but first, these notes of interest:

--Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing Team will be returning to their gold “World Beer Cup” color scheme for the final time this year in Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  “The fans have really let it be known how much they love the gold colors that we had on our car in the two races earlier this year, so we decided to bring out the gold for one final time this season,” Kurt said of the special paint job that reflects sponsor Miller Lite’s fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the most recent World Beer Cup contest held last year.  “We are so proud of what the color scheme represents that we actually hoped to run the gold car more than what we have so far this year.”

--Kurt, Pat and crew will be racing their PSC-111 Miller Lite Dodge Charger this weekend at Atlanta.  “It’s the car that we raced for the first time at Michigan back in August and came home the winner,” Kurt explained.  “It was the race that was postponed all the way till Tuesday because of rain.  We named the car ‘Roger’ because the win came at a track that Roger Penske owned and nurtured.  It was our first race win that we were able to celebrate face to face with the ‘Captain’ in Victory Lane.  He wasn’t able to make it to our win at Bristol last year and he couldn’t be at Pocono for the win earlier in August.  For Roger to be there that day -- especially with all the sponsor reps and the folks from Dodge -- that definitely made the win all the more special.”  Sunday’s Atlanta race will mark only the second race for the car and it will be sporting the special gold “World Beer Cup” Miller Lite color scheme.

--Laverne & Shirley in action at Albany, Ga.’s Miller Brewing Company brewery on Friday…well, maybe not quite that.  But, it will be Rutledge & Kurt having fun together during a visit and tour of the massive plant.  SPEED TV personality Rutledge Wood and a crew will be tailing Kurt and documenting his visit for a special upcoming feature.  “Rutledge is a funny guy and a cool dude to hang out with,” Kurt said of Wood, the 27-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native and marketing graduate of the University of Georgia who has become a popular figure in the strong lineup of SPEED TV on-air personnel.  “I’m sure that we will have a great time there on Friday and all the fans will definitely want to catch the story on SPEED that they put together on our visit.”

--Kurt labeled last Wednesday’s first of two “Ride with Kurt for the Kids” fundraising events as a roaring success.  The afternoon-long event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway featured special ride-alongs with Kurt, meet & greets, photos, autographs, a silent auction and concluded with dinner.  It all added up to more than $40 grand being raised in support the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Kurt Busch Foundation.   “We could not be happier with results of the inaugural event held at Lowe’s Motor Speedway,” Kurt explained. “Our goal was to provide an event that would create memories that will last a lifetime and judging by the smiles of our participants, I’d say we had a big-time winner.”  Kurt and the KBF will stage another fundraiser in the 2004 champ’s hometown of Las Vegas on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  For complete event information, please visit www.kurtbusch.com, or send an email to ridewithkurt@kurtbusch.com, or call 704-799-2428. For those who cannot attend but would still like to make a donation to the Kurt Busch Foundation, please visit www.kurtbusch.com.

--Kurt reflected on last week’s (Oct. 15-16) Goodyear tire test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with the new COT model race car:  “It was a very good test,” Kurt said.  “It was something that I didn’t expect. I expected some struggles with the speed that you carry at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and how the COT’s lack of downforce would balance out. What I realized is that the car has a bigger mood swing then what our normal car does. When the track conditions were cool, overcast and fast the car seemed extra fast. Then when the track got hot and slick the car slid around more. So it had a larger mood swing. That is interesting because it will put more of a challenge on the teams to get their cars dialed in for the different changing conditions.   I was impressed with the speed of the car. We didn’t make many long runs because Goodyear wanted to keep it in moderation. We have to challenge that car on the long runs and see how it does.”

--Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 will mark Pat’s first race ever in running a gold NEXTEL Cup car.  “We’re looking forward to running our gold car this weekend at Atlanta,” Pat said.  “For the record, it’ll be my first race with the gold car out there and it will be the first points race for our gold ‘World Beer Cup’ Miller Lite Dodge.  We’re coming into Atlanta hoping to put together a complete race – starting competitive and staying that way the entire race.  Atlanta is a great place for us to get the luck turned around and really go after it.  It will be a great day all the way around if we can put that gold car in Victory Lane at Atlanta on Sunday.”  Pat indicated that Sunday will likely be the last race that the team uses this chassis (PSC-111 named “Roger”).   “Right now, we’re looking at racing the 78 car (PSC-078 car named “PT Special” after August Pocono victory) at Texas next week,” he said.  “If all goes well there, we plan on running the 78 again down at Homestead in the final race of the year.”

--Speaking of the special gold color scheme recognizing sponsor Miller Lite’s fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the World Beer Cup, the main man responsible for the attractive paint job didn’t care much for the color at first.  “When we got it out of the paint shop and out into the prep area back before Daytona Speed Weeks, I really didn’t like it,” said Cesar Bustos, a 40-year-old Salinas, Calif., native and the “paint guru” at the Penske Racing headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.  “I thought it had too much of a green tint to it.  My chief helper on the car, Jesse Simpson, talked me into getting the car outside the shop to get a second look at it.  He’s probably the guy most responsible for us keeping that shade of gold.  The attention we have gotten from that gold car has been almost overwhelming.  All in all, I’d have to say that it’s my proudest achievement so far.”

--The 2006 Brewers Association World Beer Cup was the world's largest and most diverse international beer competition for commercial breweries, with the most recent contest boasting 2,221 entries from 540 breweries in 56 countries, including all other major breweries.  The World Beer Cup has been held every other year since 1996 and is presented by the Association of Brewers, a not-for-profit educational and trade organization founded in 1978 that is dedicated to the promotion of quality beers and brewing throughout the world.  The Association also hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival® and is based in Boulder, Colo.

--Miller Lite has launched an engaging statewide promotional campaign around the upcoming Nov. 4 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.  The campaign will recognize, celebrate, honor and reward military veterans, both past and present, for their commitment to serving our country.  Miller Lite has teamed with Operation Homefront (see www.operationhomefront.net/texas.) to support Texas troops and their families.  Miller Lite will donate financial support to the cause and consumers will have the opportunity to visit a special web site and vote how to apply Miller Lite’s contribution.  Consumers will also be able to make a donation on their own through the site.  For additional information, we invite you to visit www.MillerThanksVets.com  and log in.  Kurt will be able to earn additional funding for this great cause as Miller Lite will contribute a $100,000 bonus contribution if the blue No. 2 Dodge can come home the winner in the Nov. 4 Dickies 500 at TMS.  Miller Lite and Penske will also create a commemorative Kurt Busch Race Helmet that will be autographed and raffled for charity. 

--Kurt is scheduled for his weekly “top-12 points” media interview opportunity/Q & A session on Friday at 2:45 p.m. in the Atlanta Motor Speedway infield media center.  Kurt continues his effort in reaching out to the media rather than making them come to him at the team transporter.

--Kurt’s visit to his souvenir trailer at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday will mark the 242nd  time in the last 245 races that he has been out on race day mornings to meet his fans and sign autographs.  His continuing tradition began during his first full year on the Cup circuit back in 2001.  Kurt is tentatively scheduled to be at his souvenir trailer from 9:30 a.m. till 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Please verify that time by visiting the trailer in advance and picking up the free tickets for the autograph line.

--You are cordially invited to participate in the 23rd annual Miller Lite Motorsports Journalism Award for Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin.  The program, independently judged by the Indiana University School of Journalism, seeks to recognize and encourage outstanding motorsports coverage.

The categories for the 2007 Miller Lite Racing Motorsports Journalism Awards are:

Please remember that any motorsports coverage from 2007 is eligible to win.  We encourage you to send your best motorsports work from this year.  The judges' only consideration is the quality of work and its ability to generate interest and excitement, not the type of racing covered.  A Rolex watch and special commemorative plaque will be awarded for the judges’ selection in each of the seven categories.

Entries must be postmarked by December 7, 2007.  Winners will be announced in early 2008.

Entry blanks are now available in media centers during the remaining races on the Cup schedule and are available by special request to TR.  They are available for downloading on www.trpr.com  and several other sites.

--“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.” –John Ruskin

KURT BUSCH HOPING RETURN TO GOLD WILL LEAD TO CHECKERS
-Miller Lite Dodge Team Running “World Beer Cup” Color Scheme In Pep Boys Auto 500 At Atlanta-

HAMPTON, Ga.  (Oct. 23, 2007) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing Team are bringing out their highly-touted gold “World Beer Cup” color scheme for the final time this season in Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  They are hoping a return to the gold may lead to the checkers when Sunday’s 500-mile battle concludes.

            The special design that the team will run at Atlanta again honors Miller Lite’s fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the World Beer Cup.  The car will be painted from front to back in gold paint and will feature the World Beer Cup logo and “World Beer Cup Winner” on the hood, spoiler and rear quarter panels.  Miller Lite won its fourth gold award in the prestigious bi-annual competition in the most recent contest held last year.

            “The fans have really let it be known how much they love the gold colors that we had on our car in the two races earlier this year, so we decided to bring out the gold for one final time this season,” said Busch, who also ran the gold car in the season-opening Bud Shootout at Daytona in February and in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May.  “We are so proud of what the color scheme represents that we actually hoped to run the gold car more than what we have so far this year.

            “We certainly hope that the change in the color of our Miller Lite Dodge at Atlanta can bring with it a big variation to how the Chase races have panned out for us so for,” Busch continued.  “We need to get back into the swing of being competitive throughout the race and coming home with a strong finish at the end of the day.

            “Underneath that gold paint job, we’ll certainly have a strong car ready for Atlanta this weekend,” said Busch.  “We’re bringing out the car we won with at Michigan back in August and we have tremendous faith that it can get the job done again this time around.

            “We certainly know that we’ll have our work cut out for us because the Atlanta track always presents such a big challenge,” Busch said.  “Keeping up with the changing track conditions is always a tough thing to do and the teams able to accomplish that are the ones that will be out there battling for the win at the end.

            “The Atlanta track is very abrasive and it wears the tires out only 10 laps or so into a run,” Busch explained.  “If there is a yellow, you’re going to come in and get four tires.  In the beginning of the race, the car has much more grip to it because the track isn’t filled in with rubber.  You just seem to search all day long for which groove the car likes the best.

            “It may be the low groove, the middle groove or the high groove,” Busch continued.  “You find a spot where you want to run. Toward the end of the race, the fastest cars seem to get around the bottom of the racetrack.  They are able to get in the gas sooner than anybody and carry that speed down those long straightaways. You have to search for where you want to be the most comfortable racing, but when the money is on the line you have to be able to race that low lane and past those guys.  We’re hoping to be fortunate enough to be in that spot as the laps wind down on Sunday at Atlanta.

            “We’re coming in there going for the win, that’s for sure,” said Busch, now 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings, trailing leader Jeff Gordon by a whopping 420 points.  “When you are in the position we’re in, you have to go for it all.  We still have four races remaining to get all we can.  We’re only 135 (points) out of fifth right now, so we can make up a lot of ground before the year is over and that’s what our big-picture focus is all about right now.”

            “We’re looking forward to running our gold car this weekend at Atlanta,” said crew chief Tryson.  “For the record, it’ll be my first race with the gold car out there and it will be the first points race for our gold ‘World Beer Cup’ Miller Lite Dodge.

            “We’re coming into Atlanta hoping to put together a complete race – starting competitive and staying that way the entire race,” said Tryson.  “We’ve had a strong top-five car in every Chase race so far, except for last Sunday at Martinsville.  We were strong there until pitting under the early yellow and getting behind.  It just pretty much went downhill after

the brake heat melted the inside bead of the tire and caused it to go down.  We were fortunate he didn’t knock the wall down, but Kurt hit it just hard enough to damage the right front suspension.

            “Atlanta is a great place for us to get the luck turned around and really go after it,” Tryson added.  “It will be a great day all the way around if we can put that gold car in Victory Lane at Atlanta on Sunday.”

* * *

            Busch, Tryson and team will be racing their PSC-111 Miller Lite Dodge Charger this weekend in the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  “It’s the car that we raced for the first time at Michigan back in August and came home the winner,” Busch explained.  “It was the race that was postponed all the way till Tuesday because of rain.  We named the car ‘Roger’ because the win came at a track that Roger Penske owned and nurtured.  It was

our first race win that we were able to celebrate face to face with the ‘Captain’ in Victory Lane.  He wasn’t able to make it to our win at Bristol last year and he couldn’t be at Pocono for the win earlier in August.  For Roger to be there that day -- especially with all the sponsor reps and the folks from Dodge -- that definitely made the win all the more special.”  Sunday’s Atlanta race will mark only the second race for the car and it will be sporting the special gold “World Beer Cup” Miller Lite color scheme.

* * *

            This weekend’s schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway calls for practice on Friday from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  The single round of qualifying on Friday at 7:10 p.m. will allocate all 43 starting positions for Sunday’s battle around this lightning-fast 1.54-mile oval.  Saturday’s schedule features practice from 8:45 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., with the final “happy hour” session scheduled from 11:20 a.m. till 12:20 p.m.  Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500 (500 miles/325 laps) has a scheduled 2:00 p.m. ET starting time and the race features live coverage by ABC/ESPN-TV and PRN Radio.

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