Busch Wants to Add Another Bristol Night Win to Resume
August 24, 2011
Photo Courtesy of Autostock
But first, these notes of interest:
--Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-738" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This chassis has been raced three times...in last October's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, where Busch started 15th and finished 30th...in the April Phoenix race, where Busch started second and finished eighth...and in the June Pocono race where Busch won the pole and finished second. "This just might be the strongest car we have in the ‘Double-Deuce' stable," said crew chief Addington. "We completely reworked it heading into this season. It was pretty responsive back in February out in Phoenix. It was actually our backup at Pocono in June. We had to roll it off the trailer and Kurt drove the wheels off of it, winning the pole and finishing second. We have a lot of confidence in this Shell-Pennzoil Dodge and can't wait to see how strong we can be with it at Bristol this weekend."
--Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-738" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This chassis has been raced three times...in last October's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, where Busch started 15th and finished 30th...in the April Phoenix race, where Busch started second and finished eighth...and in the June Pocono race where Busch won the pole and finished second. "This just might be the strongest car we have in the ‘Double-Deuce' stable," said crew chief Addington. "We completely reworked it heading into this season. It was pretty responsive back in February out in Phoenix. It was actually our backup at Pocono in June. We had to roll it off the trailer and Kurt drove the wheels off of it, winning the pole and finishing second. We have a lot of confidence in this Shell-Pennzoil Dodge and can't wait to see how strong we can be with it at Bristol this weekend."
--Special note: All this summer, Shell is giving fans an opportunity to win 1 of 10 FREE "fuel for a year" prizes in the Shell "Favorite Road Trip" Sweepstakes. From June 27 to September 5, 2011, fans can enter by sharing their favorite road trip memory or route at www.shell.us/roadtrip. Every week, one lucky winner will be randomly selected to win a year's supply of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, which protect engines against performance-robbing gunk. Daily winners will also be randomly selected to win a $100 Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines Gift Card. No purchase necessary to enter. For more information on the Shell "Favorite Road Trip" Sweepstakes and official rules, please visit www.shell.us/roadtrip. For more information on Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines and ways to save at the pump, visit facebook.com/shellontheroad.
--Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver Kurt Busch will be signing autographs at his souvenir trailer this Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is scheduled to meet fans and sign autographs from 3:30 p.m. till 4:00 p.m. You must have tickets to join the line. Tickets are free of charge and available at the trailer on Saturday morning.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 23, 2011) - Shell-Pennzoil Dodge driver Kurt Busch enters Saturday's IRWIN Tools (500) Night Race looking for his sixth career win at Bristol Motor Speedway in his 22nd start on the high-banked .533-mile oval. For Busch, all of his career's 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories are special, but his win in the August 2003 Bristol night race ranks among his very favorite.
"I certainly treasure all the wins I have been fortunate enough to score through the years and that's especially true of the five victories at Bristol," said Busch, who enters this weekend's return to BMS eighth in the series points standings, trailing leader Kyle Busch by 77 points, yet enjoying a 52-point "Chase buffer" over 11th-place Clint Bowyer. "We've won four times there in the spring day races and those victories definitely conjure up some major memories.
"That win in the spring race of 2002 will always be special," said Busch. "You only have one first win and that's mine there. It was a great feeling that I'll always treasure. But, that win in the night race at Bristol in 2003 probably rates as my biggest career win back in the early years. At least it does in my eyes. It is spectacular to win at Bristol at night. There's just so much electricity and excitement in the air. The fact that we won the Sharpie race in the Sharpie car added to the importance and significance of that win.
"That win in the spring race of 2002 was memorable because we were racing our big nemesis (Jimmy Spencer) so close back then," Busch offered. "It came down to me and him. He led with about 50 laps to go. We got a little physical, but that's to be expected at Bristol. We got the lead and went on to win the race, with Jimmy finishing second. There's been a lot of volleying back and forth during the years since our battles back then, but I've publicly said that our issues have made me a stronger person and a better driver. I really do consider him a friend these days."
Busch started the August 2003 race from the fifth spot. The race came only six days after Busch had a highly publicized post-race incident with Spencer at Michigan. Busch ran among the top five early in the race, but fell off the pace for several laps due to a tight handling condition. The crew made continuous adjustments and had Busch back up solidly in the top 10 with 125 laps remaining. In only a matter of 15 laps, Busch rocketed from seventh to second between Lap 354 and Lap 379. He took the lead on the following lap and never looked back on his way to his third Bristol win and eighth career victory overall.
"That win on the summer night back in 2003 will always rate up there with my biggest and most favorite victories," said Busch, who is hoping he can win Saturday night's race and score a spot in "I'm sure that it looks ultra-special from the outside just because out of five wins on that track, it's the only one I have in the night race. But, it's much more than just that in what sets it apart from all the others.
"It certainly ranks right up there, that's for sure. We scored our first win ever there back in '02. It's like on the list of all the firsts. The big win we had back in June at Sonoma will always be special. After all the years trying to win on the road courses, we came through by winning that race and it was a landmark victory.
"When people think of the night races on the NASCAR schedule, naturally you think of the Bristol race under the lights as being the benchmark," said Busch. "It's a special win, no doubt about it. It is kinda unusual how things have shaken down through the years. We have our five career wins there and we only have one win in the night race.
"I think that's the same situation with (Jeff) Gordon, in that he has five wins and only one of them has come in the night race," said Busch. "That should tell you just how special it is to win one of the night races at Bristol. We'd love to win another night race there on Saturday and get us a spot in the Sprint Summer Showdown heading into Atlanta."
Busch started 20th and finished seventh in the March 20 Jeff Byrd (Food City) 500. "It was a pretty solid day for us overall there in the spring," said Busch. "We were in good position early on, riding around in third and could see the leaders. We pushed our car hard on some of the restarts trying to get up there and lead a lap. It just didn't seem we had the mojo to compete. That's what we are looking for - getting that mojo for our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team - this weekend at Bristol."
In 21 career Bristol Sprint Cup races entering this weekend, Busch has scored five wins, six top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and one Coors Light Pole Award. He has led 840 of the 9,921 laps he has completed to date (out of 10,513 possible). He has a 19.2 average start and 12.7 average finish at BMS. He has been running at the finish in 19 of the races and finished on the lead lap in 15 of them.
The Busch/Addington "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-738" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This chassis has been raced three times...in last October's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, where Busch started 15th and finished 30th...in the April Phoenix rac
"I certainly treasure all the wins I have been fortunate enough to score through the years and that's especially true of the five victories at Bristol," said Busch, who enters this weekend's return to BMS eighth in the series points standings, trailing leader Kyle Busch by 77 points, yet enjoying a 52-point "Chase buffer" over 11th-place Clint Bowyer. "We've won four times there in the spring day races and those victories definitely conjure up some major memories.
"That win in the spring race of 2002 will always be special," said Busch. "You only have one first win and that's mine there. It was a great feeling that I'll always treasure. But, that win in the night race at Bristol in 2003 probably rates as my biggest career win back in the early years. At least it does in my eyes. It is spectacular to win at Bristol at night. There's just so much electricity and excitement in the air. The fact that we won the Sharpie race in the Sharpie car added to the importance and significance of that win.
"That win in the spring race of 2002 was memorable because we were racing our big nemesis (Jimmy Spencer) so close back then," Busch offered. "It came down to me and him. He led with about 50 laps to go. We got a little physical, but that's to be expected at Bristol. We got the lead and went on to win the race, with Jimmy finishing second. There's been a lot of volleying back and forth during the years since our battles back then, but I've publicly said that our issues have made me a stronger person and a better driver. I really do consider him a friend these days."
Busch started the August 2003 race from the fifth spot. The race came only six days after Busch had a highly publicized post-race incident with Spencer at Michigan. Busch ran among the top five early in the race, but fell off the pace for several laps due to a tight handling condition. The crew made continuous adjustments and had Busch back up solidly in the top 10 with 125 laps remaining. In only a matter of 15 laps, Busch rocketed from seventh to second between Lap 354 and Lap 379. He took the lead on the following lap and never looked back on his way to his third Bristol win and eighth career victory overall.
"That win on the summer night back in 2003 will always rate up there with my biggest and most favorite victories," said Busch, who is hoping he can win Saturday night's race and score a spot in "I'm sure that it looks ultra-special from the outside just because out of five wins on that track, it's the only one I have in the night race. But, it's much more than just that in what sets it apart from all the others.
"It certainly ranks right up there, that's for sure. We scored our first win ever there back in '02. It's like on the list of all the firsts. The big win we had back in June at Sonoma will always be special. After all the years trying to win on the road courses, we came through by winning that race and it was a landmark victory.
"When people think of the night races on the NASCAR schedule, naturally you think of the Bristol race under the lights as being the benchmark," said Busch. "It's a special win, no doubt about it. It is kinda unusual how things have shaken down through the years. We have our five career wins there and we only have one win in the night race.
"I think that's the same situation with (Jeff) Gordon, in that he has five wins and only one of them has come in the night race," said Busch. "That should tell you just how special it is to win one of the night races at Bristol. We'd love to win another night race there on Saturday and get us a spot in the Sprint Summer Showdown heading into Atlanta."
Busch started 20th and finished seventh in the March 20 Jeff Byrd (Food City) 500. "It was a pretty solid day for us overall there in the spring," said Busch. "We were in good position early on, riding around in third and could see the leaders. We pushed our car hard on some of the restarts trying to get up there and lead a lap. It just didn't seem we had the mojo to compete. That's what we are looking for - getting that mojo for our Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Team - this weekend at Bristol."
In 21 career Bristol Sprint Cup races entering this weekend, Busch has scored five wins, six top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and one Coors Light Pole Award. He has led 840 of the 9,921 laps he has completed to date (out of 10,513 possible). He has a 19.2 average start and 12.7 average finish at BMS. He has been running at the finish in 19 of the races and finished on the lead lap in 15 of them.
The Busch/Addington "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-738" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. This chassis has been raced three times...in last October's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, where Busch started 15th and finished 30th...in the April Phoenix rac