but first, these notes of interest:

--Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing Team will be racing their PSC-111 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in this weekend’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  “We’re racing the car that we won the rain-delayed race at Michigan with back in August,” Pat said.  “It was very fitting that we named this car ‘Roger’ after winning that race.  With the history behind the car already, I’d just about guarantee you that it’s destined to wind up in a museum or showroom somewhere.  Just think how cool it would be if we could win another race with it in the final time we’ll ever race these cars.  That’d be really sweet, man.  I assure you that if we can pull it off, there’ll be so much champagne and Miller Lite used in celebrating the win on Sunday that there may be a big shortage of both in Florida come next Monday.”

“It’s the final race for the old-style cars and certainly every team wants to have being the final winners on their resumes,” Kurt added.  “We feel like we are bringing our best car down to Homestead, hoping to achieve that distinction in racing history.”

--A winter full of memories:  “I’ve always found it important to end the season on a positive note,” Pat said of this weekend’s season finale at Homestead.  “When you’re out there racing week in and week out, it’s fairly easy to shake it off if you are coming off a disappointing race.  But after this weekend, we don’t see another green flag until February at Daytona.  So, yeah, it’s a big deal to have a competitive run there on Sunday.  You can look at it a couple of ways, though.  It’s the end of the era for this type race car and we’ll never race it again.  If we have a great finish on Sunday, I’m sure it’ll have a positive effect on the team morale for the off-season.  You always want to go out on a positive note.”

--For Kurt, more than just bragging rights on the line this weekend:  “All the Chase drivers want to finish at least in the top 10 in the points,” Kurt said.  “The way they have it this year is that there are 12 drivers in the Chase, but only the top 10 get to drive their show cars around Manhattan and take to the stage at the NASCAR Awards Banquet.  It’s a case of team pride and wanting to be able to do all you can for your sponsors.  To tell you the truth, as hard as all the teams work toward making the Chase, it’s kind of sad that two teams get left out like that.  I really don’t understand that, but I guess you just have to accept it and go on.”

--The bonus points scenario in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is quite interesting.  Jeff Gordon leads with 150 bonus points, accumulated by leading in 23 races and leading the most laps in seven races.  He has six wins this season.  Jimmie Johnson and Kurt are now tied for second with 125 bonus points each.  Amazingly, Johnson, with 10 wins on the season, has led laps in 23 different races, but has led the most laps in only two events.  Kurt has led laps in 20 of the 34 races completed thus far and has led the most laps in five races.  “The 48 team has 10 wins and we have two, so that shows you that those guys are leading the right laps,” Kurt said.  “I think it also shows how strong we’ve been during the first half of so many races this season, only to see our strong promising runs fall apart for one reason or another.  It’s pretty incredible that the 48 team has led the most laps in only two races this season.

--Kurt’s “Ride with Kurt for the Kids” fundraiser last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a smashing success.  It resulted in raising more than $50,000 in support of the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Kurt Busch Foundation.

“Without your generosity and support of this event and Kurt Busch Foundation, we just couldn’t do this great work for a wonderful charity,” Kurt told the enthusiastic crowd gathered at LVMS last Tuesday (Nov. 6). “We wanted to create an event that offered everyone here great value and while we all had a lot of fun, we did great things for our foundation.”

This event was the second fundraiser for the Kurt Busch Foundation. In addition to the many loyal Kurt Busch fans that invested their own time and resources to attend and make the event a success, the Kurt Busch Foundation wishes to acknowledge and thank the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Levy’s Restaurants, Miller Brewing Co., plus the many race teams and drivers that donated autographed race memorabilia for the silent auction.

The meet & greet portion of the scheduled activities was interrupted so that Kurt could receive Official Certificates of Commendation from the offices of State of Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and Second District of Nevada U.S. Congressman Dean Heller for his outstanding humanitarian contributions, both personally and on behalf of the Kurt Busch Foundation. The certificates and the subsequent standing ovation resulted in a humbled Kurt who explained, “This is where I am from, this will always be home to me and I am extremely proud to serve this community and receive this recognition” Kurt said.  “Thank you to Governor Jim Gibbons, to Congressman Dean Heller, and to this community.”

The Kurt Busch Foundation will continue with activities like “Ride with Kurt for the Kids” throughout 2008 and beyond with schedules and locations still to be determined. For those who wish to make a donation to the Kurt Busch Foundation, and to get information on future charitable activities, please visit www.kurtbusch.com.

--Kurt is scheduled for his weekly “top-12 points” media interview opportunity/Q & A session on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the interview room across from the Homestead-Miami 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 Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday will mark the 245th time in the last 248 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 11:00 a.m. till 11:30 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.

--“Make the present good, and the past will take care of itself.” –Knute Rockne

MUCH ON THE LINE FOR KURT BUSCH IN HOMESTEAD 2007 FINALE
-Miller Lite Driver Looking For Another Win For “Roger” In Final Race For “Old-Style Car”-

HOMESTEAD, Fla.  (Nov. 13, 2007) – There will be much on the line for Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Miller Lite Dodge Team in this weekend’s Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

            “It’s the final race for the old-style cars and certainly every team wants to have being the final winners on their resumes,” said Busch, who won the 2002 Homestead season finale and posted a dramatic fifth-place finish in the 2004 race to claim the NASCAR title in the first year of the current Chase format.  “We feel like we are bringing our best car down to Homestead, hoping to achieve that distinction in racing history.

            “The championship picture is pretty clear in that Jimmie (Johnson, points leader) should be able to coast on through to his second championship,” offered Busch, who claimed the 2004 championship by eight points over Johnson.  “He’ll have to have major problems to squander that 86-point lead that he has over (Jeff) Gordon.

            “But, there certainly is a tight battle going on from about sixth-place on back and that could be very interesting,” offered Busch, currently 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings with 6,056 points.  “All the Chase drivers want to finish at least in the top 10 in the points. 

            “The way they have it this year is that there are 12 drivers in the Chase, but only the top 10 get to drive their show cars around Manhattan and take to the stage at the NASCAR Awards Banquet,” offered Busch.  “It’s a case of team pride and wanting to be able to do all you can for your sponsors.  To tell you the truth, as hard as all the teams work toward making the Chase, it’s kind of sad that two teams get left out like that.  I really don’t understand that, but I guess you just have to accept it and go on.

            “Regardless of the outcome, our Miller Lite Dodge Team is proud of our accomplishments this season,” said Busch.  “We entered the year with the major goals of winning races and making the Chase and we accomplished that.  With the COT cars being the standard at all races in 2008, we know that we’ll have a very challenging year ahead.”

            With only Sunday’s Ford 400 remaining, Busch prefers to look ahead rather than look over his shoulder when it comes to the point standings.

            “Matt (Kenseth) has put a string of strong finishes together and he’s climbed to sixth, but the fact is that he’s only 47 points in front of us,” said Busch.  “There are five guys right there within that narrow margin and several spots can change at Homestead on Sunday.”

            Currently, Busch does indeed trail sixth-place Kenseth by only 47 points.  He is 37 points behind seventh-place Kevin Harvick, 33 points in arrears of eighth-place Jeff Burton and 11 points behind ninth-place Carl Edwards.

            “I know that all the focus will be on points and I understand that, but we’re coming in there really wanting to win this race,” said crew chief Tryson.  “There’s nothing we’d like more than to see our Miller Lite Dodge in the Ford 400 Victory Lane.

            “It’ll certainly be a big piece of history that’ll go down there on Sunday,” said Tryson.  “It’ll be NASCAR’s way of officially putting the old horse out to pasture and preparing to usher in the new era when we get back down to Daytona for February’s Speed Weeks.

            “There’s certainly some sentimental value that a win this weekend would bring to our team, that’s for sure,” Tryson continued.  “We’re racing our (PSC-) 111 car, the one we first raced at Michigan and won with in that rain-delayed race back in August.  It was at the track that Roger Penske once owned and helped build it up to what it is today, right there in the backyard of all the auto manufacturers.  It was Kurt’s first win and mine, too, where Roger was there and we were able to celebrate it together in Victory Lane.

            “It was very fitting that we named this car ‘Roger’ after winning that race,” said Tryson.  “With the history behind the car already, I’d just about guarantee you that it’s destined to wind up in a museum or showroom somewhere.  Just think how cool it would be if we could win another race with it in the final time we’ll ever race these cars.  That’d be really sweet, man.  I assure you that if we can pull it off, there’ll be so much champagne and Miller Lite used in celebrating the win on Sunday that there may be a big shortage of both in Florida come next Monday.”

            This weekend’s schedule at Homestead-Miami Speedway calls for practice on Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  The single round of qualifying on Friday at 3:10 p.m. will allocate all 43 starting positions for Sunday’s battle around the 1.5-mile layout.  Saturday’s schedule features practice from 11:00 a.m. until 11:50 a.m., with the final “happy hour” session scheduled from 2:50 p.m. till 3:50 p.m.  Sunday’s Ford 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) has a scheduled start at 3:30 p.m. EST and the race features live coverage by ABC/ESPN-TV and MRN Radio.

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