Busch Looking Forward To Return To Texas Motor Speedway
FORT WORTH, Texas - Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch
and his No. 2 Penske Racing Team return to Texas Motor Speedway for
Sunday's Dickies 500 with a new Dodge Charger that is sporting a special
color scheme and supporting a very worthy cause.
"We're looking forward to returning to the intermediate tracks this
weekend and especially to Texas Motor Speedway," said Busch, whose
career record on the 1.5-mile Fort Worth speed plant boasts eight top-10
finishes in 13 starts. "It's not the situation we had hoped for as far
as the big picture goes this time around, but there's still a lot on the
line and much to try to accomplish.
"We were hoping to be up there battling it out for the championship, but
with only three races remaining this season and being at such a deficit,
we're heading into Texas focused on trying to win races before the year
is over," said Busch, who now trails leader Jimmie Johnson by 312 points
with only the races at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami remaining in
the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup. "We realistically can climb several
spots in the standings during the final weeks, but the big emphasis will
be placed on doing what it takes to add to our race win column for the
season."
Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing crew will be debuting their
new "PRS-702" Miller Lite Dodge Charger this weekend at Texas. The
car will be adorned with a unique color scheme supporting Operation
Homefront, the organization that helps troops in need. In addition,
Busch will be racing to earn additional funds for Operation Homefront
in Sunday's 334-lap, 501-mile battle around the 1.5-mile TMS quad-oval
track.
"This is the third of the latest generation of race cars to come out of
our Penske Racing shop," said team engineer Dave Winston. "We've had
quite a bit of success so far with these cars and we're certainly hoping
for much of the same with our '702 chassis' this weekend at Texas."
Busch and team debuted their "PRS-700" in the Sept. 27 race at Dover,
Del., where they started 16th and finished fifth. They brought their
new "PRS-701" out for the Oct. 11 race in Fontana, Calif., where they
started 24th and finished eighth.
"The program working with our friends at Operation Homefront has been
very enjoyable and gratifying, but we still have some work to get done
this weekend," said Busch of the five-race promotion that began with the
Kansas race and concludes with this weekend's special Texas Veteran's
Day salute. "Miller Lite launched the fundraising campaign by making
a $200,000 donation to the cause and we've been attempting to add to
that total in each of those five races. We were able to score a $10,000
bonus in the Charlotte race (Oct. 17 NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor
Speedway) and we're looking to taste greatness again this weekend at
Texas by recording another top-10 finish and adding another $10,000 to
the fundraising effort."
Busch has also been urging fans to help in this worthy cause. There are
several ways to participate. To make a $5 donation, just text the word
T-R-O-O-P-S to 90999. The charge will appear on your wireless bill.
Alternatively, visit millerlite.com/vets to make a donation and learn
more about the great work of Operation Homefront. Fans attending this
weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway can contribute to Operation
Homefront by purchasing a "postcard" from the Kurt Busch (or Penske
Racing). Fans will be able to inscribe the card with a personalized
message to a serviceman or woman overseas. Penske Racing will submit the
cards and 100% of the proceeds collected to OHF and the cards will be
included in care packages sent directly overseas.
"We've really shown the spark we need on the intermediate tracks so
far this season and we hope to continue that at Texas this weekend,"
said Busch, currently sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings,
trailing leader Johnson by 312 points, but now 128 points behind
second-place Mark Martin, 120 points behind third-place Jeff Gordon,
73 points behind fourth-place Juan Pablo Montoya and 33 points behind
fifth-place Tony Stewart. "We had the big win back in the spring at
Atlanta and have run consistently in the top-10 in most of those tracks.
The guys have been putting some great race cars out there, Dave Winston
and the engineering department have made so much progress and the new
Dodge engines have had plenty of power in those races.
"We finished eighth in the spring race at Texas and have some pretty
good notes to go on entering this weekend," said Busch. "We were at our
best during the long runs there in the April race and were able to make
small adjustments throughout the day that our car responded fairly well
to. We're looking to continue to make our intermediate program stronger
this weekend out there."
-credit: pr
