KURT BUSCH FINISHES 13TH AT CALIFORNIA; NOW FOURTH IN POINTS
-Miller Lite Driver Still Learning “Peculiarities” Of New Dodge Charger-

FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2008) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch bounced back from going a lap down in today’s rain-delayed Auto Club 500 here at Auto Club (California) Speedway to post a 13th-place finish and hold down the fourth spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings.

            Busch was 13th on the restart of today’s weather-delayed race (after 87 laps had been placed into the record book last night) and had climbed to seventh when green-flag pit stops were the order beginning on Lap 121.  Attempting to stay out an additional lap to pick up the five bonus points for leading a lap came back to bite Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing No. 2 Team. 

            Instead of pitting at full power with the leaders, Busch entered the first turn on Lap 123 and radioed that he had run out of fuel.  He was forced to coast around the track and onto pit road for his stop.  By the time the crew had serviced the car and finally got the engine fired again, Busch found himself running 30th and a lap down to leader Jimmie Johnson when the stops cycled around on Lap 125.

            Busch and team got the break they needed when Michael Waltrip lost control of his Toyota in Turn 2 on Lap 150.  His spin brought out the ninth caution flag of the race and allowed Busch to take the “Lucky Dog” transfer spot and get back into the lead lap.

            Running 24th on the Lap 153 restart, Busch was able to pick off cars one by one for the next 50 laps.  He was back in the top 20 at Lap 165, but chassis changes to try to keep his Dodge from getting tight in the middle of the turns backfired during a stretch from Lap 171 until he pitted again on Lap 205.

            During the team’s final pit stop on Lap 221, the team opted to “go back the other way” on the earlier chassis adjustments.  Busch was able to climb from 17th back up to 13th in the waning laps, before stalling his forward motion with seven laps remaining in the race.

            “We were able to work our way up front, but we just stalled around the 12th position,” Busch said back in the garage after the race.  “The competition was real tough and our Miller Lite Dodge was fighting loose on exit. We were trying to make adjustments, but could never make it (the car) better – and then we were chasing track conditions – cool at night and rain. At the start of the race today - it started off really fast in the beginning – then it starts to warm up.  So you’re trying to make adjustments and learn with the car, but then the car plays trick with you at the same time.”

            “That was our struggle today,” Busch continued.  “We made small changes and the car would react the opposite way of what we were hoping. It would get looser or tighter – we weren’t making the proper adjustments – so I don’t know if we need to reverse our philosophy or what.”

            Busch’s finish here today has him fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings after two races and he is certainly pleased about that.

            “Yeah, it was a good day for us as far as the big picture goes,” said Busch, now fourth in the standings, trailing leader Kyle Busch by 36 points.  “With the situation we’re in, we’re hanging in there really well as far as the points go.  It’s our goal to be right there in the top 10 after five races, when the points situation reverts to this year’s standings and we’re doing a good job as far as that goes.”

            While the Hendrick cars of Johnson and Jeff Gordon looked to have the race in hand for much of the day, Roush Racing’s Carl Edwards saved the best for last, powering under Gordon for the second spot on Lap 230 and running down leader Johnson.  Edwards’ No. 99 Ford and Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet ran side by side for several laps before Edwards finally took the lead for good on Lap 238.

            At the finish line, it was Edwards winning by 1.430 seconds over Johnson.  Jeff Gordon blew his engine on the final circuit, but still finished third, with Kyle Busch fourth and Matt Kenseth fifth.  Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth, with Tony Stewart seventh, Kevin Harvick eighth, Kasey Kahne ninth and Ryan Newman 10th.  Brian Vickers finished 11th, with Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch (13th), David Regan and Greg Biffle rounding out today’s top-15 finishers.

            The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues its western swing next weekend as the tour heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400.  The green flag is set to fly at 1:30 p.m. local (4:30 p.m. EST), with live coverage by FOX-TV and PRN Radio beginning an hour prior to the start of the race.

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WEATHER RULES AT AUTO CLUB 500 QUALIFYING DAY
-Kurt Busch Starts Sunday’s Race From 36th Spot Based On 2007 Sprint Cup Victories-

--Added Bonus:  Transcript From Kurt Busch Friday Morning Press Conference--

FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2008) – Rain showers that plagued most of Southern California here on Friday forced NASCAR officials to scrap practice and qualifying for Sunday’s Auto Club 500 here at California Speedway and establish the starting field by the “adverse weather” plan* outlined below.  By virtue of his two victories during the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign, Kurt Busch will start his Miller Lite Dodge from the 36th spot on Sunday’s grid.

            “When we got here today and saw that weather might be a big issue, I started thinking, ‘oh no, please don’t let it rain out qualifying and this turn out to be a situation of me getting in the field and guys like Bill Elliott and maybe Dale Jarrett not make it,’” said Busch, who was forced to exercise his most recent champion’s provisional to make last weekend’s Daytona 500 field, knocking Elliott out of the lineup.  “I’m glad that the system used this weekend prevented that from happening.

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INCREDIBLE TEAM EFFORT SEES KURT BUSCH FINISH SECOND IN 500
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Proud To Have “Small Bit Of Victory” From Teammate Newman’s Win-

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2008) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch started last and finished second in today’s 50th annual Daytona 500 here at Daytona International Speedway.  His day in this special edition of NASCAR racing “Super Bowl” was so filled with drama that it could warrant documentation by a book or even a movie.

Pat Tryson 2007 Sporting News “Crew Chief of the Year"

Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Pat Tryson officially accepts the 2007 Sporting News "Crew Chief of the Year" Award from Sporting News staff member Matt Crossman during Saturday's activities at Daytona International Speedway. © Steve Rose 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Miller Lite Dodge team leader Pat Tryson’s effort last season garnered him the prestigious 2007 Sporting News “Crew Chief of the Year” designation.  Veteran journalist Reid Spencer wrote the following in last November’s Sporting News article announcing the award winners:

It's hard to overlook Chad Knaus, an inseparable part of Johnson's championship equation. It's equally difficult to pass over Gil Martin, who helped Cup series sophomore Clint Bowyer to his first win and a third-place finish in the Chase.

The real difference-maker on the pit box, however, was Tryson, who took over as crew chief for Kurt Busch's No. 2 Penske Dodge before the road course event at Infineon Raceway in late June. Before the change, Busch had been foundering. Four straight finishes outside the top 15, along with a 100-point penalty for a pit road incident with Tony Stewart at Dover, had dropped the 2004 champ to 16th in points.

Two weeks after the Infineon race, Busch finished third in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. August brought victories at Pocono and Michigan, and Busch qualified for the Chase and finished seventh in the final standings. Tryson's know-how, and his calming influence, had a lot to do with their success.

“It was a real honor to receive that notoriety, especially with the great jobs done by so many crew chiefs last year,” said Tryson.  “They may have cited me for it, but it was a tribute to Kurt and our whole Miller Lite Dodge Team.”

Added his driver, Busch:  "Just think about the big statement winning that award meant.  The fact is that Pat didn't even join our team until June and he was on our pit box for only 21 of the 36 races.  That's pretty incredible if you ask me.  It's like spotting all the other competitors 15 races to make their marks and then going out there and making a huge impact and a major statement in a relatively short period of time.  I am so proud of Pat and thrilled to have him as our team's leader."

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MILLER LITE TO WAGER $25,000 FOR CHARITY ON #2 BLUE DEUCE,
CHALLENGES BUD TO PLACE SAME WAGER ON ITS CAR
Miller Lite Racing Team Installed As Big Favorite By The Palms Casino Resort Over Rival in “Battle of the Beer Cars”

MILWAUKEE (February 6, 2008) – The Palms Casino Resort unveiled today a new head-to-head betting line that establishes the #2 Miller Lite NASCAR Sprint Cup team as a clear favorite over the rival Bud car for the 2008 season.

Wasting no time in underscoring its confidence in Kurt Busch and the entire Miller Lite Racing team, Miller Brewing Company announced immediately that it is wagering $25,000 on the Blue Deuce to again finish ahead of the Bud car this year, with the winnings pegged for the Kurt Busch Foundation.  The Palms’ official line has the Miller Lite car favored to finish 8½ spots ahead of the Bud car in the final NASCAR Sprint Cup season standings.

Additionally, Miller is wagering $2,500 on the #2 car to finish ahead of the #9 at the Feb. 17 season-opening race in Daytona Beach.  At The Palms Casino Resort, the Blue Deuce is favored to finish 6½ spots ahead of the #9 Bud car in the Daytona race.  The Palms will be setting similar lines between the two cars for each race.

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Photos Copyright: Wayne Ebinger

PENSKE-TAYLOR TEAM SCORES PODIUM FINISH IN ROLEX 24
-All-Star Trio Of Busch, Castroneves & Briscoe Bring Toshiba Pontiac Riley Home Third-

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 26-27) – There is a long-standing motto associated with Penske Racing and that is “Effort Equals Results.”  Perhaps there is no better example of that slogan being demonstrated than in the team effort that produced an impressive podium finish for Penske Racing drivers Kurt Busch, Helio Castroneves & Ryan Briscoe in this weekend’s Rolex 24 Grand-Am race at Daytona International Speedway.

            Briscoe was behind the wheel of the Penske-Taylor Racing No. 9 Toshiba Pontiac Riley when it crossed the line third and came to rest on pit road in today’s 46th edition of the famed road racing endurance classic.  The celebrating crew members, along with Busch and Castroneves swarmed around the podium-finishing ride.  Tim Cindric, President of Penske Performance, Inc., who manned the radio for this weekend’s incredible effort, huddled his trio of drivers together by the car.

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KURT BUSCH JOINS LINEUP OF FOXSports.com EXCLUSIVE WRITERS
-Miller Lite Dodge Driver Joins Illustrious Group Contributing To 2008 NASCAR Coverage-

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 23, 2008) – Kurt Busch, 2004 NASCAR Sprint Series champion and a 17-time winner at the top level of stock car racing, has joined the list of FOXSports.com’s “Exclusive Writers” covering the 2008 schedule.

            Busch, who is among only 12 drivers to have claimed victories and poles in all three of NASCAR’s top series, will offer his unique perspective on his Pat Tryson-led Miller Lite Dodge Team and also his point of view on all the hot topics in the sport.

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