I took a look at the qualifying order," said Busch.  "I knew that we went out 11th and Ryan (Newman, Penske teammate) was scheduled out right after us.

            "That 9 car (Kasey Kahne) was awful fast in practice, too.  He was just a tick off of what we turned.  When somebody pointed out that he was scheduled out so late (44th of 48 drivers), it did go through my mind that he was in a great spot to take the pole.  I'm not saying that we would have won the pole if we'd made our run that late, but it would have been neat to see if we could have been faster.

            "We're extremely pleased with our effort and starting seventh out here on Sunday will be great," said Busch, whose official lap speed was 188.897 mph (28.587 seconds).  "If we can be as competitive in the race as we were in qualifying, we may be able to keep that streak of theirs going here. (In 10 races here, there have been 10 different winners.  Busch has one top-five finish and five top-10s, but is still looking for his first Texas victory.

            "I've always had mediocre cars here and turned them better as the race went on. This weekend the car feels good already. We'll see what we can do to dial it in in race trim. We have two practices here tomorrow and then we'll get even more seat time out here tomorrow afternoon (racing in the O'Reilly 300 NBS race).  Hopefully, we'll be ready for them on Sunday"

            Kahne did in fact take the pole here this afternoon, turning in a lap of 190.315 mph (28.374 seconds).  Rookie J.J. Yeley starts second, after running a 189.374 mph (28.515 second) lap.  Mark Martin starts third, with Jeff Green fourth and Greg Biffle fifth.  Matt Kenseth goes sixth, Busch seventh, Denny Hamlin eighth, Martin Truex Jr. ninth and Bobby Labonte 10th.

Saturday's final Cup practice is set for 12:05 p.m. till 12:50 p.m.  The O'Reilly 300 starts at 2:00 p.m. CDT and features live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio.  Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 (334 laps/501 miles) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, the seventh event along the 36-race 2006 schedule, begins at 1:00 p.m. CDT and features live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio.

# # #