News

Kobalt Tools 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 9, 2008

Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Penske Racing Team will be debuting their new PSC-554 Dodge Charger in the Kobalt 500 action at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.  "It's a brand new car and one of our newest generation COT models,¿ Pat explained.  ¿When Kurt takes to the track there at Atlanta on Friday, it¿ll be the first time it has hit a race track."

That new chassis number does not mean that 554 or even 54 new COT cars have rolled through the assembly line at the Mooresville, N.C. Penske Racing Team headquarters.  "We did designate the new COT cars by starting out numbering them 500 and above," explained Gary Brooks, shop foreman for the team¿s stock car end of the operation.  ¿We had the first generation of the new cars that ran through No. 529.  When we revamped and came out with the second generation model, we jumped up to No. 550 for those cars.  Kurt will be racing the fourth of those cars that have come through the shop this weekend at Atlanta, thus the PSC-554 designation.¿

Quick-Stats Entering Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta (courtesy NASCAR PR):

12th in points ¿ Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.7

2008 Rundown
- One top five
- Average finish of 17.7
- Led one race for nine laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
- One win, four top 10s
- Average finish of 21.3
- Finished eighth in October
- Led six of 14 races for 280 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
- 363 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

The Sprint Cup boys head to the very fast and always exciting Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, where Miller vs. Bud will go to round #4 of this NASCAR season.  After a most impressive 2nd place finish at the 50th Daytona 500, the Blue Deuce has had it's share of bad luck the last two races but will look to rebound at a track that has seen the #2 Miller Lite Dodge finish in the top 15 the last three events there.  Based on the performance of the #9 Bud team so far this season (three straight top 10 finishes), The Palms Casino Resort established the betting line at -3.5 positions in favor of the #9 car over the #2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend.  Sports book representative Fred Crespi had this to say about setting the line: "I am surprised at how the #9 car has performed so far this season. The Miller Lite Dodge has run very well also but hasn't translated those runs into solid finishes.  You have to make the Bud car the favorite this weekend, but I would not be at all surprised to see the Miller Lite #2 car give Bud all they can handle."

Kurt¿s visit to his souvenir trailer at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday will mark the 249th time in the last 252 races that he has been out on race day mornings to meet the 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 10:30 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Please verify that time by visiting the trailer in advance and picking up the free tickets for the autograph line.